Places to Visit
This area of Andalucia is central for visiting a whole host of fabulous places. Less than 20 minutes away you will find lakes, rustic countryside, the famed El Penon campsite with pool, restaurant, log cabins, communal BBQ areas, horse riding, archery & more. The Via Verde disused train track which is now converted into a 38km walk or bike route. Communal village pools in Olvera, Pruna & Torre & numerous walking routes. In less than 45 minutes you will find the picturesque town of Ronda with its famous gorge taking you from new to old town even more lakes & beautiful national park bursting with wildlife in Grazalema. Currently under construction is a large development which includes not one but two golf courses (71 & 72 par) due for completion late in 2008. In under 90 minutes you could be in any one of 3 airports (all of which feature budget airlines Malaga, Seville & Jerez). You can relax on any number of beaches on the Costa del Sol from Torremolinos to Marbella. How about strolling through Seville breathing in the ornate architecture or enjoying the more Spanish coastal town of Cadiz.
This area of Spain really is bursting with places to visit. Here is a little more detail on just some of the places mentioned above:
Grazalema
Grazalema is the central point of the Sierra de Grazalema, a protected ‘parque natural’. A pretty white village beneath the craggy peak of San Cristobal, with lots of sloping narrow streets full of blooms in summer, it makes an ideal base for delving into the park. This is also the spot with the country’s highest rainfall – and there’s quite a bit of snow in winter too – this explains the lush vegetation covering the surrounding area, home to a spectacular variety of flora and fauna. Quite apart from the attractions of the park the village has its own charm, its main square The Plaza De Espana adorned with a pinsapo fir tree and overlooked by the 18th century church of Nuestra Senora De La Aurora. Various craft shops have sprung up in the village over the year’s as well as Neilson’s Gallery of Contemporary Art – an eclectic range of exhibitions.
There are a number of bars and restaurants in and around the main square the nightlife is a bit more lively in the summer. There is a communal pool which is positioned to give spectacular views and situated on the eastern edge.
If bird watching and wildlife is your thing the park area is ideal for long walks and animal spotting. Eagles, vultures and woodpeckers are very common as are water voles and otters.
Zahara
The drive from Grazalema to Zahara is spectacular climbing to its peak at the Puerto De Las Palomas (pass of the doves) at 1350 metres, the 2nd highest pass in Andalucia. On this road you will find the start of the Itinerario del Pinsapar walking route. Activities here include hiking, horse trekking, bike tours, land rover trips and bird watching excursions. From this peak the road embarks on a dramatic descent into Zahara surrounded by olive groves, quite possibly the most perfect of Andalucias fortified hill pueblos, a landmark for miles around, its red tiled houses huddled around a church beneath a ruined castle on a stark outcrop of rock. Zahara was once an important Moorish town which was captured by the Christians in 1483 which opened the way for the conquest of Ronda and ultimately Granada. The heart of the village is a cobbled main street declared a national monument in 1983 and stands between the church of San Juan and the 18th century Baroque church of Santa Maria De La Mesa, which has a fine retablo with a 16th century image of the virgin. The surviving ruins of a Moorish castle looms over the village and can be visited free of charge.
The terrain near the village has changed dramatically in recent years due to the creation of the Embalse de Zahara y el Gastor reservoir, the waters of which now lap the foot of its hill on the north and east flanks. The reservoir makes for a great relaxation point, locals are to be found calling in for a quick swim to cool themselves from the blazing summer sun. Communal seating and bbq’s are laid out for visitors to use, there is also a jetty into the reservoir if you fancy a bit of boating.
Via Verde (Olvera)
Possibly the most beautiful vía verde in Andalucia is the route situated between Olvera & Puerto Serrano. Curiously, the military regime led by General Rivera between 1923-29 decided that the region's agriculture industry needed a light railway between Almargen and wealthy Jerez de la Frontera (perhaps tellingly, General Rivera's home town…). So private enterprise paid for a rail line to be laid along the route. They only got as far as the 38km between Olvera and Puerto Serrano before it went bust. But they managed to build six dramatic viaducts and twenty-four tunnels before the project went belly up.
What private enterprise lost is nowadays our gain. The beauty of all vias verdes is that, unlike roads, railway lines cannot follow the contours of landscape. Where cars whiplash around mountain hairpins and rollercoaster through hilly terrain, a train line needs to keep roughly on the flat and straight. More; they like going right through things, rather than around them, unless the object is insurmountable. Hence the number of viaducts and tunnels between Puerto Serrano and Olvera. The engineering involved in this abandoned railway, with tunnels sometimes half a kilometre long, is, for its era, astounding.
The Puerto Serrano-Olvera route, forges through primeval countryside, in cuttings and raised sections in the middle of wild landscape, farmland, mountains, scrub, valleys, water meadows, forest. No cars, few people, just you and whatever nature happens to be doing in that particular section of the route.
The trackway is flat and at times covered in Tarmac - sometimes rangers' cars patrol along the route - but there are one or two mysterious dips, including one near Olvera with a dip like a rollercoaster ride; probably the site of a dismantled bridge across a winter storm flood-stream. Most of the twenty-four tunnels have push-button lighting systems.
The 38km route on level ground should not be too difficult for an experienced hiker too complete in one day. There is an alternative; joining the route at Coripe, where the distance is only 26km. Coripe also has the benefit of a road/car connection, and also a restaurant and bar. If this still sounds too much a lot of people simply walk as far as they can manage and turn round. Cycles are available for hire which is popular with children in the summer although probably not mid afternoon!
Seville
Seville, famous for its oranges, women and heat which is intense and starts in April. There are numerous monuments and works of art to be appreciated. Sevilla is known for its architecture and romantic quality, accepted to be the greatest city of the Spanish south. Street theatre is at its best in Sevilla, not least of which ‘Semana Santa’ which re-enacts the scene of Christ being escorted by soldiers through crowded streets. There’s a solemn atmosphere which is in stark contrast to the ‘Ferrier de Abril’ which inaugurates the start of the bull fighting season, 2nd only to Madrids in importance. Maps can be purchased in numerous shops for just a few euros, however whilst helpful more fun can be had getting lost in the narrow streets. As you can imagine there are many bars and restaurants and a bustling nightlife.
The best way to explore Sevilla is to arrive by bus which can be boarded in Moron, approximately 25 minutes from Pruna. Buses leave about every hour and cost just over 7€ return. There are only 2 stops on the way, making it a relatively quick 1 hour journey.
Granada
The city of Granada has one of the most dramatic locations in Spain, poised below a magnificent backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. It’s the perfect setting for the near perfect edifice, the extraordinary Alhambra – the most exciting, sensual and romantic of all European monuments. It was the palace fortress of the Nasrid kings, rulers of the last Spanish Muslim realm, and in its construction Moorish art reached a spectacular yet serene climax. The building somehow seems to capture the brilliance and spirit of Moorish life and culture – it is not to be missed. The city is a network of Moorish streets and Christian monuments. Streets are usually overcrowded with traffic so bus or train is your best bet, the main bus terminal is about 15 minutes from the centre, there are regular buses into the centre running during the day.
Ronda
Ronda is a relatively easy drive, about 40 minutes from Olvera. Ronda is best appreciated as you enter the town, built on an isolated ridge of the Sierra, its split in half by a gapping river gorge (El Tajo) some 130 metre drop on 3 sides. Still more spectacular, the gorge is spanned by a stupendous 18th century arched bridge which separates new from old. Tall whitewashed houses lean perilously from precipitous edges in dramatic fashion. Under Roman rule it became an important military bastion, later the Moors transformed Ronda, enlarging it into the provincial capital of the Tarakuna district. Embellished with lavish mosques and palaces, the town ruled an independent and isolated Moorish kingdom until annexed by Sevilla in the mid 11th century. Ronda is also notable for having been the birthplace of the Maestranza, an order of knights who laid down the rules for early bull fights performed on horseback. During the 19th century the town became an increasingly popular destination for romantic travellers and today it has sacrificed little of its enchanting character. There’s a constant flow of day trippers from the Costa del Sol. Bird watchers should look out for the lesser kestrels nesting in and launching themselves from the cliffs beneath the Alameda Park, while lower down crag martins can be spotted. The streets of Ronda are not too crowded and parking is generally available. Many bars and restaurants are to be found throughout. Ronda also sports one of Spains most famous bull rings ‘Plaza de Torros’ which was opened in 1785, it became the stage upon which the father of the modern bull fight, Pedro Romero laid down the rules of fighting bulls on foot. The bull ring features a museum giving an illuminating history of bull fighting.
