The charming house in Nerja that passers-by can’t help stopping to admire

There is one house in Nerja that could easily be described as one where love lives, not just the love between its owners, but also their love for their Spanish home.

Swedish couple Sune Dahlgren, 76, and Benita Heidenborg, 70, have renovated their Nerja home in a way that everything has been preserved, built and designed with care. Not surprisingly, this special house attracts the attention of passers-by, many of whom stop in admiration and might even be invited inside for a better look.

Sune and Benita met through their work about 15 years ago. Benita was a chef with two restaurants. Sune worked as a shoe retailer.

"At the very beginning of our relationship, we asked each other, 'How can we get away from the not-so-pleasant winter in Sweden?' First of all we tried to find the answer in Asia. We had travelled a lot to my father's place in Thailand. This meant that we had a fair amount of knowledge of exotic countries. Eventually we both realised that our nesting place should be in Europe. Finally, Spain was chosen and that's where we went looking for a house," Benita told SUR in English.

It was a real house hunt, long in every sense of the word. The search lasted more than five years and covered a distance of more than 600 kilometres.

Benita and Sune began searching in Alicante province. The small coastal town of Altea, which is a particular favourite among Scandinavians, ended up not to their liking. Though their financial situation could have allowed them to buy a house in Marbella, the association with glamour crossed this town off their list of interests.

However, its neighbour, Estepona, seemed like a good option to the Swedish couple. As for Nerja, it was just a place they had passed every time they travelled between the Costa Blanca and the western Costa del Sol. One day, when they decided to stop in Nerja, this charming town immediately captivated the couple, tempting them with an offer that Benita and Sune could not refuse.

"In fact, every time we drove past Nerja, Benita said this is where we should settle down. However, it wasn't until November 2016 that we stopped in Nerja, on our way to Estepona. By that time we had viewed about 50 properties. Right by the main attraction of the Balcon de Europa we saw a sign saying 'Se Vende' and immediately contacted the seller. To cut a long story short, we ended up cancelling our trip to Estepona and buying the apartment the next day," Sune said.

Buying the perfect home means buying a place where you feel at home. The magnificent view of the Nerja coastline is somewhat reminiscent of the limitless shores of Northern Sweden and the Norwegian fjords. However, that flat was quite "limited" for them, a bit labyrinthine for Swedish tastes.

"We know that Andalusians prefer to have more rooms and less light. We, on the contrary, value spaciousness and sunlight whenever and wherever possible. That's why we couldn't do without redesigning the apartment. First of all, we needed someone who could understand our Nordic preferences and who could incorporate them into Andalusian style. We were lucky enough to find a Swedish entrepreneur, Joakim, who had a team of Andalusian builders here in Nerja. It was a success. We did a grand renovation in 2017 and lived in this apartment until 2020, which was when we found our gem in the centre of the old town," explained Sune.

This “gem” was a house hidden in a small pedestrianised street, which is considered the most beautiful in Nerja due to the stone mosaic of the pavement, framed by typical town houses.

The old house and the street immediately charmed Benita and Sune, as not far from the centre they were able to feel the Andalusian atmosphere and literally touch its history that was visible in its columns, fountain and wooden window frames.

"The house was last renovated about 40 or 50 years ago. Anyway, we were genuinely excited about the renovation, because it brightened up our routine in the midst of the pandemic and quarantine and thus dispelled our dreariness. We turned again to our compatriot, who introduced us to the three Antonios, who were fantastic. The renovation took six months, and every day was a joy. The house was remodelled in Moorish and Andalusian style. We tried our best to do everything possible to preserve the character and authentic flavour of the house. We are very happy with the result," Benita and Sune proudly stated.

Today the house reflects the past of Andalucía and the essence of today's owners. The columns are the oldest features of the house, perhaps even dating back to the days of Moorish rule. The Moors were fond of water, stones, and flowers. Sune and Benita's house has all these in abundance.

The pool in the 'patio' seems as if it had been brought from the Alhambra itself. Persian carpets on the floor add an oriental flavour to the atmosphere of the house. The fountain and downspouts go back to the Catholic times of Andalucia. Swedish motifs are represented in some pieces of furniture and curtains.

"There is no feeling here that you are in the very centre of the town, but somewhere in the countryside. Apart from the patio, the roof terraces with lots of plants and fruit trees help us with this. One of the terraces with a barbecue is for us only, because the way there is through our bedroom. The other terrace with a lounge is good for receiving guests. By the way, this is where we interact with our neighbours, the locals, on a daily basis. We have almost a dozen of them in the six houses around us," Benita added.

Benita and Sune are becoming more and more integrated into Andalusian society.

"We have a lot to learn from the Spanish. You know, we have met many Scandinavians living here in Nerja. We have been surprised how happy they look, much happier than those who stay back in the north for the winters. Additionally, we both think that the quality of life here in Spain is very high indeed," Sune said.

Sune and Benita could not bear to sit in a house in Sweden in winter and watch the fog, rain and wind. Nerja allows them to spend their time outdoors and keep their spirits high. Benita and Sune are not even annoyed by uninvited “guests”, or rather curious passers-by.

"It is never too late to change your mindset and habits. A good example is what in Sweden can be annoying and even frightening is already ok with us. For example, in Sweden, no one would stop in front of a house, looking through the window. Here, almost everyone who passes by our house stops. Some of them knock on the door to tell us what an amazing house we have. Of course, we are very pleased to hear these kind words," Benita and Sune said.