Our pictures show scenes within a short drive of the village (top to bottom):

1-3: Winemaking and strolling bands in the Malaga Mountains Natural Park, which we overlook.

4: Stall in the market in the seaside town of Torre del Mar.

5: Erna beside exotic flowers along the nearest seafront.

Why Colmenar?

Exactly how did we end up at Colmenar?

Well, before making our final decision, we took many factors into account. We wanted to be near (but not in) a small, genuinely traditional, agricultural Spanish village. It had to have all the necessary medical, banking and shopping facilities without being big, noisy or full of tourists or ex-pats. The local people had to be friendly, even if it may be difficult to communicate at times. There should be no industrial activity so that the air should be pure and fresh. It should be within 40 minutes of the airport, yet be out of the flight paths. Most of all, the surroundings needed to be sensational.

There are doubtless many other places which would also have qualified, or which might have matched our criteria even better. I cannot speak for those, as we have been so busy working on our finca that we have had little time for exploration.

Colmenar is small enough to be friendly and welcoming. Within a few weeks you get to know many of the local characters. It must be the only Spanish village which set up a smart, fully-equipped tourist bureau right in the centre, but never opened it because there weren’t any tourists. That’s Spanish logic for you - and don’t we just love it!

So this is where you’ll soon find a brief summary of Colmenar - its population, crops, facilities and surroundings. Watch this space...