Shepherd's Rest

We are currently staying at Shepherds rest. We intend to leave a review at the end of our stay but felt we needed to post something early for those thinking about staying in the coming weeks. We have been here for almost 3 weeks. Cori and Joel from the moment we arrived have been incredible hosts. There is nothing to much trouble. They are so welcoming and invite you into their home like family. Oria itself is a very sleepy village but has everything you need, with the town of Albox only a 20 minute drive away. The village is surrounded by almond and olive groves and the occasional orange trees with a backdrop of the mountain and the views are stunning! The apartments at shepherds rest are perfect for long stays and Cori and Joel have communal spaces that families can get together and hang out. It's very relaxed, we've so far enjoyed some lovely shared meals and the children have a safe space to play games, listen to music and just have some extra freedom they do not always get back home in the UK. Cori and Joel have a wealth of knowledge about what's going on locally and really good at signposting us to activities suitable for all the family. We are sad that our month is coming to an end, but fully intend to return. I would highly recommend shepherds rest ❤

We, as a family of 4 stayed in Shepherd's Rest in February 2024. We have two sons aged 6 and 10. They really enjoyed spending time there. It felt like a home with lovely people. The hosts Cori and Joel are very kind, thoughtful and creative. Oria is a tranquil and remote village with a stunning beauty of mountains and almond blossoms. There are other towns and villages within 20-40 minutes drive that offer many activities such as historical places to visit, bird rescue place, indoor simming pool, bowling, archery, very big playgrounds, indoor climbing centre etc. We did not even get to experience everything Shepherds Rest offers in a month. So, we get to be back next Spring :-)

We have been at Sheperds rest for 3 weeks out of our month stay and we don’t want to leave! Cori and Joel have been the perfect hosts. They have been so welcoming we feel like we have been treated like family. They both go above and beyond to make sure that you enjoy your stay. They do their best to create a real sense of community which is great as I am mainly travelling alone with my 14 year old daughter. Oria is a beautiful village with stunning views. It has local shops and a larger supermarket and town about 20 minutes. We have had our car here which has been great to explore the local area. Cori and Joel are extremely knowledgable in the surrounding area and have suggested some great fun days out and learning experiences for my daughter. We will be so sad to leave but know that we will stay in touch and absolutely be back to visit them and their wonderful family again one day. Thank you both for making our time here so special and memorable.

I stayed at Shepard's Rest in the winter of 2022. The countryside is beyond beautiful, the drive into and around Oria is so picturesque. The apartment was well furnished, I especially appreciated the wood stove in the living room for the chilly winter nights :)
Cori and Joel were great hosts, actively welcoming us into their meals, activities and days along with the other families staying there.
Oria is out in the countryside, but there's many places to explore within the town. Beyond that, there are a bunch of cute places accessible for a day trip nearby.
I would recommend this stay to anyone looking for a peaceful stay surrounded by nature. Enjoy!

I stayed with my family at Speherd's Rest for a month in Feb 2024. The stay was great and I really enjoyed our hosts, Cory and Joel. They were helpful and accepted us not only as guests but as friends. We felt at home.

We stayed there with 4 other families and our children built great relatinships.

Oria is a nice small village with a lot to do around. Albox is a nearby town with lots to do. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to experience rural Andalucia.

We will definately go back there again to spend time with other families.

Our family of six stayed two months in June July of 2022. Cori and Joel did all they could to make sure we had an amazing stay. Weekly BBQs, fun for the kids, lots of outings! It's a beautiful spot out in the mountains. Surrounded by nature. There are horses nearby. The local pool is free and has grass and shade for the little people. Best experienced if you have a vehicle as the location is a little remote, but it's a wonderful way to spend time in the country and relax with the family 💯

Cori & Joel are warm, welcoming hosts with vast knowledge of places of interest to visit. The area is stunningly beautiful and accommodation provides all a family could need. If you're looking to immerse your family in a rural, back to nature environment in a setting that allows your kids the freedom to explore and play like kids used to then look no further. A truly immersive experience for those who appreciate traditional, rural, Andalusian life.

We recently stayed at Shepherd's Rest with our family and absolutely loved it. We have spent years traveling and staying in lots of homes, Airbnbs, etc. and this ranks in our top two favorite places we have stayed. The Shepherd home was beautiful, equipped with everything you possibly need, and the view each morning was breath taking!

The town of Oria, which is only about five minutes away is honestly one of the most beautiful I've seen in Europe (we used to live in France.) We enjoyed many markets, wakeboarding/kneeboarding, swimming in a fresh spring, dinners with other families, and friendly small restaurants. I could not believe how welcoming everyone was in town!

There are so many activities you can do, all of which are short drives away. We really enjoyed visiting one of the best play parks for kids!

We cannot recommend staying at Shepherd's Rest enough. We were there for a week and just left. Our only regret was not moving our schedule around so we could stay at least a month. It was so relaxing and refreshing to stay in such a wonderful house and location. Joel, Cori, and family are the perfect people to be hosting. Would give this location 7 stars if possible! You will love your experience here!

We had such a lovely time staying here in one of Cori & Joel’s apartments.
We were made to feel welcome and comfortable and made some lovely genuine friends.
Stunning views and amazing village pool too. Would definitely recommend!

Shepard’s Rest is a special place- to really rest, nest, be in the moment, all with the comforting support of Cori and Joel and the community around you. The countryside is just beautiful, and the extensive views of surrounding hills so calming. The town of Oria is tiny and quiet and fun to explore the winding streets and get lost, as you can never really get lost. It has several markets that can meet all your shopping needs. The regular organized community happenings at Shepard’s Rest boil down to two afternoon clubs a week (Lego and art) and potluck dinner on Sunday’s. The rest is up to you and the community to create, which I think will always look and feel different depending on who is there! Cori and Joel are incredible resources for ideas of activities and day trips to do while there. In just our 3 week time we visited a goat farm (milked and made cheese), participated in a rock carving class and mosaic workshop, day tripped to the coast and Granada, went to a fair in a neighboring town Albox, visited a castle in Viejo Blanco, and hiked in the the surrounding forest. And there was more we hoped to do still:) This is not a list of organized a-la-carte activities, these are just what is out there if you go looking! Shepard’s Rest is true community-making: you get out of it what you put into it. 😌

We stayed at Shepherd’s Rest for four weeks in August 2023 in the Canela apartment.

The owners, Joel and Cori, were so nice and very welcoming to us. They picked us up from Alicante (for a fee) since we had no vehicle. Their son even baked a delicious birthday cake for our girls towards the end of our stay. Our apartment was large, spacious, and felt cozy to us. The beds were incredibly comfortable, which we appreciated! We loved our large, open concept kitchen/dining/living room area.

The complex itself had three other units, one for the owners and two other guest apartments. There was a communal playroom, which our two daughters would disappear down into for hours to play with other kids, toys, and the various super friendly pets owned by the host or read books. We found all kinds of small pieces of tiles on our hikes in the nearby countryside, which the girls got to help paste onto the wall in the playroom where they were slowly building a mosaic. They loved leaving their small imprint on this place to remember them by. There was an outdoor playground right next door, which our daughters also loved. This property was so child friendly and safe for our two 7-year-olds to play and explore.

There was a lovely rooftop patio, where we would often sit out and have a glass of wine and enjoy the spectacular views in the evenings, often running into other families or couples up there to socialize with. There were weekly potlucks up here on Sundays that all families here and the sister property were invited to, which we loved attending. There were other sitting areas, a campfire area, etc. that looked lovely, but we didn’t use during our stay.

We found the hosts to be very responsive to issues we brought to their attention. We had no screens/bug netting in our windows (which we have found to be common here in Europe) and my one daughter was covered in bug bites. When I mentioned it to them, they were in our unit within 10 minutes, installing netting into her window to correct the problem. We had a fan that broke, and within two hours they had a new and stronger fan that they brought us to replace it.

There was really only one issue we had while there that couldn’t be solved, which was the stifling August heat. It made it a huge challenge to live through. But it was summer in Spain and we had been well aware that it would be hot when we booked. We don’t blame the hosts for that! While we wouldn’t hesitate to return to Shepherd’s Rest (in fact, our kids are begging us to go stay there again!), we wouldn’t go in the high heat of summer again. And, in the meantime, we look forward to a brief return visit in a few months to re-connect with friends we made here.

Shepherds rest is the most amazing place. The family are wonderful people, who are kind, supportive and would do anything for their guests. We have had nothing but positive experiences. I have read the negative reviews and am astounded that the people writing them had this experience, because it just does not seem true, and I feel they may have another reason for writing such negative untruths. We love Shepherds rest, we love the family and we love everything that they do for their guests Cannot wait to visit next summer! ❤

My kids and I spent this past October at SR. I’d like to thank Cori and Joel for providing an affordable and safe space where we could free-range our children and have to opportunity to make some life-long friends. We enjoyed several weeks of park plays, beach , lake , pool days , markets and Fairs (all ~30-1hr away). Cori was super respectful of our space, and I really appreciated that . Was everything perfect ? No. Could we have used another washer? Yes . Would I go back? In a heartbeat ! My kids speak fondly about their time in Oria, I certainly hope to return at some point with even more time . Important information IMO: a car and self starter attitude is must —there sooo much to do and see. Highlights /must dos : micaels kids park , chiverals market on Friday mornings, Cela thermal pools , mojacar beach , and the lake !

Thank you for everything Cori and Joel .

What a wonderful place to stay! I love the homely atmosphere, the people and the most kind, friendly and helpful hosts Corianda and Joel. I love the families that visit who all have a unique tale to tell that is aw inspiring. All this in a beautiful setting and gorgeous apartments....I wish I could stay forever!

Karen and I stayed in the Shepherd's Rest in May 2022, Cori, Joel and all the family couldn't be more friendly, welcoming and helpful. The apartment we stayed in was clean, comfortable, spacious and modern, with everything you would possibly need. Cori and Joel made it clear from the moment we arrived, if there's anything we need, directions to any place of interest, or the best local bars and restaurants to visit, then please ask. They have an open door policy, with invites to their Fiestas and BBQ's. When you leave Shepherd's Rest, you leave as a friend. John Nicklin & Karen Nicklin

We had a truly wonderful stay at Shepherd’s Rest. The flat was spacious and comfortable with beautiful views over the mountains. Cori and Joel went above and beyond to make us feel part of the community - from family gatherings, hikes and BBQs to a trip to a trampoline park. We all really enjoyed being able to connect with other families this way, particularly our girls who spent most of their days running around playing with other kids. They also loved going to playgroup during the week with Cori where they had lots of fun in the big playroom and on nature walks. And we loved the rare and much-needed time to ourselves. It was the perfect break from life on the road and we'll definitely go back if we are in the area again.

My family has worldschooled for over 2 decades. I am a former Dot-Com tech executive and have stayed in luxury resorts and literal palaces. And you know what? I would rather stay at Shepherd's Rest!

My family began worldschooling in 2007, when we left the San Francisco Bay Area, and I helped to grow the movement. In all of that time, with all of the many wonderful adventures we have had, Joel and Corianda and Shepherd's Rest stand out as some of the best people and experiences ever. I count them as lifelong friends.

I also remember myself at the beginning of worldschooling, where I was used to being a tourist, and hadn't yet become a traveler. I expected a mint on my pillow and planned childcare and even a lu'au at 8.

Over time though, what really began to happen is that the schedule didn’t matter. What mattered were the hearts of the hosts, and a chance to meet and befriend other families, with whom we could meet again in various cities all over the globe.

Shepherd's Rest is NOT Club Med. Shepherd's Rest does not WANT to be Club Med. What Shepherd's Rest IS, is a place run with love by ethical, good-hearted people. People who will go the extra mile to help you have an authentic Andalusian adventure. People who are providing a valuable hub, so you can make like-minded friends while you explore and show your children the real world.

It is a priceless thing to meet the Shepherd family, and an honor to have visited their home. I can't recommend them more highly as a base from which to enjoy Spain.

We loved our time in Serendipia (that is sheperds rest #2).

Lots of things to do around the area within an hour drive and great village life.

Cori and Joel are so accommodating and make sure everyone's feeling welcome.

This is a review of shepherds rest for 2019 and 2020, not serendipia and is before they set up a worldschooling project which is completely different setup to when we stayed.
I have stayed at Shepherds Rest 5 times, in 2 different apartments both upstairs for several weeks to months, the views from terrace are amazing. It's a family run business and you won't find a more hardworking, friendly and helpful couple than Corianda and Joel, they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, help with queries and local knowledge, and have great contacts in the area from solicitors too mechanic's. They helped me find hire cars, register my son in school, recommending shops, lighting the wood burner etc. The apartments are comfortable, traditional style, joined on to the family home , with log burners for winter in the lounge area and kitchens with all you need accept a washing machine, there is one to share between all 3 apartments and the owners family. Also with the opening on Maggie Maes diner you could also get homemade delicious food cooked by Joel with a good veggie selection which is only for people staying at shepherds rest . We have also met some amazing families at Shepherds Rest that are now friends, a lot being world schoolers, travellers and many who have also now settled in the Oria area as we have.

Wonderful family holiday experience - a home away from home. If you're looking for something off the beaten track and not your typical Spanish package deal, then this is the place for you! A real home in the mountains, among the almond groves. If you go in summer you're sure to catch some amazing sunsets and plenty of local figs!
We've stayed here more than once and actually for a few months Shepherds Rest became something of a home base for us!