Lecrin & Los Guajares: Inland Gems

If you are looking at properties on the Costa Tropical, the valleys of Los Guajares and Lecrin are a good place to start. There is a real sense of history here, with the region’s Moorish ancestry still very much in evidence. Many of the sleepy villages give you the feeling of having stepped back in time and offer some of the most romantic rural settings in southern Spain. Weather-wise, this location offers less extreme conditions than coastal regions or those areas further inland. Winters here are milder than the mountainous areas further inland like the Sierra Nevada – the days tend to be warm, though winter nights from November to February can still get quite cold. In spring and autumn the weather is warm and sunny and – as you would expect – summers can be very hot, though there is far less humidity here than on the coast, which makes the days more pleasant.

Beznar Lake

Los Guajares

Set just inland of the coast of Granada’s Costa Tropical is the beautiful valley of Los Guajares where the Rio de la Toba rolls gently through the mountains to join the Guadalfeo River as it heads on down to the coast. Dotted with citrus groves and custard apple trees, with breathtaking ravines, and stunning scenery, Los Guajares is only a 50 minute drive due south of the historic city of Granada and its airport, about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Malaga airport and only 30 minutes to the coast. It is the perfect location for those looking for a rural property in southern Spain close to the beach. Three villages here - Guajar Alto, Guajar Faraguit and Guajar Fondon – make up the municipality of Los Guajares: they lie in this narrow valley, linked by a single road. 700 years ago, when the Moors arrived in southern Spain to conquer Iberia they named Los Guajares an "oasis between the mountains” - the land here was (and still is) richly fertile, irrigated by a wealth of natural streams and springs. Citrus and olive groves, almond trees and vineyards have thrived here for centuries.

Guajar Alto

Guajar Alto is the highest of the three hidden pueblos of Los Guajares– perched on a mountainside that leads down into the valley. Its Moorish history is clearly apparent in its winding, narrow streets – the Moors called the village “Paradise on earth” and it is still a truly magical place – unspoiled and peaceful. Every summer, the locals dam the Rio de la Toba river and make a small lake: a cool and idyllic spot where local families gather for picnics. Owning a property in Guajar Alto would put you at the heart of a genuine Spanish community – all the facilities you need for everyday life are on your doorstep: a small, well-stocked supermarket, and a handful of bars and restaurants.

Guajar Faragüit

This is the largest of the three villages and is the administrative centre of the municipality. As well as being home to the town hall, there is a school here and a medical centre. The ruins of a Moorish castle are visible on the outskirts of the village, and there is a small supermarket, a couple of bars and a bakery. This is a thriving and lively village and a genuine Spanish community – a community you would join if you bought a village house here.

Guajar Fondon

Guajar Fondon is further down in the valley than the other two villages and is the smallest of the three with one small shop and a bar/restaurant – though it is within easy walking distance of Guajar Faragüit and its more extensive facilities. If you are looking for genuine rural properties in Spain, and a slower, more relaxed way of life, then a house in the village of Guajar Fondon might just fit the bill.

Los Guajares is a rural community, in the heart of the Costa Tropical – properties here tend to be village houses, town houses, and there are often fincas and cortijos for sale on the outskirts of the villages. Having use of a car is pretty much essential – local public transport is regular but infrequent with one bus a day running from Guajar Alto early each morning and traveling through the other two villages on its way to Granada city, via Pinos de Valle in the Lecrin Valley. The same bus service makes the return journey each evening and there is a similar service to Motril.

Property in the Lecrin Valley

El Valle de Lecrin translates as The Valley of Happiness and is one of southern Spain’s last and best kept secrets. Little touched by tourism, the valley remains unspoiled and offers a fantastic diversity of landscape: from the towering peaks of the Cerro del Caballo to gently undulating hills and the beautiful lake at Beznar. The Lecrin Valley is found on the south-western slopes of the Sierra Nevada among some of the most dramatic scenery that Spain has to offer – deep ravines, breathtaking mountains and vast rolling plains. In October, the landscape gradually changes from green to yellow and orange as the oranges and lemons ripen – and for much of the year the air is filled with heady citrus scents. The seasons are clearly defined here: being so close to the mountains means that winters are cold and bright; in the spring it’s warm and sunny; summer is hot, and life slows down – though night skies are beautifully clear and it’s not unusual to find people out walking after midnight; autumn is the quiet season, when summer visitors leave – there is more rainfall and the heat is less intense.

To live in the Lecrin Valley is to experience life in the real Spain – and the good news is that property here is still extremely affordable. With town houses, village houses, fincas, cortijos and, for the adventurous, ruins or plots of land, properties in the Lecrin Valley suit all requirements and budgets. Scattered through the area are around a dozen villages – each has its own unique charm and all are set among this vibrant, fertile countryside, where the mainstay of the economy is agriculture.

The Lecrin Valley is steeped in history and clearly marked with relics from the days of the Moorish occupation – castles, monuments, and farm-buildings – most of which were left unoccupied when the Catholic monarchy took the region back from the Moors in 1492. For many years after the reoccupation, the valley was largely uninhabited, and then over the centuries, small settlements and villages began to spring up. In 1967, the municipality of Lecrin was formed – as several villages voluntarily united, initially Acequias, Chite, Talara, Murchas and Mondujar and later, in 1973, Beznar.

Over the last few years, the Lecrin Valley has been quietly gaining in popularity with holiday-makers and those people looking for Spanish property away from the crowded and over-developed coastal resorts. Artists have always found inspiration here – attracted by the ever changing colours of the trees and flowers, the exceptional light and the breathtaking scenery. The local council has begun to cater more for visitors and many of the historical monuments of the region now boast newly erected informational signs.

If your dream of owning a property in Spain is not of a high-rise apartment or a gated community in one of the traditional property hot-spots like the Costa del Sol, but of being part of a genuine Spanish community, in a location where you can really take stock, sit back, and enjoy a slower pace of life then properties in the Lecrin Valley are well worth careful consideration. Maybe you are looking for a holiday home, or you intend to retire to Spain, perhaps you plan to start your own business, bring up your family here, take on a renovation project or you are looking at the buy-to-let market. Whatever your plans, you will find the Lecrin Valley full of possibilities and with very competitive property prices you may find your dream is nearer than you think.