In English usage, a finca ( Spanish for 'estate'; [ˈfiŋka]) [1] refers to a piece of rural or agricultural land, typically with a cottage, farmhouse or estate building present, and often adjacent to a woodland or plantation.
Especially in tourism, the term has recently gained the colloquial meaning of a holiday home in a rural setting, situated on the Spanish mainland, the Balearics, and the Canary Islands, [2] and throughout the countries of Spanish-speaking Latin America. [3]
Fincas can typically look back on an extensive development history, and are often older than 300 years. In some regions, however, especially on the Balearics, new buildings are erected.[ clarification needed]