La Finca

La Finca was originally built in the 1930’s and after various additions over the last century, it is presently a working permaculture farm. Historically, the property has been used for threshing cereals harvested in the hinterland and has been in British ownership over the last four decades – a common phenomenon in our region due to Gibraltar’s proximity. Perched on a gentle hill, the property boasts beautiful views across the valley towards some of Andalusia’s most enchanting white-washed towns in the near distance.

The main cortijo building is designed around a central courtyard in the traditional Andalusian architectural vernacular, with various wings added over time by different owners. A separate outhouse by the pool that was built 15 years ago completes the whole lodging complex. The square-shaped swimming pool, situated on a terrace overlooking the surrounding pastoral landscape, bestows on the entire finca an uncommon sense of rural luxury in a charmingly relaxed ambiance.

There are six bedrooms in total, including a bunk bedroom, so the property can comfortably accommodate up to 15 people. Five of the rooms are in the main farmhouse, with the sixth in the outhouse, along with a separate bathroom and lounge area. We find that it’s better to rent the entire property to families or groups of friends so they can enjoy exclusive use.

As part of the overall wellbeing permaculture experience, guests are to choose from our various board services on offer while staying with us. Our chef creates delicious farm-to-table culinary experiences on a daily basis, mostly from our own organic gardens and orchards, and always with fresh and seasonal greens and fruits. Guests are not allowed to cook in our premises or bring in food or drinks from outside.

There are also lots of different activities that we can help people with, such as yoga and meditation classes at the finca or massages. A German lady nearby owns a stable and runs horseback riding tours through the national park (sometimes by moonlight), or we can help plan a day of traditional tuna fishing in Tarifa.

Next year, we’re also planning on offering some permaculture courses led by Australian teachers and workshops in building swales and canals to capture water. We can also accommodate small gatherings, such as intimate weddings, yoga or meditation retreats with full catering.

Trekking in the Los Alcornocales Natural Park is definitely a highlight, as is exploring the white towns in the surrounding region (you can visit three in a day). I’d also highly recommend doing a day trip to Ronda, which is famed for its gorge-spanning bridge or spending a day at the beach kitesurfing in Tarifa, which is 50 minutes away. Another beautiful nearby beach is in Sotogrande, an urban development from the 1960s where wealthy residents from Madrid have their summer homes. The coast is about 25 minutes from the finca.

The region is renowned for having the largest number of golf courses per square kilometre in Europe, so we get a lot of people bringing their golf gear with them. If you’re interested in visiting Morocco, you can also easily cross the channel to spend a day in exotic Tangiers. That being said, people often have lots of plans to explore before they arrive, then once they get here, they don’t want to leave the finca!