Intriguing Iznájar

Some towns are simply beautiful, others are fascinating, but we found Iznájar quite intriguing. It was beautiful, yes, and fascinating for sure, but everything we saw in this place had us wanting to learn more about it.

Approaching the town from the south on the A333 you have to find somewhere to park up and admire the view. Iznájar seems to perch on rocks above the brilliant blue waters of the reservoir. It is a sight to behold.

Once in town, try to park at the bottom of the hill and make sure you have the energy to walk up to the top. We managed to find somewhere near the school and soon found ourselves faced with hundreds of whitewashed steps to climb. It was well worth the effort though and on a clear day you can see all the way to infinity for sure.

At the top you are then free to explore the narrow twisting streets of the old town. It is an Andaluz white village topped by a medieval fortress and a huge church which can be seen for miles around.

The province of Cordoba is famous for its patios and Iznájar has plenty of them. Most are gleaming white so have some good sunglasses with you. They are heavily stocked with pots containing every colour of the spectrum in floral displays. We even found one with a variety of unusual objects, a Teletubby included, painted a deep shade of blue. These patios are celebrated every May in a special festival.

Possibly the most intriguing sight though was the canopy made of knitted umbrellas. Yes, knitted from wool. What a glorious thing it was to see, but my curiosity was piqued so we headed to the tourist information office to find out more. It seems that there is a knitting group called Urban Knitting Iznájar and every year they come up with an unusual project to put on display. This year they must have exceeded their own expectations.

Adjoining the tourist information office there is a very interesting museum. In there you can explore the history of the local area. Look out for any short-term exhibits. When we visited, there was an excellent homage to Cervantes and his hero Don Quixote. It’s a great place to escape the heat for an hour or so.

After weaving our way back through the streets and finding the car again, we set out to find the beach. yes, miles inland from the sea, Iznájar has a beach – at the side of the lake. It was deserted as it was still April, but it was stunning. A path allows you to take a stroll alongside the water for half an hour or so. It’s a bit rough under foot in places so not really suited for the less mobile, but if clambering over the occasional obstacle presents no problems to you, it’s a great little track to follow.

Some time in the future we will return to the area because there are many places nearby to visit. Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know when we go back!