Olive & Ivy Guesthouse

Beautiful Guesthouse in the centre of the village. The hosts were really friendly and helpful and there to make our stay there a special experience. The breakfast was superb. There’s a great hiking trail right outside the door. Plenty bars and restaurants to choose from. A great experience and we will be back thank you.

Although we were not guests at Olive & Ivy, but rather the neighbours of the owners in the charming village of Canillas de Aceituno, they kindly offered us a trendy & healthy breakfast. The location is superb, next to the Plaza de la Constitucion. And the owners are very kind and welcoming, plus the Swiss quality and savoir-faire. If you wish to discover Canillas and its mountain trails, this is the place to be.

Everything about this perfect little guest house is spot-on, from the decor to the detail. We loved it from the moment we stepped inside, having wondered how it could possibly live up to the glowing reviews. It does, though, and delivers even more than you could hope for in such a reasonably-priced place. We booked direct via the website and got a discounted rate (worth bearing in mind before clicking on a booking site). The owners responded almost immediately to emails, sent driving and parking instructions and even booked us a table at a great restaurant, La Sociedad, specializing in goat dishes. The beds are super-comfy, the aircon quiet and efficient, the rain-showers really good and the place is immaculately clean. We loved the breakfast room, which doubles as an honesty bar (good local wines to buy) and enjoyed our complimentary Malaga wine on the terrace, post-dinner. Breakfast was swerved there too, to the sound of the water fountains alongside… and yes, it’s just as delicious as the pictures suggest. It was absolutely no surprise to learn that the (relatively new) owners are Swiss. Everything here just works. No surprise, either, to discover that the place was initially owned by the guys at Residencia Almijara in Competa… so many similarities. The village is special, too - buzzy in the evening but without the overtly touristy feel of some other peublos around here. Thank you so much, Priska and Michi, for an excellent stay. Part-time Nerja residents, we’d booked last minute to avoid a second night of San Juan sleeplessness, and ended up finding a real gem.

This was a very last minute night away and the reviews on TA persuaded me to book. I am delighted I did and was only sorry it was for one night. Right in the heart of the small village of Canillas, this delightfully restored property is bright and airy and tastefully decorated. It has 5 rooms and the one we had, had a small side balcony with fabulously comfy bed, great shower and little touches like the local wine and almonds left for us I love. There is an honesty bar in the communal area, coffee, tea, fresh fruit. The breakfast was great, yoghurt and fruit, fresh coffee (with decaf option) mezze platter with poached eggs and cake with Moroccan tea to finish. In Canillas itself there are several places to eat, and you must try the local speciality of chivo (goat) either fried or roasted. The avocadoes from this area are some of the best in the world. Loved every bit of it and I wish the new owners every success - you deserve it.

Olive & Ivy is a great place in very nice village, very friendly Graham and Rose will make you feel at home - I bet you usually do not have such a great breakfast! They helped us a lot when we got sunburnt and if you plan Maroma hike as we did, you cannot find a better place to stay.