Apartaments for rent
The Context
Estilo de Vida started in 2017 as a welcoming space for conversation. Since then, about 200 adult foreigners have come to learn Spanish in weekly linguistic-cultural immersions, one or two students at a time. During these stays, we combine up to 4 hours of daily lessons with visits to monuments, villages, landscapes, restaurants and, above all, to local friends (artists, shepherds, guides, and diverse rural life). We spend the whole day together, so the learning is mutual. The variety of their origins, ages, and life perspectives and revamps us.
In 2021, we started works to also welcome people who appreciate the beauty of the countryside, the silence, and the nature that we all are. Estilo de Vida`s lifestyle is clean of great pretensions, life is lived with good humor and serenity; a serenity that is more flowery and bustling in summer, more sober and silent in winter.
In 2026, we finished 3 apartments in a fomerly open-plan attic. We want to dedicate them to long stays for digital nomads, medium term workers or people who want to spend several weeks or months following their art or vital impulse, in an environment that invites inner peace, including daily walks in the mountains, nature activities, or cultural visits on their own, relying on our advice and support if needed; or joining the daily excursions with foreign student of Spanish. We also want to welcome friends who wish to visit Las Merindades but can’t stay long, when our schedule allows. These apartments aren’t intended as short-term tourist rentals because Estilo de Vida doesn’t have the capacity to manage them that way.
We envision a welcoming and open community, both among the apartment residents and with the foreigners who are typically learning Spanish on the two lower floors. The fact that we speak English and French, are Spanish teachers, and know the Las Merindades region and its people well makes Estilo de Vida an attractive home for both foreigners and locals.
The Region: Las Merindades
Las Merindades offers a magnificent environment, with countless places to enjoy:
- Vibrant Nature: Natural parks (Valderejo, Montes Obarenes, Hoces del Ebro), Ojo Guareña karst caves, numerous gorges and waterfalls, tenths of GR and PR hiking trials and cycling routes (montain and road cycling), stand-ip paddleboarding(SUP), swimming in the Ebro River, a large and growing network of via ferratas (Tobera, several in Sobrón and Harri Gorri, Cigënza, Silanes, Pancorbo…) and so many other treasures tha nature gifts us with.
- History and heritage: Historic vtowns such as Frías (“the smallest city in Spain”), Oña (the cradle of Castile), Medina de Pomar (the stately seat of the Constable of Castile), Valpuesta (the birthplace of written Castilian Spanish), and countless Romanesque gems that magnify the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
- Gastronomy: In Las Merindades, we enjoy a rich gastronomy that blends the traditions of Basque and Castilian cuisines, with restaurants offering either delicious and affordable “menú del día” as well as signature dishes.
- Wildlife and Livestock: re also present.
Do you enjoy birdwatching? Around 150 species of birds can be spotted in Las Merindades, especially birds of prey: eagles (golden, booted, short-toed, and Bonelli’s), griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, eagle owl, barn owl, peregrine falcon, goshawk, and sparrowhawk. In wooded areas, great spotted woodpeckers and black woodpeckers can be seen. It is common to see roe deer, wild boar, fox, yew, genet, pine marten, otter, wildcat, Pyrenean desman, squirrel, and garden dormouse. Iberian wolves and brown bears are also present.
- Do you enjoy birdwatching? Around 150 species of birds can be spotted in Las Merindades, especially birds of prey: eagles (golden, booted, short-toed, and Bonelli’s), griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, eagle owl, barn owl, peregrine falcon, goshawk, and sparrowhawk. In wooded areas, great spotted woodpeckers and black woodpeckers can be seen.
- It is common to see roe deer, wild boar, fox, yew, genet, pine marten, otter, wildcat, Pyrenean desman, squirrel, and garden dormouse. Iberian wolves and brown bears are also present.
- Furthermore, our shepherd friends are often available to share their work herding 1200 sheep and the understanding of nature that they embody.
Below is a photo gallery taken with students who have visited Estilo de Vida in some of the most representative spots showcasing the rich diversity of Las Merindades.
The Town: Las Viadas, and Access to the Apartments
Estilo de Vida Estilo de Vida is located in Las Viadas, a small, quiet town in the Tobalina Valley, where 10 people live in winter and up to 60 in summer. The Tobalina Valley is in the far north of Castile and the province of Burgos, bordering the province of Álava (Basque Country). It is traversed by the Ebro River and several of its tributaries, which have carved four spectacular gorges. The valleys of Losa, Cuesta Urria, Sierra de Tobalina, and Valdegobíasurround the Tobalina Valley, along with the Valderejo and Montes Obarenes-San Zadornil Natural Parks. It is a sparsely populated area of surprising beauty, far from the noise of the city, yet close to Vitoria and Bilbao (65 km), Burgos (100 km), and Santander (140 km). Hiking websites recommend more than 10 different routes through the Tobalina Valley, which is crossed by two GR trails (85 and 99) and countless PR trails.
Estilo de Vida occupies a renovated traditional house dating back to 1807. It has three floors, 405 m² of living space, a garden with a vegetable patch, and fiber optic internet.
Some photos of Las Viadas and the apartments’ common areas can be seen below
The Apartments
The apartments are located on the third floor, with independent access staircase from the back garden. They are built with great care and attention to detail, using environmentally friendly treated wood. that provides a warm homely sensation. Each one includes:
– A pellet stove that heats the apartment quickly and comfortably
– A kitchen with a ceramic hob, extractor hood, refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, and new cabinetry
– A bathroom with a sink, shower, and toilet
– An entrance with a coded door handle
– High-speed fiber optic internet
– Bed linens, towels, and kitchenware included
The following home-made video (*) shows the access to the apartments through the common area.
Apartament JUAN
- 55 m m2
- A very spacious master bedroom with a 150 cm bed and an air source heat pump.
- A second bedroom with two single trundle beds, a work desk, and a south-facing large window with access to a balcony overlooking the village (Las Viadas), the Tobalina Valley, Pico Humión, the Obarenes Mountains, and the Sierra de la Tesla.
- A corner table and bench in the kitchen with ample space for 3 people plus 2 more on stools.
- A 100-liter electric water heater.
- Alquiler:
· 200 €/semana completa
· 150 €/domingo a viernes
· excepcionalmente 100 €/fin de semana (viernes a domingo).
Apartament TXU
- 60 m2
- A very spacious kitchen with a table and corner bench, ample space for 3 people plus another 3 on stools, also a dishwasher, and access to a south-facing balcony with views of the village (Las Viadas), the Tobalina Valley, Pico Humión, the Obarenes Mountains, and the Sierra de la Tesla.
- 100-liter electric water heater.
- Master bedroom with a 135 cm bed and south-facing orientation.
- Second bedroom with two single trundle beds and a desk.
- Rent:
· 200 €/full week
· 150 €/Sunday-Friday
· exceptionally 100 €/weekend (Friday-Sunday.
Apartamento ZRI
- Attic apartment- studio, 35 m2
- Only the bathroom has walls. The rest is open-plan.
- Five spaces:
-
- Kitchen with small fridge-freezer and 80-liter water heater
- 135 cm wide bed
- Living room with fold-down leather sofa
- Space with stove, work table, and dressing room
- Bathroom
-
- Rent:
· 175€/full week
· 125 €/Sunday-Friday
· exceptionally 85 €/weekend (Friday-Sunday).
RESERVATIONS
If you liked it and want to book a stay in the apartments, we would be happy to hear from you via WhatsApp (+34.639391854) or email (alejo@estilodevida.org or on the “contact” tab)
Thanks for you9r interest in Estilo de Vida
Questions or reservation
(*): we will shortly improve the quality of the videos.