Finca de las Pasas (Raisin Farmhouse) is situated on the edge of the historic 'pueblo blanco' (white village) of Iznate in the Axarquia region of Andalucia.

The property is very private, with unimaginably magnificent views across the Iznate valley with layer upon layer of hills in the distance.  And yet a 10 minute walk takes one into the centre of picturesque Iznate, a village very much removed from the tourist meccas of the Costa del Sol. Iznate has a number of tapas bars, a post office, mini-markets, a bank, a small hotel and other village facilities.  We are fortunate in having a particularly attractive and welcoming restaurant less than a five minute walk from the house, adjacent to a tennis court which our visitors are welcome to use. 

For further information on the village itself and for photographs, take a look at the Iznate menu tab.

When we bought the property in April 2004 it was operated as a small raisin farm by its owners, who now live on their principal farm at the other side of the valley.  The rest of 2004 was spent fully refurbishing and modernising the house, giving it a new kitchen, converting what had been a semi-outdoor sitting room into a room integrated into the rest of the house, and, most importantly, adding the pool.  We've also installed an air-conditioning/heating system, ensuring that one can retreat from the heat during the Spanish summer.

We particularly wanted a property within or on the edge of a community, so that we could experience something of Spanish life first hand.  We also wanted a pool, which meant having some land.  Combining these two requirements is difficult to achieve in Andalucia because the villages tend to be cut into the hillsides, with properties seemingly built one on top of another, leaving no space for gardens or pools.  This small finca therefore proved to be the ideal property, close to a lovely village but within its own grounds.  Its elevated position also means that it has stunning panoramic views.

Iznate is a 5 minute drive inland from the arterial E-15 / N-340 motorway running along the length of the Spanish Mediterranean coast.  It is less than 15 minutes to the coastal towns of Torre del Mar and Rincon de la Victoria, holiday destinations visited mainly by the Spanish.  Both Torre and Rincon have wonderful promenades, dotted with countless beachside restaurants, enjoyed seemingly by all the town's inhabitants, young and old, late into the evening - a simply great family outing - and so uniquely Spanish.  Indeed a recent young visitor to the finca in August described both Torre and Rincon as 'children's paradise' because of the facilities and amusements laid on for young people in the summer season!  Iznate is also 10 minutes from the Moorish city of Velez-Malaga which, amongst its many facilities, has a superb indoor shopping centre incorporating a hypermarket and a variety of fashion shops.  And Nerja, the attractive low-rise resort favoured by many British tourists, is just a 20 minute drive away.  But if city living is more your thing, then Malaga City is also less than a 25 minute drive.  It is a fabulous and vibrant city famous for its tapas bars - and is in many respects not unlike Barcelona but with Picasso instead of Gaudi, with many fewer tourists (surprisingly) and with much lower levels of crime. 

Last modified: Monday, 30 April 2007