Istan, a perfect place to live

Istán is a white town that is located in the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park (protected area of the Sierra de las Nieves World Biosphere Reserve), it is known as "the Spring of the Costa del Sol". A Municipality of the city of Malaga, located 15 kms from Marbella, at about 287 meters high.

The Park owes its name to its snowy peaks; which in the past remained like this throughout the year; currently snowfalls are occasional.

The Sierra is attractive to many athletes throughout the year. Mountaineers, for example, practice their discipline on the peaks of this area. In the Natural Park you can find some formations such as Pico Torrecilla with an altitude of 1919 meters, ideal for them.

For lovers of caving, there are the wells and chasms of the Park, including the GESM with about 1100 depth where they can develop their practices.

In the heights, the town opens its way to the valley of the Verde River, which has unique landscapes. Its vegetation is very varied, we can find species such as the Dehesa de Bornoque, with a mixture of Cork oaks, Quejigos and Pinsapos. All this represents a sample of the different tree species present in the area. Already next to the town, the valley presents lands where they grow different fruits and vegetables.

Regarding its origins, we find that the first inhabitants of the Town were the Muslims. This town was founded in the 15th century as a fortress by the Muslims, and later became Christian. Its architectural and cultural legacy is present in every corner of the City.

If we talk about places and activities of interest, the place has many places that can be visited and a vast culture, numerous events take place in it that we will comment below for your knowledge.

• Events

Among the events that take place in the town is the Gastronomic Sample and the Orange Day: an event to taste typical dishes of the traditional recipe book, accompanied by orange juice and corn bread. La Ruta de la Tapa, the Carnaval, El Paso, one event of Easter declared of national interest, because it is a tradition rooted in its population, with origins dating back to the seventeenth century. They can also enjoy the Cultural Week, the Fair, the Pilgrimage of San Miguel and the encuentro of Flamenco and Rock, among other events.

• Monuments and places

The Torre de Escalante, the oldest monument in the town, located in the upper part and whose origins date back to the 16th century, Calle San Miguel and the church of San Miguel, the oldest building after the Torre de Escalante.

You will also find the valley of the Verde river, its sources, its reservoir, viewpoints and the old town, where you can admire the Arab influence and how they managed to locate themselves in these lands despite their geographical accidents.

• Culture

The Water Interpretation Center, a museum where they honor this vital element for life. In the town at the end of the last century, there came to be little less than 20 water mills to grind wheat and corn, which worked with water as a source of energy, evidencing its important agricultural, social and commercial activity.

• Gastronomy

The gastronomic variety has become an impulse for the promotion of tourism since through food the gastronomic and cultural values of the Town are promoted, evidenced by the different existing hotel and restaurant services.

Among the typical dishes of the place we can find: corn soup, tomato soup, fennel stew, gazpachuelo, collard greens, migas, cooked soups, salmorejo, zahinas, fried rabbit, roscos de vino al alfajor, among others.

In the pastry section, oil cakes, sorghum, wine rolls and the hornazo with the interlaced egg stand out.

Most of these dishes can be tasted in local restaurants and bars. There is an annual appointment with the Gastronomic Show, an event where you can eat and taste many of them for free. All this in order to promote tourism, restoration and the uniqueness of the Town.

• Activities

The Town has many activities so that its inhabitants and tourists can exercise and recreate such as: hiking, cycling, fishing and canoeing.

They will be able to take tours of the trails that will take them to natural places such as the Charcón del Canalón waterfall or climb to Pico de la Concha, a neighboring city of Marbella. You can also enjoy the best hiking routes through the Sierra de las Nieves and its surroundings.

If you like to walk on foot, you can walk the Ojén, Monda and other existing routes, as well as the Network of Trails of the town through its four hiking routes where you can show its historical roots, landscapes and both cultural and natural reliefs. It should be noted that the cycle route is very popular with cycling fans.

Finally, fishing is available in the Concepción reservoir, in that place you can do different sports and modalities within the aquatic environment, experiencing direct contact with nature.

In our company we value tourism and we offer you vacation, monthly, long-term rentals and properties for sale so you can stay, enjoying all this and much more.

There is nothing better than the security that we can offer you.At Homewatch we have more than 20 years of experience, we offer you the best houses with the best location to rent in the Municipality and throughout the Costa del Sol: in the neighboring city of Marbella, in Calahonda, Ojén, Riviera, Milla de Oro Marbella, Cabopinos, San Pedro, Nagueles, among many other towns in Spain.

We invite you to find your new vacation home in Istán with the advice of Homewatch, where we will guide and help you at all times, evaluating what you need to be able to offer you ideal vacation rental options and properties for sale located in recognized areas of the town.