Andalucia

spanishman said:
If you are driving at some point the route from Motril on the coast up towards Granada is magnificent.

About half way up on the left is a really good bodega to visit. With a hotel nearby. On the right, close to the same level is a really interesting small town built in to a small gorge. Higher up (and closer to Granada) there is a nice basic hotel with stables nearby.

The views on the way up are to die for.
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I have found a bit of spare time to look up the names of things.

The hotel and bodega is Hotel & Winery Señorio de Nevada. Which is near Cónchar. It is 4 star. They do a good tour around the winery with some wine tasting.

The valley/gorge is called the Lecrin Valley. There is a restaurant in Nigüelas with great views over the valley. It is called Restaurante Terraza La Erilla.

The basic hotel, higher up, closer to Granada is 3*. It is near Dílar and is called Hotel Zerbinetta.

Be warned that it can be effing cold up there in the winter. So dress appropriately.
 
spanishman said:
I have found a bit of spare time to look up the names of things.

The hotel and bodega is Hotel & Winery Señorio de Nevada. Which is near Cónchar. It is 4 star. They do a good tour around the winery with some wine tasting.

The valley/gorge is called the Lecrin Valley. There is a restaurant in Nigüelas with great views over the valley. It is called Restaurante Terraza La Erilla.

The basic hotel, higher up, closer to Granada is 3*. It is near Dílar and is called Hotel Zerbinetta.

Be warned that it can be effing cold up there in the winter. So dress appropriately.
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That’s really good of you - thanks
 
1finny said:
That’s really good of you - thanks
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Here is view of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance. Taken from our local golf course yesterday.

With the first big snow storm of the season on display. I guess that the ski slopes will be open now.

The ski resort is around a 2 hour drive from us. With Granada a little bit closer to us.

The first year we moved out here I drove up to Granada in the winter. To do a bit of sight seeing. In the normal clothes I wear around town. I nearly froze to death.
1000017978.jpg
 
1finny said:
The beauty of FMTTM
Another cracking shout - might be a bit tricky without a car tho.
And, if they are proper hippies it would be more than a pint
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If you are in the Orgiva area the chocolate shop in Pampaneira is worth a visit.
abuelailichocolates.com

Chocolateria artesanal Abuela ili | Pide tu chocolate online

Fabrica y tienda de chocolate, manteniendo en el tiempo sus productos e incorporand nuevas ideas. Formado por varias familias en Pampaneira Alpujarra de Granada
abuelailichocolates.com abuelailichocolates.com
 
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Malaguena said:
Well that was utter 5hite - and most of it wasn't in Malaga
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Hiya
Hope you don’t mind but wouldn’t mind your thoughts on a possible cycling trip whilst we are over.
This is a possible plan (incl part of the Via Verde)

Your week long cycling tour takes you through the most scenic Andalucian white villages (“pueblos blancos”), visiting Benoajan, Montejaque, Grazalema, Zahara, Prado Del Rey, Olvera, Setenil de las Bodegas and of course Ronda. Ronda, Setenil & Olvera have recently been voted in the Top 25 most scenic villages in Spain, for me you could also include Zahara & Grazalema in that list as these are 2 of my personal favourites.

Worthwhile?
 
Just ending our rail trip around southern Spain en route to Biarritz before home on Sunday.

Got to Andalucia via Girona and Tarragona and just loved the area.
The white villages peeping out of hillsides surrounded by vines, orange trees and olive groves are gorgeous.
We visited both Ronda and Sentinel (on day trips from Malaga) - oh, my…. Just stunning.
Also took a day out to do The Caminita Del Rey walkway which clings to the mountain side above gorges.
Beautiful valley below, Ibex walking on the mountain side, vultures flying above hoping for them to make a mistake and tumble - they didn’t.

Just wish I’d done that walk 30 years ago when it was a real challenge..

Malaga as a city - a bit meh for us tho (apart from The Picasso museum)

Cordoba was an absolute joy. The Mesquite? The last time I was so moved by a building was 50 years ago when I first saw the Sistine Chapel.
Onto Seville where Holy Week culminated with majestic processions watched by 000’s on the roadside.

The history of the area, bound up with romans, visigoths, vandals, the moors before the Christian’s came in making ‘inquiries’ burning around 40000 non believers has left its cultural mark.
Castles, gothic buildings and renaissance art are everywhere.

I had Laurie Lee’s ‘As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning’ which tells the story of his walk (?) from his home in the Cotswolds down to Andalucia, in the 1930’s, as my audio book.
Great to listen to his exploits compared to modern day.

Finished off in València which grew on me over the 3 days.
Probably because we hired bikes for a 4 hour ride along the beach and coastal national park on our last day.
Made all the better as it was my first ride for 8 weeks since I broke my collarbone.
 
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1finny said:
Hiya
Hope you don’t mind but wouldn’t mind your thoughts on a possible cycling trip whilst we are over.
This is a possible plan (incl part of the Via Verde)

Your week long cycling tour takes you through the most scenic Andalucian white villages (“pueblos blancos”), visiting Benoajan, Montejaque, Grazalema, Zahara, Prado Del Rey, Olvera, Setenil de las Bodegas and of course Ronda. Ronda, Setenil & Olvera have recently been voted in the Top 25 most scenic villages in Spain, for me you could also include Zahara & Grazalema in that list as these are 2 of my personal favourites.

Worthwhile?
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Many apologies Finny - I completely missed this at the time ..... though I'm not sure I could have contributed anything worthwhile anyway.

Shame you didn't "get" Malaga - love the place personally, as you can probably guess
 
Malaguena said:
There's a reason it never crossed your mind - it's a 5hithole.

I suppose if you like a bit of military history (a very small bit) and being attacked by monkeys it could fill in half a day for you - other than that, avoid
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Gibraltar is a decent half day trip but that's about it, cracking booze prices due to no tax but not a lone reason to go as can only buy so much.
 
1finny said:
Just ending our rail trip around southern Spain en route to Biarritz before home on Sunday.

Got to Andalucia via Girona and Tarragona and just loved the area.
The white villages peeping out of hillsides surrounded by vines, orange trees and olive groves are gorgeous.
We visited both Ronda and Sentinel (on day trips from Malaga) - oh, my…. Just stunning.
Also took a day out to do The Caminita Del Rey walkway which clings to the mountain side above gorges.
Beautiful valley below, Ibex walking on the mountain side, vultures flying above hoping for them to make a mistake and tumble - they didn’t.

Just wish I’d done that walk 30 years ago when it was a real challenge..

Malaga as a city - a bit meh for us tho (apart from The Picasso museum)

Cordoba was an absolute joy. The Mesquite? The last time I was so moved by a building was 50 years ago when I first saw the Sistine Chapel.
Onto Seville where Holy Week culminated with majestic processions watched by 000’s on the roadside.

The history of the area, bound up with romans, visigoths, vandals, the moors before the Christian’s came in making ‘inquiries’ burning around 40000 non believers has left its cultural mark.
Castles, gothic buildings and renaissance art are everywhere.

I had Laurie Lee’s ‘As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning’ which tells the story of his walk (?) from his home in the Cotswolds down to Andalucia, in the 1930’s, as my audio book.
Great to listen to his exploits compared to modern day.

Finished off in València which grew on me over the 3 days.
Probably because we hired bikes for a 4 hour ride along the beach and coastal national park on our last day.
Made all the better as it was my first ride for 8 weeks since I broke my collarbone.
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Glad you enjoyed it. Shame the fast trains are not available in Almería province yet. Hopefully we will get some decent fast train infrastructure by 2026.

Perhaps an area of Andalucia to visit in the future?
 
Can't believe people think that Malaga is meh!!!! Love the place, been 3 times over the last 3 years, going to Mijas next week, but will definitely be having another visit to Malaga.😁
 
Malaguena said:
Many apologies Finny - I completely missed this at the time ..... though I'm not sure I could have contributed anything worthwhile anyway.

Shame you didn't "get" Malaga - love the place personally, as you can probably guess
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Oh, I can see why you love it.
We also had one of our best evenings there.

A local wine shop next to a small square takes to doing ‘on sales’ during Easter.
Tiny place, a couple of wine barrels to sit round.

We spent two hours with him talking wine schoite and had a great time. He introduced us to some superb local wines before I asked him about his favourite.
He showed me a bottle of red so I said I’d buy it on condition he opened it and drank with us.
It was gorgeous.

Font De La Figuera Priorlat from…….. València
 
Got back from our Andalusia road trip about six weeks ago. Started in Malaga, which we absolutely loved, what a place. Spent a day driving down the length of the Costa del sol to Estapona, Estapona nice, the rest of it wasn’t for us. Went up to Cordoba, again stunningly beautiful, then down to Seville, again stunning. Travelled down to Huelva, rural and ordinary, popped across to Tavira in Portugal which was nice. Return from Huelva to Malaga via Cordoba in a single drive, bit of a treck.

Absolutely loved the trip, bit of an adventure, great cities, good food an lovely people.
 
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