Location
The house is located on the edge of the Subbetica Natural Park in the heart of Andalucia.
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Fuente del Conde
Fuente del Conde is the nearest village, 2kms away. It has a bar which serves good food, and a small supermarket stocked with most basic food and household goods.
Iznajar
About 10kms away is Iznajar, a village of about 5,000 inhabitants. Here there are more bars and restaurants including a bar/restaurant at the beach. There are also several small shops, grocers, butchers and greengrocers.
Set on a peninsula overlooking a man made lake, Iznajar itself commands views over the surrounding countryside with rolling hills clad with olive groves as far as the eye can see, The hill on which it stands is crowned by a 1,200 year old castle.
The lake
The lake, created in 1969 in the valley of the Genil is 32 kms long and 6 kms wide. It provides opportunities for swimming, kayaking and sailing.
The area
This is a very rural area of Andalucia, where the main industry is the growing of olives, and the production of olive oil.
The market towns of Loja and Archidona are within a fifteen minute drive. In a little over half an hour you could be in Antequera, a charming old town. Close to Antequera is El Torcal National Park, an area of majestic and fascinating limestone columns and formations, with marked walking trails and an abundance of flora and fauna.
A short drive to the west takes you to Fuente de Piedra, and its lake, with Spain’s only breeding colony of flamingos, as well as a multitude of other bird life.
The house is in the province of Cordoba, and the city of Cordoba is within easy reach (1hr 30min), as is Granada (1 hr). A little further away, a (about 2 hours drive) is Seville. The Sierra Nevada, with its opportunities for winter sports, are about 1hr 15 minutes drive.
At a glance
- Language: Spanish
- Currency: Euro
- Time: GMT + 1 Hour
- Intl Dial Code: +34
- Airport: Malaga 80kms(50m)
- Lake/Beach: 10kms
- Nearest golf: Antequera 47kms
Climate
Temperature highs (oC)
- 13J
- 15F
- 18M
- 20A
- 24M
- 29J
- 33J
- 32A
- 28S
- 23O
- 17N
- 14D
Walking
The area is ideal for walking. There is a selection of large scale local maps in the house.
Birdwatching
The garden is visited by many birds, including Golden Oriole, Hoopoe, Azure winged Magpie, and red legged partridge. Montague harriers are among the birds of prey which soar overhead, and there is a nesting site close by. Bee-eaters can be observed on the hillside opposite. There are a couple of bird books in the house ‘library’ and a small pair of binoculars.
There is a breeding colony of Flamingo on the lake at Fuente de Piedra, a short drive away.
Cycling
Bicycles can be hired from the hotel by the lake.
The beach
From the beach you can swim and hire sailing dinghies, kayaks and pedalos.
Horse riding
Cortijo Las Minas (about 15kms) www.centroecuestrelasminas.com provides opportunities for horse riding.
Golf
There is a golf course in Antequera about 47 kms away.
Markets
| Monday | Archidona |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Antequera |
| Wednesday | Lucena, Villanueva de Trabuco |
| Thursday | Tapia |
| Friday | Fuentes de Cesna, Villanueva de Algaidas |
| Saturday | Cuevas de san Marcos, Rute |
| Sunday | Granada |
The historic cities of Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla are close enough to visit in a day.
Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso and home to an extensive collection of his work in the Picasso Museum. The house where he was born is also open to the public. New this year is The Pompidou Centre with a collection of art from the centre in Paris.
Many local towns and villages are worth a visit and the house ‘library’ has a selection of guide books etc.
Iznajar turismo also has a Facebook page. The original pages are in Spanish, but all have a Google translation link.