El Cortijo is located in the South of Andalucia near the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It locates just to the North of the elegant coastal town of Marbella, one of the world's most desirable destinations, and home to the hugely fashionable nightlife district, Puerto Banus. The port city of Malaga is roughly 45 km away, as is Gibraltar. The historic town of Ronda sits around 35 km North of the villa. 

Immediately surrounding El Cortijo are the hills and valleys of the Ronda National Park. This beautiful mountain range engulfs the villa, with the Mediterranean Sea and Moroccan Atlas Mountains completing the spectacular panoramic views from the house. 

Andalucia is one of the four historic regions of Spain, and features some of the country's most prominent cultural hotspots. It is the ideal destination for anyone interested in visiting five of Spain's oldest and finest cities: Ronda, Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz and the region's capital, Seville. The Costa del Sol is situated along the South border of Andalucia, and is where Spain meets the Mediterranean Sea. The South West of Andalucia shares a border with Portugal, and the province of Cadiz borders Gibraltar - one of the last British overseas territories. To the South of the region, the Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Morocco, whereas to the West is the Atlantic Ocean. 

Andalucia is the most populous of Spain's autonomous communities. It is enriched in the cultures left by its various historic rulers since 1100 BC, which include the Tartessians, Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and Moors. 

Historic landmarks are plentiful across the region. Seville is the home of one of the world's largest cathedrals, and in the towns Granada, Cadiz and Malaga you can find anything from ancient Arab ruins to Moorish fortresses. Ronda's Puento Nuevo bridge (pictured) is one of Spain's most photographed constructions, and once housed the town jail (see the small window in the centre of the span), which later became a disco! 

Famous people from the region include artist Pablo Picasso, whose career is commemorated by a magnificent gallery of works in the town of Malaga, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas, who lives in Malaga and owns one of the town's finest Tapas bars, and legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia. 

Modern Andalucian landmarks include Seville's groundbreaking Alamillo bridge (left), which crosses the Guadalquivir River to the deserted island of La Cartuja. It was built at the turn of the 1990s for the 1992 World Fair, hosted by the city of Seville and which took place on La Cartuja.