Most guests' first stop is Antonio's bar in the local village, Fuente del Conde. Order a cool drink and you will also be given some delicious tapas. You can take this inside with the local olive growers who will invariably be playing cards or dominos. Alternatively you can sit outside on Antonio's terrace. It has great views.

Andalucía is renowned for its "ventas", or roadside inns which serve good local food. Antonio's is one of them, but there are many others in the vicinity of the farmhouse. Our favourite venta, Las Viñas, which serves meat and game cooked in a wood oven, is a short drive away. Nearer still, is La Paloma, a restaurant run by a couple from Tuscany. It serves superb country Italian food.

The village has a small but well stocked supermarket, and large supermarkets can be found in the nearby local towns, such as Iznájar, Archidona and Rute. Every town has a fish market, but you may need to arrive early to compete with the locals for the best of the catch.

Iznájar is well worth a visit. It is a pueblo blanco perched on an outcrop overlooking a lake. At the top of the town there is a castle built by the moors in the 8th century around which wind narrow medieval streets of the old quarter.

Nearby towns include, Archidona, with its grand octagonal square and Antequera. Antequera has a bull ring and, on the outskirts of the town, some spectacular dolmens.