A cortijo is a type of traditional rural dwelling (akin to the German Bauernhof, also known as a farmhouse in English) in the southern half of Spain, including all of Andalusia and parts of Extremadura and Castile-La Mancha.
Cortijos may have their origins in ancient Roman villas, for the word is derived from the Latin cohorticulum, a diminutive of cohors, meaning 'courtyard' or inner enclosure. They are often isolated structures associated with a large family farm or livestock management in the adjoining lands.