Just below the town of Zahara in 14 hectares of rolling hillside, avocado orchards and fruit trees sits an old cortijo. The house is entered by a courtyard lined with jasmine, oleander and bougainvillea and it is soon clear from the thickness of the ancient walls that this is a slice of rural Andalusian history.

The original main part of the house features a sitting room, kitchen dining area with an old wood-fired oven, bedroom and bathroom. Stairs lead to the first floor and 2/3 bedrooms.

Outside there are many outbuildings and stables just waiting to be converted into guest accommodation. This is a perfect property investment for someone looking to establish tourist apartments in a unique location.

Zahara de la Sierra is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the hills of Andalusia. It is perched on a mountain, overlooking a valley and a man-made lake formed by the dam that must be driven over to access the town. It is considered to be one of the pueblos blancos or “white towns” because the overwhelming majority of the buildings are white.

Situated midway between Ronda and Seville, the town is on the edge of a Natural Park and provides access to some of Andalusia’s beautiful country side but is only an hour from Malaga airport.