Staying in a converted cave; whatever next? Surely it must be rather cold, dark and wet? Not really. The sandstone walls provide natural insulation and air-conditioning, which can be a big bonus in the searing summer heat. All of the caves have windows at the front, some of them very large. It's a bit like living in a basement flat.

But isn't it rather primitive? Wrong again. The typical twenty-first-century cave has a whitewashed wall at the entrance, a chimney and TV aerial sticking out of the top with all mod cons. My cave was centrally heated with an en suite bathroom, TV and well-equipped kitchen. There was also a swimming pool and restaurant on site.

So cave dwelling has become chic? Indeed. The caves feature regularly in Spain's interior design magazines and prices have shot up. If you want to buy one, it could set you back more than £100,000.

Any other plus-points? Forget any problems with noise pollution. The 2 metre-thick walls are a welcome change from some of the paper-thin varieties one gets you get in modern hotels. Our cave overlooked the motorway from Granada to Murcia but, once indoors, we couldn't hear a thing.

Where are these caves? A 40-minute drive east of Granada at Guadix, home to the largest concentration of cave dwellers - or troglodytes - in Europe.

What's the damage? Not much. Prices start from £35 plus VAT (7 per cent) in low season to £45 in high season for two people sharing a one-bedroom cave. Breakfast is £4 per person.

· Bookable through Rustic Blue (00 34 958 763381), which offers a choice of properties, ranging from very basic to luxurious. Mundi Color (020 7828 6021) can tailormake packages with flights.