Nave vs Cortijo: which is which?
Cortijo
If you’re looking for property to buy in La Alpujarra you’ve probably come across “naves” and “cortijos”, both sold as dwellings, in luscious countryside. So which is which?
So what is a nave? A nave is basically a shed. An agricultural building that a farmer can use to sleep in when he’s tending his fields. You’re not supposed to live there and you’re usually not connected to either electricity or water.
A cortijo is a farmhouse, all right and proper, hooked up to all amenities (in theory at least) and you’re allowed to live there all year round. They’re also more expensive, usually about a hundred thousand euros more expensive than their nave brethren. So ideally you’d get yourself a nave and then have it turned into a cortijo. Not an exact science though, it can take years and years and you have no guarantees you’ll ever succeed. So I’m still pondering the age old question: to buy or not to buy?
