Some getaways are remembered for a place and others for a table. This one is about the second kind: a barbecue porch in Chiclana, a long table for everyone and the pool in the background. You do not need much more to turn an autumn weekend into the plan of the year.
When summer leaves and the coast goes quiet, getting together in a house with room to cook, eat and stretch out the after-lunch chat is just about the best plan there is. The rest of the day can wait.
A barbecue porch with a built-in grill to cook in front of everyone
The heart of it all is the brick barbecue, built into the covered porch. Next to it, a worktop with a sink and a wooden bar with stools. Whoever is cooking is not stuck alone in a corner: they stay in the conversation while the first embers get going.
That is the beauty of a well-designed barbecue porch. The bar becomes the meeting point before the meal, with something to nibble and the grill going, and nobody has to go in and out of the house every five minutes.
The long table: room for everyone under cover
In front of the barbecue there is a table for ten. Long, with no important head seats, the kind where dishes get passed from hand to hand. From it you can see the living room through the open door, so the house and the porch work as a single space.
For a group of family or friends, that changes the whole getaway. Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same place, with the same people, with no bookings and no one else’s opening hours.
Outdoors or under cover, whatever the weather
The porch roof is what turns this area into a plan for the whole year. If the day is sunny, the table stays in the shade looking out over the pool. If it turns cool or an autumn shower comes in, the meal carries on under cover. The barbecue porch does not depend on the weather forecast.
White house, Arab tiles and the pool a few steps away
From the outside, the house is a classic of the south: whitewashed walls, Arab roof tiles and a large stone patio. Inside the wall, the porch opens onto the garden and the pool, with sun loungers for anyone who prefers a nap in the sun after lunch.
From the table to the water without changing plans
The pool is just a few steps from the table, so the children can swim while the adults linger over coffee. And since it is heated, there is no need to save it for July.
The indoor kitchen plays its part too
The barbecue porch gets the photos, but the indoor kitchen is what keeps everything running. It is spacious, bright and has its own breakfast bar with stools, perfect for the first coffee of the morning while everyone else wakes up.
Equipped so you will not miss a thing
Oven, large fridge, hob and extractor hood: everything you need to prepare anything from the salad to dessert. That way the barbecue sticks to what it does best and the kitchen covers everything else.
Autumn in Chiclana with a barbecue porch as your base
The coast has a different rhythm in autumn. La Barrosa beach is 10 minutes away for a morning walk, and when you get back what you feel like is lighting the embers and sitting down at the table. If you are wondering what to buy beforehand, our guide to eating in Chiclana covers the market and local produce.
The Los Refugios del Alce houses are in Chiclana and you can see where Los Refugios del Alce are on Google Maps. With a barbecue porch like this, the question is no longer where to go, but when you are all getting together.
Frequently asked questions about the barbecue porch
How many people can stay?
Los Refugios del Alce are 5 houses in Chiclana with room for up to 24 guests in total, so they suit anything from a single family to a large group spread across several houses.
Can the pool be used outside the summer?
Yes. The pool is heated and can be used all year round, in autumn and winter too.
How do I book?
Directly on the website, losrefugiosdelalce.com, or by writing to us through the contact page if you have questions about dates or houses.
