Miguel Ramos
Ajo (EFE).- A restored 16th century palace is looking for a new owner who wants to acquire the keys to this heritage treasure located in the town of Ajo (Bareyo), at the foot of the Cantabrian Sea, and which has been converted into a luxury hotel.
Leafy gardens with views of the sea, stately rooms harmonized with decorative elements typical of museums, large rooms and bathrooms that ooze nobility and even a chapel for devotees, are some of the attractions hidden in this building with 2,000 light bulbs and an estate of more than of 8,000 square meters.
If in the past horses and carriages trod its paths, now it is the high-end vehicles of renowned businessmen, bankers, politicians or sheikhs who visit the Hotel Palacio de la Peña in Cantabria, seduced by the tranquility, exclusivity or anonymity offered by these unique facilities surrounded by green slopes.
A self-taught entrepreneur
The driver? An entrepreneur and lover of antiques who in the 1990s came across that mansion in a “dilapidated” state where even “cattle used to pass through”.
He bought the property and set out to clean it up in a self-taught way with his construction knowledge and the support of stonemasons from Navarra.
Thanks to his own vision of “geniuses” from other times, according to what his relatives told EFE, he managed to build a walled residential complex evocative of Versailles in which time seems to be anchored in the past.
A visible stamp on the main façade reminds us that the house originally belonged to the Vélez de Hontanilla lineage, chief constable of the Navarrese inquisition and mayor of the Junta de Siete Villas y Valle de Mena.
The old demolished stables were moved into a bright and complete dining room and the interior of the main building was equipped with suites and luxury rooms based on exquisite comfort, spacious rooms and a decoration highlighted by wooden altarpieces, works of art, period furniture, upholstered cabinets or rugs from the Royal Factory of Madrid.
All this added to charming lounges with large windows ideal for reading or chatting while enjoying a drink and ambient music. Although the privileged location of the palace also allows you to escape among the leisure and cultural options that the region offers.
Beaches and natural parks
And it is that, it is located near beaches such as Cuberris, Noja, Isla, Santoña or Laredo or also tourist centers such as Santillana del Mar, the Palacio de la Magdalena, Comillas, Cabárceno, the natural parks or the cities of Santander and Bilbao.
The sale, which can be formalized by any individual online, is carried out by Bernadó Luxury Houses, a real estate agency with experience in the commercialization of exclusive properties or Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC), such as the San Ramón fortress located in the Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Níjar.
Now all that remains is for someone to disburse the millionaire amount (3.8 million euros) to obtain this historical complex, and fulfill the dream of residing in a palace or continue to operate the property as a small boutique hotel.
