Andalucia

Our first full day in Andalucía is devoted to Sevilla, the region’s capital and one of Europe’s most captivating cities. Iberians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Visigoths had all left their mark before the Moors established their first capital here. After its conquest by the Castilians in 1248, it became a favoured residence of Spanish kings – indeed, to this day the royal family retains the palace of the Real Alcázar, which is one of the twin highlights of our guided walking tour along with the incredibly adventurous construction of the cathedral, the world’s largest built in the Gothic period and style. From this period, we will see mansions, churches, convents, and the trading house of The Archive of the Indies which in its day was the epicentre of the trade with the Americas (which, when “discovered” by Columbus, were still thought to be the “Indies”).

After lunch in Sevilla we travel to Ronda, known as “The Queen of the White Towns”. Ronda occupies a spectacular position with the two sides of the town straddling a deep chasm which plunges 130m to the Río Guadalevin below. We will take a stroll through the lovely old Ronda in the afternoon, and as we return to the hotel there will be the opportunity for those who wish to see Spain’s second oldest bull ring to step inside the “Real Maestranza de Ronda”.

This evening we dine in the hotel’s restaurant, “Azahar”, which enjoys panoramic views across the surrounding countryside.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

The hills and valleys in the hinterland of Ronda are known as the “Serranía”, a term which is a diminutive of the word for mountain, “sierra”. That’s not to say that all of our walking today will be on the flat (!) but as we follow the course of the Río Guadiaro it’s mostly gentle ups and downs over the 8km to the small hamlet around the station of Jimera de Líbar. The walk follows both the railway line of Ronda-Algeciras and the river and takes us through vegetation largely comprised of Holm and Quercus oaks, almond and walnut trees.

We’ll enjoy a picnic when we reach the Barriada de la Estación, just outside Jimera.

Today is also about two caves, this being an area of limestone rock and hence featuring many fissures that form spectacular cave systems. The first is known as the Cueva del Gato (“Cave of the Cat”) where, framed by the cave mouth, a beautiful waterfall falls to the pool called the “Charco Frío”, making for one of the best known and most beautiful postcards of the region. The second, the Cueva de la Pileta (“Cave of the Pool”) is without a doubt the main Palaeolithic site of the Mediterranean and one of the most important sanctuaries of the Prehistoric period in all Europe with paintings dating back as far as 30,000 years. We will have a guided visit here, the guiding being still conducted by the family of the man who originally discovered the cave back in 1905, one José Bullón.

Back in Ronda you will have free time this afternoon to further explore the town or enjoy some peace & quiet in the hotel gardens. Dinner this evening is in one of Ronda’s many fine local restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

We head east across Andalucía today and visit its geographic centre, the city of Antequera, and its imposing natural motif, the karst limestone plateau of El Torcal. Here wind, rain and erosion have wrought strange patterns in the pillars of rock, creating a myriad of sculptures and shapes. With a local guide we will do a circular walk (4.5km, 3 hours) through this unique landscape where we will see ammonites – a type of fossil which enables scientists to link the rock layer in which a particular species or genus is found to specific geologic time periods. We are also likely to see many bird species as the area is categorised a “Special Zone for the Protection of Birds”.

Afterwards we’ll descend to Antequera, and following lunch in a local restaurant, take a stroll around its historical centre which lays claim to more religious buildings per capita than any other city in Spain.

From Antequera we head to our next destination, the rural hotel, near the town of Cozvíjar, of Señorío de Nevada. The hotel, our base for the next two nights, takes its name from the boutique winery of which it is a part and enjoys a wonderful setting on a plain at the feet of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Before dinner this evening there is the chance to join in a guided tour of the winery’s installations and a tasting of its fine vintages.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

This morning we travel the short distance to the bucolic Valley of Lecrín, where a semi-tropical micro-climate allows for small-scale citrus cultivation alongside the more widespread olive and almond groves. Here we will trace a linear route through villages, orchards and fields, starting in Albuñuélas and ending Niguelas, two of the most attractive villages of this region.

On the walk we will stop for a picnic and there will also be some free time in Niguelas – where you may wish to visit an ancient olive oil mill, reputedly the oldest still surviving in Spain, and learn how this precious and essential Mediterranean crop was turned into oil.

The remainder of the afternoon is free time to unwind back at our hotel before we head into Granada at about 5pm.

Our evening in the city allows for free time to have a brief look around the Realejo quarter and enjoy some tapas for an early dinner in one of its attractive squares. Later, with an expert guide, we’ll experience a night visit of the Alhambra, one of Europe’s most stunning monuments and perhaps the greatest surviving legacy from over 8 centuries of the Moorish presence on the Iberian Peninsula.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Today’s walk takes us into the Natural Park of Sierra Nevada, a circular route of 13km that traverses a wide range of terrain, from dry “arenales” (gravel rivers formed by erosion) to lush riverside vegetation. We begin from the old Cortijo Sevilla plateau from where we have commanding views of Los Alayos, Trevenque (2083 metres) and Boca de la Pescá, all mid-mountain peaks of dolomite formations. The path takes us to another viewpoint of El Trevenque peak, dips down to the dry bed of the Barranco del Búho gorge, and then climbs up again before we enter a much leafier and greener landscape of pine forest, as we descend towards the waters of the Aguas Blanquillas gorge. As we return towards the Cortijo Sevilla, we may well be able to spot mountain goats on the rocky outcroppings or kestrels flying above us.

After the walk we’ll sit down to a hearty lunch in a countryside restaurant by the well-known mineral spring “Fuente del Hervidero” before continuing to Granada and checking into our hotel and taking some time to relax.

This evening is dedicated to a guided tour of some of the best tapas bars in downtown Granada, a way to sample in small bites some of the classic dishes of Andalusian cuisine.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Tapas

Heading north from Granada, we pass several Moorish period watchtowers and castles along what was the Christian frontier with the Muslim sultanate of Granada during the 13th-15th centuries. We will walk from one such castle, in the village of Moclín, on a delightful 10km circular walk through the valley of the Rio Gollizno which we cross via a hanging bridge. As we climb back up to the town there are superb views of the castle walls and fortifications which, along with the picnic in the shade of pine trees, will reward us for our efforts.

Our journey then continues, entering first Jaén and then Córdoba provinces, taking us to the village of Zuheros, our base for the next two nights. This typical white village, with its medieval castle keep, sits on the edge of the Sierra Subbética Natural Park and overlooks a “sea of olives” as the landscape is often described.

In the late afternoon we are the guests of Antonio & Coco Zafra, first in their one-hectare olive grove to see the olives themselves, then at a dinner in their village to enjoy a spread of dishes either cooked with the wonderful extra virgin oil or using the several varieties of olives, as we get an insight into this essential part of Spanish agriculture and rural life. Our accommodation is at the rural hotel, 3 km outside Zuheros, of Hacienda Minerva.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After breakfast we are driven to the nearby town of Cabra where, among other curiosities, we find the sword allegedly once used by El Cid! Outside the town our walk properly begins from the rocky summit occupied by the hermitage of Virgen de la Sierra which, at 1267m altitude, gives us great views across the Natural Park. The Park is largely of a rugged limestone terrain with some spectacular scenery and is home to one of southern Spain’s largest breeding colonies of griffon vultures, as well as around 70 other bird species, and herds of semi-wild horses. The walk, back to Zuheros, is around 15km and is largely descending, through holm oak woods and along the Río Bailón, taking us around 5 hours to reach the village where we will then stop for our picnic.

Time to relax back at the hotel in the late afternoon or perhaps take a stroll along the “Vía Verde”, an old railway line, before dinner in the cosy hotel restaurant this evening.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After breakfast we depart for Córdoba, a city that boasts a wealth of history and culture spanning over two millennia. With the guidance of a local expert, we will get an idea of why the city’s star shone so brightly in Roman and Moorish times. As a testimony to this, we enter the incredible and utterly unique Cathedral-Mosque, the city’s main place of worship from the 8th century to this day, and then walk through what was once one of Europe’s principal Jewish areas. Our walk ends in the Realejo district where we discover a nobleman’s palace renowned for its intimate patios, a feature of Cordoba’s homes and a proud city tradition that is celebrated every May in the annual Festival of Patios, a showpiece of gardens within walls that is one of Córdoba’s principal attractions.

Tonight, we celebrate the end of our tour with a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Transfer to Cordoba station for onward travel with good train links to Madrid, Sevilla and Malaga.

Meals: Breakfast