Landscaping Refugio Marnes – The Story of Maintaining and Preserving an Old Finca
At Refugio Marnes, we are working on a long-term project to care for and landscape our historic finca. Anyone who owns an old estate, house, or large garden knows the feeling: as soon as you finish one job, the next is waiting. There is always an endless list of work to be done.
After 25 years of working on Refugio Marnes, we know exactly what that means. In fact, much of the income from our agriturismo in Spain is reinvested directly into maintaining the land. Sometimes it’s restoring an old water cistern, other times it’s repairing broken machines, buying tools like brush cutters, chainsaws, and shredders. And of course, planting new trees and plants and paying for gardening help. But this is where our passion lies, so we do it with love and dedication.
Our old farmstead is evolving into a park-like landscape
In landscape management terms we are greening and diversifying the land we have. We aim to not only maintain ´productive trees´ like olives, almonds, and carobs but also plant and care for purely decorative trees and shrubs that add to the beauty and biodiversity of the estate. By introducing more plant species, we also encourage a wider variety of insects, birds, and other animals. We focus on using native and drought-resistant plants that can survive here naturally and are from Spain.
From farm to agriturismo and nature retreat
Refugio Marnes is a centuries-old finca where people historically planted only useful trees like olives, carobs, lemons, and almonds — trees that provided food and income.
The Aleppo pine: both a blessing and a curse
In the last century, like many estates in Spain and France, much of our land has become overgrown with Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis). Although these pines are native to the Mediterranean, their dominance has increased massively due to human intervention and reforestation efforts. Unfortunately, in 2024, many of these pines were infected by bark beetles and other pests that thrive in the increasingly dry climate.
We are now removing dead and diseased pines to save the ancient olives, carobs, and almonds. Where possible, we replant holm oaks (Quercus ilex), which once grew naturally in this area and are far better suited to the changing climate.
The preservation of our historic food-producing trees: olives, carobs, and almonds
We are now numbering every olive, carob, almond, and date palm on the property so that each tree receives individual care based on its condition. In addition, we are placing name signs by special plants, so that visitors can learn about the local flora during their stay.
What is our goal with all this?
Our approach is focused on preserving existing trees and pruning and managing the landscape in a way that is both visually atractive and sustainable. We believe that caring for the native plants is essential for the local ecosystem’s health.
This project is about increasing biodiversity and creating a space that is welcoming to both guests and wildlife. By planting more native species, we aim to provide a healthy habitat for insects, birds, mammals — and of course, for ourselves. All these efforts are part of our sustainability goals and mission as an agriturismo.
If you want to be updated we invite you to follow this transformation! We will keep updating the blog post with news and photos.
You aslo can come experience it yourself!
Want to see all this in person? Stay in one of our accommodations like; B&B “Los Establos“, the Cottage La Ruina, a charming sheep fold restored for a self-catering stay here, Finca EcoVida, a spacious eco holiday home in an old farm house, Glamping tent La Jaima, for a unique glamping experience, Finca Iris or Casa Grillo, larger countryside houses, both with private pools.
Ore maybe you are looking for a bigger adventure? If you are thinking about moving to Spain yourself? If you’re considering buying a finca yourself, check out this real estate page