The Moorish white village of Istan, 15km inland from Marbella, is another little-known gem - though not for lack of attempts to publicise it. As you head west towards Puerto Banus, you'll pass at least half a dozen signs inviting you to head to this village in the mountains, so it seems only reasonable to succomb and find out what all the fuss is about.

As you climb higher you will see the huge Istan lake and country park, with the nearby five-star Istan Valley Country Club and multi-million euro mansions with mountaintop views for miles across the valley and coast. Then, as you follow the road which hugs the mountain, you are afforded your first view of the village itself - a white cluster among the luscious green Sierra Blanca hills. Istan means 'spring', and you'll see and hear them everywhere in this self-contained little village which you'll need to explore on foot as only locals are allowed drive their cars down these narrow backstreets.

Visit Istan on a weekday morning and you'll see old residents trudging up the hills towards the fish man selling his pungent fare from the back of his white van.

Few foreign visitors make it up here to the village itself, though upmarket new developments such as Zahara de Istan and Sierra Blanca are opening up the area to investors. Or there is a palatial and secluded villa in the hills for sale through Lighthouse Spain for 15 million euros. Properties in the village are still relatively cheap, however, with townhouses for sale from around 140,000 euros (?96,000).

Just past the town of Coin, 40 minutes inland from Marbella, Tolox is another truly Spanish sugarcube village set amid the stunning scenery of the Sierra de las Nieves nature reserve, famous for its spa water. The sounds of church bells and children in the school playground reverberate across the orange tree-filled valley which dissects the town. In the backstreets, the odd elderly resident has taken to selling the abundant local oranges from their kitchen.

This is a charming working town where life and traditions go untouched by the glitz and tourism on the nearby Costa del Sol.

The best perch in Tolox is the large terrace of El Tajo bar as you enter the town. Here you can sit and gaze across the orange trees towards the sprawling pyramid of white houses. If you decide you never want to leave, property in Tolox is still very cheap, with large townhouses with panoramic views from their roof terraces for as little as 120,000 euros (?82,000).

And when the dry inland heat gets too intense, within half an hour you can be back on the beach and dipping your toe in the cooling sea.

About the Author

Zoe Dare Hall is the Communiations Manager for Lighthouse Spain, a unique service aimed at taking the risk and stress out of buying a property in Spain.