When you are thinking of authentic Andalusian architecture you instantly think of Cortijos in Andalusia. The old farmhouses, built around a courtyard. In the old days only a small part was used for living, the mayority of the building was dedicated to the farm and consited of stables and barns. Nowadays these old cortijos are bought, completely restored and converted into comfortable homes, without loosing their authentic charm.
Although some of the clients still like to farm, as a hobby, we also see a tendency to convert the cortijo in a rural hotel or, to split of the farm land, to remain with a manageble plot, large enough to guarantee the privacy.
Recently we have sold a stunning Cortijo in Ronda. The proud new owners are in the process of restoring this cortijo in its full old glory, with old terra cotta floors, a pebbled courtyard with fountain, antique doors inside and outside but also with central heating, a brand new kitchen, comfortable bathrooms, extensive covered terraces and a luxurious pool. Next to that they plan to restore the old vineyard that used to be present on the land, to produc,e in a few years time, a high quality Ronda wine. A dream that is coming true!
Cortijos in Andalusia with a running farm
As mentioned before, a cortijo in Andalusia is in its essence a farmhouse. Farming in Andalusia is quite diverse and the activity depends on the type of land and the availability of water. An interesting example is another cortijo for sale in the Ronda area. The estate of over 400 hectares of land counts with 2 cortijos. One is the old farm house and the other is what is called in Andalusia, the casa Señorial, the house of the ‘Señores’, the lords. In effect it is still in use as such. The casa señorial is in use as a weekend retreat for a Marbella family and the caretaker lives in the farm house. The land consists of sloping forest land with lots of cork oak. The cork is harvested every 9 years and the acorns are the favoured food for pigs and in this case cows. The cortijo is run with lifestock, ‘vacas bravas’ and ‘torros bravos’, cows and bulls. There is also a small bull ring on the premises where the torreadores can try out the fiercity of the bulls.
Cortijos in Andalusia run as a hotel or B&B
Since the cortijos in Andalusia have quite a size, sometimes over 1000 m2 built, it is sometimes decided to convert them into a rural hotel or a B&B. Places where guests can enjoy the peace and tranquility of Andalusian countrylife in a luxurious though authentic charming environment. A good example is this cortijo for sale in Vejer de la Frontera. The cortijo has been beautifully restored and is in use as a casa rural. You can book a room, but you can also reserve the whole cortijo for you and your family to spend a splendid, relaxed, Andalusian holiday. The cortijo is located close to the Mondenmedio Country Club, very well known for its highly rated equestrian competitions in show jumping and dressage. That is why this specific cortijo has reinstalled the equestrian facilities and now counts with stables, a professional sandschool and a horsewalker to name a few.
New built Cortijos in Andalusia
The final category of Cortijos in Andalusia is the luxurious cortijo in Andalusia, located on the countryside but completely newly constructed with high quality materials. They preserve the charm and authenticity of the Andalusian architecture but are built at todays standards.
A fantastic example is this stunning Cortijo for sale in Gaucin. It is located, completly private, on a plot of 33.000 m2 of land, overlooking the river valley and in the distance the Sierra Crestellina and the Mediterenean coastline. It has been a massive project and nowadays it is no longer possible to build these kind of premises on the Andalusian countryside due to restictions in the law . So this is a truely unique opportunity. The Cortijo has been built taking the environment into account. Heating/cooling is provided through a geothermal heating system for example. The kitchen forms the center of the house. The current owner loves to cook and organises dinner parties winter and summer. In summer time the guest take place in the shade of the covered terrace next to the kitchen, in winter time they can choose to stay to chat in the kitchen while cooking an sit down at the dinner table there, or to have a more formal dinner in the library. An exceptional cortijo that provides the best of two worlds.
Are you interested in Cortijos in Andalusia? Please do not hesitate to contact us either by email through [email protected], or by phone through number 00 34 952895139.
Anita Schmidt | 10th June 2015
