Excursions

• Ventorros de San José (population 2,000) is a little rural pueblo. It has three bar/ restaurants serving authentic local fare at very reasonable prices, two banks, a petrol station, a chemist and a medical centre; internet connection is available in the Town Hall.
• 15 minutes away, Loja (population 20,000) is the nearest place of any size, a little market town of genuine Andaluz character.
• The picturesque white village of Iznájar is half an hour from here, the southern gateway to the beautiful rolling hills and olive groves of the Subbetica Natural Park. Sitting on top of a huge rocky outcrop which towers up from the breathtakingly blue waters of the Embalse de Iznájar, the largest lake in Andalucía, it's a magnificent setting.
• Views from the top of the town are sensational, over the surrounding countryside - rolling hillsides clad with olive groves as far as the eye can see - and over the vast, beautiful lake (32 kilometres long and 6 kilometres wide) which fills the wide valley floor of the Genil river on both sides of the village.
• Also known as the Lake of Andalucía, it hosts water sports and fishing and has its own beach (in summer) at Valdearenas where you can swim, rent pedalos and canoes or learn to sail.
• Its beautiful, clear blue waters are safe for children to swim or play in and there's sand to lie on. It tends to be busier on Sundays but is usually very quiet during the week, even in the height of the season.
• Head north to Priego de Córdoba (45 minutes drive), a lovely town which is Andalucía at its most refined and authentic. A dignified, convivial provincial town with a beautiful historic centre and more than its fair share of marvellous baroque churches. All around, the spectacular countryside of the Subbética Natural Park.
• To the east, the white village of Montefrio, with its high-towered church, suddenly appears through a gap in the mountains, resembling a ship sailing across rolling waves of hills. All around there is mile upon mile of wonderful, peaceful countryside. Time slows down here, for everybody.
• An hour away, Granada is, of course, a must-see city. Soaring high above is the spectacular back drop of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountains. And what a city lies below, a city of classical beauty, the jewel in the Spanish Crown.
• The mesmerising Alhambra Palace and its exquisite gardens, one of the world's greatest wonders; the narrow, cobbled streets and beautiful walled gardens of the ancient Arab quarter, El Albaicín; the magnificent Cathedral, just one of many superb examples of Renaissance architecture; the caves of Sacramonte, nostalgic legacy of the gypsies.
• A city which inspired García Lorca, Andalucía's finest poet, it is, above all, a people's city, full of life and colour, energy and fun.
• Córdoba too, is a must-see city, once the largest city in the world, the thriving capital of Al-Andalus, the name used to describe Moorish Spain which extended throughout almost all of the Iberian Peninsular.
• In its heyday it was considered the Mecca of the west. The Mesquita of Córdoba is, along with Granada's Alhambra Palace, the finest example of Islamic Art in the western world, the grandest and most beautiful mosque constructed by the Moors in Spain. It's one of only a handful of man-made places in the world which literally takes your breath away.
• Quite apart from the Mesquita, there's much more to discover in Córdoba. It's very picturesque, a town to stroll around. You will come across little squares, peaceful courtyards and balconies overflowing with bougainvilleas. The aroma of lemon blossom, the exuberant colours of the flowers, the cool trickle of a fountain. It's a beautiful town, Córdoba.
• To the south west, Antequera is another very pretty town with an almost medieval air and a history to match. So much more than just another sleepy, sun-soaked 'pueblo' of Southern Spain.
• Mediterranean beaches on the Costa del Sol are 90 minutes drive south.

Activities

• Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy exploring the hillsides and little villages of El Poniente on foot, horseback, or bicycle.
• The beautiful lake (32 kilometres long and 6 kilometres wide) which fills the wide valley floor of the Genil river on both sides of the Iznajár hosts water sports and fishing and has its own beach at Valdearenas where you can swim, rent pedalos and canoes or learn to sail.
• There is a chiringuito (summer bar) on the beach and a couple of bar / restaurants just above.
• Caving is popular activity, along with hang-gliding, fishing, hiking and cycling around Loja.
• On the northern slopes of Sierra Nevada, top class skiing is 1½ hours drive away.