Useful Information
This page provides information for tourists; accommodation, food and drink and things to do in and around Iznajar.
You will not find the neon lined streets here familiar to us all from the coast. The are several bars in Iznajar and you will find similar establishments in every town and village in Adndalucia. Some of these places look a bit intimidating from the outside - they are dark and full of chain smoking Spanish men however it would be a mistake to walk past. Once you have ventured in all of these places are friendly and offer a true slice of Spanish life. They are also very good value, open all hours and all offer a range of tasty Spanish snacks (Tapas). Away from the coast the tradition of offering a free tapa with drink orders is still followed - therefore be prepared not to need to buy lunch.
Do not expect English to be spoken away from the coast but do not be daunted
by this. Carry a
phrase book, take your time and have a go. We managed to get a restaurant to open, order a three course meal with
wine, without a menu, and find out about the owners family and business all
without any language in common at all.
Accommodation
You can use the details below to book accommodation before you travel. If you arrive in the village and need to find somewhere to stay start with any of the estate agents, they have access to rented accommodation and will be able to recommend hotels and B&Bs.
Casa Rural El Olivar
- This is simply the best B&B in the world. It is child friendly and
guests have use of a fabulous infinity pool, guest kitchen and barbeque.
Reservations: Double
room E85 per night. NB the pictures on this page were all taken during our
stay there.
Cortijo la Haza - Another special B&B. Reservations: 0034 957 334051. Double Room E75 per night.
Self Catering -
Accommodation direct from the the owners. Villas for 4 - 6 from only E500
per week E750 peak season.
La Bobadilla - Five star luxury from around E300 per night. This hotel is around 20 minutes from Iznajar.
Eating and Drinking
In addition to the tapas bars there are several good restaurants in and around Iznajar including Los Caminos, El Monesillo, El Charcon, El Mirador, San Benito and Pousada del Tempranillo.
Rio Frio - where else can you sip wine, al fresco, beside a stream while eating fresh trout for E3! This small village is composed of restaurants and is situated on the Ro Frio next to a trout farm. Many of the restaurants have rooms above them too and they offer clean, basic but good value accommodation.
La Bobadilla - This five star hotel has an award winning restaurant. It is pricy (relative to Spanish restaurants) at E40 per person, E75 for the gourmet menu. This restaurant is around 20 minutes from Iznajar.
Things to see and do
Festivities in Iznájar include Semana Santa (Easter), when the locals play out a religious epic in a theatrical production featuring scenes from the bible. On April 25th, San Marcos is honoured by the inhabitants by a communal picnic that is held in the countryside near the town.
Iznajar has a 'beach' which from which you can swim which is supplied by a couple of bar/restaurants. The lake offers excellent fishing and can be used for sailing and windsurfing. There are a wealth of lakes and rivers in the region which we are reliably informed offer some of the best fishing in Europe.
Granada and
the Alhambra
are only 40 minutes from Iznajar.
Antequera (30 minutes
the other way) is also worth a visit. You can
ski from November to May
in the Sierra Nevada national park with is behind Granada, 1.5 hours away.
Public right of ways do not exists in Spain as there is a total right to roam. So you are free to wonder off in to the hills around Lake Iznajar and soak up the atmosphere of the ancient olive groves, unchanged for hundreds of years. If you travel 30 - 40 minutes away towards Antequerra you can walk around the Lakes and National Park of El Chorro, see picture above. This area is beautiful, it would be packed all year round if it was in the UK however in Spain you can walk for hours and not see another person. Relax around the three Lakes or take in the dramatic El Choro Gorge itself, see right.