Press Reviews
Spend Your Vacation, June 2013
“Journeying north to the village of Uga and you will find Casa el Morro which has the same ideas as the Natural Retreats villas but without the chic. The owner, Raquel Hidalgo, has converted a former farmhouse into seven villa establishments built into the side of a hill which is surrounded by pepper, palm and jacaranda trees. The highlight of this particular villa resort is the beautiful swimming pool which is also built into the hill and surrounded by a glass wall, so that the view is not ruined but still serves its purpose of protecting sun bathers from the wind. While the Natural Retreat villas are located in the popular area of Playa Blanca, the Casa el Morro has a more tranquil and meditative feel to it, with a massage yurt and yoga yurt being made available to guests.”
The Independent, June 2012
“At Casa el Morro, just outside the village of Uga, Raquel Hidalgo has converted a rambling former farmhouse into a seven-villa establishment on the side of a hill, surrounded by pepper trees, Canarian palms and jacaranda trees. The highlight is the generous hillside pool, a true suntrap surrounded by giant maharajah’s daybeds, with a glass wall to preserve the view but protect bathers from the wind. There’s a spiritual, meditative quality in the air here, with a massage yurt and a yoga palace for organised sessions, led by Raquel herself… Casa el Morro has hints of South-east Asia in its interior design…”
The Independent, June 2014
“This 18th-century, family-owned finca is set away from Lanzarote’s hustle and bustle. Named after the highest peak in the inland town of Uga, it offers one yurt and seven self-catering suites, close to the vineyards and bodegas of La Geria’s wine-growing region. The atmosphere is subtly Asian, with carved Balinese beds, fluttering prayer flags, silk fabrics and statues of Buddha scattered about. Outside, the garden brims with citrus trees, palms, figs and lavender bushes, while a pool, several courtyards and an on-site yoga hall offer space to zone out.”
The Times, January 2011
“The owner, Raquel Hidalgo, spent ten years converting this 18th-century mansion above the pretty village of Uga in the island’s southwest into a laid-back hideaway. Seven suites surround a courtyard, with wall hangings and teak furniture from Indonesia, Balinese day beds in shady nooks and wafts of incense floating on the breeze. El Aljibe, an atmospheric apartment in what was once the farm’s water reservoir, is hard to beat for romance.”
The Times, April 2014
“Casa el Morro combines the feeling of a health retreat with plenty of creature comforts. Close to the spectacular Timanfaya National Park Morro has seven suites plus four traditional farmhouses and a yurt, all decorated with warm colours, with muslin-draped four-posters and antique wooden furniture. Ayurvedic massages are offered alongside sound healing sessions and yoga classes. Breakfasts are a real high point.”
The Guardian, August 2010
“Casa El Morro is an 18th-century mansion, located above the village of Uga on the outskirts of the Timanfaya national park, that has been transformed into seven self-contained suites sleeping two to five, furnished with collections from Arabia, the Orient and Indonesia.”