A grand crenellated entry gate a few kilometers west of San Diego de los Baños announces the surreal, long-abandoned grounds of Hacienda Cortina. The brainchild of wealthy lawyer José Manuel Cortina, this rich-man's-fantasy-made-reality was built as a giant park during the 1920s and 1930s, with Cortina plonking a stately home in its midst. After nigh-on a century of neglect, in 2014 refurbishment money arrived out of the blue and the Hacienda is being restored to its former glory.
The grandiose entrance buildings are back up and running as a restaurant (basic food but eyecatchingly designed with rainbow-colored glass) and next-door is a swimming pool . You can climb the crumbling water tower outside for some good views of the wild bamboo-splashed grounds, whilst down below a boating lake like Cortina used to have is being prepared. Some rambling gardens have been replanted, with statues, fountains and the signature cartwheel-shaped flower border redone. New chalet-style accommodation was also being constructed at the time of research.
The Hacienda grounds fan out into Parque La Güira and, beyond, the Sierra de Güira.
