From the Escuela, head to the Bar El Cruce and turn left, inland along the A356 and keep to this road, passing Lake Viñuela to your right.  At Casabermeja, some 20 minutes further along this road, keep on going, not turning off the road, and after crossing the A45 motorway, you will find the road narrows and the countryside changes quite quickly, giving way to wheat fields, broad beans plantations and rolling hills.  The imposing, rocky Torcal mountain range becomes visible as you wind your way up to Villanueva.

Note, as you approach the town, the pretty views to the right and the lovely backdrop of the mountains as you climb the slope of the main street.  Before you get to the T junction, park and explore the pretty streets and square off to the left, and maybe take a drink in one of the bars with outdoor terraces at the T junction. Villanueva de la Concepción is a relatively new town, established officially in 1880, as a textile manufacturing town where a high percentage of the women were working and earning their own money long before other women could even consider work outside the home!

When you have strolled around the town, (don’t spend long here, there is much to do!) turn right at the T junction in the direction of Antequera and up, out of the town towards El Torcal.  Take a clearly marked sign to El Torcal on the left, a few Kms outside the town and follow the road towards the top of the mountain.  You will be amazed! The landscape changes so dramatically that you may wonder whether you have suddenly been magically teletransported to the moon!  Strange rock formations everywhere, full of odd shapes forming faces and fanatistic animal shapes.

At the end of the road, you will find a visitor centre which is well worth exploring, to learn more about this fascinating mountain top.  From here, there are a number of colour coded walks, some longer than others, so this is where you put on your walking boots and explore!  Also, follow the signs on the left to the Mirador (lookout point) to view the entire valley to the South, with Villanueva nestling below, and Malaga city and port in the distance, set against the vast expanse of the Mediterranean sea.  An information panel here tells you how these rocks were formed and how the whole thing used to be below sea level!  There is also a look-out diagram pointing out the landmarks to spot in the distance.

Back on the Antequera road, you will travel through lovely countryside, scattered with old ‘cortijos’ (ancient farmhouses from a bygone age) and in through the back way to the ancient and historic town of Antequera.

Antequera is packed with monuments, including around 50 churches dating back to Medieval times, and culminating in the magnificent Alcazaba, perched at the very top of this ancient city, and dating from the thirteenth to fourteenth century.  On the outskirts of the town, to the North East are the famous and most fascinating Dolmens, ancient Megalithic tombs of great significance for Spain and all of Europe.  There are three, built at different times (between 3ooo and 5000 BC) and they are well worth a visit.  Look out for the interesting engravings on the entrance pillars to the most ancient dolmen of the three, the Menga dolmen, and when you see them and pass through the entrance, bear in mind that the stone slab forming the roof of the entrance is estimated to weigh 180 tonnes!!  How did they get it there?!

You can buy guides to Antequera in the town itself, or check out the many guides online before you get there.  Here are some that are useful:

Antequera – The Virtual Tourist

Antequera – Official Tourist Website (in Spanish)

This one tells you where to go within the city!

There are many excellent restaurants in Antequera and you might fancy ending your day here, in this most interesting ancient town, before heading back South to our Escuela.  Take the motorway route back, the A45 to Malaga but come off at the sign for “Velez-Ma” by Casabermeja and follow the A356 back to us.

Sheep on road, Zafarraya

Keep going along a very straight road, for a number of Kms, until you come to the Bar Restaurante San Marcos and a big Hotel right in front.  Park here.  (For Winter explorers the Bar San Marcos has a wonderful old fireplace with a welcoming fire always burning in the hearth.  The fireplace is so large, there are even tables and chairs inside it, for a snug, warm Winter lunchtime or a drink).

After a refreshing drink at San Marcos, take the track to the right of the hotel.  This is a most beautiful road which takes you deep into the natural park of the Sierra de Tejeda within an area known as El Robledal.  You can stop at any point and take a walk, and if you listen carefully you will hear all sorts of birds and animals in the trees and countryside all around!  If you go far enough you will reach the start of the least strenuous walk up to the peak of the Maroma mountain (visible from Escuela La Crujia gardens, and the highest mountain peak in Malaga province) but for the purposes of this specific daytrip, this is not advisable, as you need  a whole day for that, and a lot of energy!  On this road you might also see some wonderful old crumbling ‘corijos’ or farmhouses, monuments to a lost, past way of life.

Back in the car, drive back to the hotel, and continue along the road in the direction of Alhama de Granada.  Before reaching the town, look out for the sign to the right to Jatar/Arenas del Rey.  Take this (spot the cave house on your right as you drive along).  A few minutes along this road, you will c

El Ventorro

ome to the magnificent Presa de Alhama (Alhama dam), a beautiful spot with calm waters and a couple of bird watching centres to view the many waterfoul that breed here in the Spring and stop here at various times of the year.  Park in the tree-shaded car parking area to the right of the Bar El Ventorro.

From here, you can follow footpaths down to the edge of the lake by walking back, past the dam waterfall, and looking for the paths on your left.  Or, continue on past El Ventorro, and past the next door establishment, El Pato Loco, and a little way after that, on the right hand side, follow a country lane through poplar trees along the river Alhama.  A lovely place to walk, especially in the Autumn!

El Pato Loco pool

Hungry now?  Here you have a choice – try both bars with a pre-lunch drink! El Ventorro, an old-world, rustic style bar and restaurant, is full of atmosphere and very pleasant.  To the rear, it boasts rooms to stay, within a series of caves dug out of the rock, and a lovely private spa, in Arabic style splendour!

El Pato Loco (The Mad Duck), next door, is a huge restaurant seating 500+ people with a large feature fireplace to the far end.  But what’s special about this place is that here, there is a huge open air pool, for use of its clientele.  So this is the ideal place, after a meal, to while away the remainder of the afternoon splashing in the pool or louning in the sun, surrounded by the local inhabitants of Alhama.  Great, too, if you just wish to relax with a coffee after lunch and send the kids off to play in the pool and practice their Spanish with the local children!

Head back the way you came,  for the shortest route back, but if you have time a quick trip into Alhama itself is worth while, or, from Pato Loco, continue on, turning towards Arenas del Rey, then on to Fornes, discovering the wonders of beautiful Lake Bermejales.

From the lower square in Alhama next to the petrol station, take the road marked to Granada.  Around 3 or 4Kms outside the town, past the Balneario (spa), take the right hand turn marked Pantano de los Bermejales (Bermejales Reservoir).  Follow this beautiful road past almond groves and then pine trees, after a short while getting your first glimses of this magnificent reservoir.  When you reach the cobbled bridge over the damn, if you can, stop briefly in the middle or nearby and look over each side: on the reservoir side, the beautiful, still waters of this man-made glory and you will most likely see fishes swimming near the dam wall.  On the other, the huge, dramatic drop down to the river; note how here they generate electricity for the whole of the local area using hydro- electric generators.

Continue of over the bridge and into Bermejales village and take an early right hand turn signposted (BAR) MIRADOR, and you will reach “the beach”, right on the shores of the lake.  The mountain backdrop, often reflected in the water like a mirror, is one that has been photographed by many an awestruck tourist or country explorer, and it is certainly one to contemplate, as here nature is all around, and little sign of human presence is evident!  To the right is the Bar Mirador which (when open) is a great place to have a drink or a meal, contemplating this lovely corner of Andalusia.

Beyond Bermejales are several little towns and villages to explore and you can travel by car all around the lake, stopping at secluded beaches, rocky rivers and pretty pine forests.  We recommend you take a cooling dip in the lake, either at the Mirador or at any point takes your fancy.

When you are finally ready to move on, head down to the coast to end your day perhaps with an evening meal at one of the very pretty coastal towns of Granada province and be prepared to be amazed by the beauty of the route I am now going to take you on to get there!

Route to the coast:

From Bermejales village, at the bar El Cruce, turn right and follow the narrow road along the lakeside and past the campsite, where, by the way, there is also an excellent restaurant, and further pretty beaches.  After a few Kms, you will come to a crossroads.  Turn right in the direction of Fornes and Jayena and keep going along the road to Jayena, a small country town, and out the other side.  A little way out of town, take the road the Almuñecar.   You will be travelling through natural parkland all around you.  Allow time, and daylight, to make your way down this mountain road to the coast, because you’re really going to appreciate it!  The countryside is stunning, and with every turn of the road, a more inviting and beautiful landscape comes to view, with the eventual backdrop of the sparkling Mediterranean sea, glistening beyond the mountain pines, and beaconing the weary traveler towards its enchanting shores!

Almuñecar is a busy, lively town frequented mainly by ‘granadinos’ from the city looking to escape for weekends and holidays.  See this link for more about Almuñecar.

Sunset over La Herradura (from www.playas.es)

From Almuñecar, take the A7 motorway in the direction of Malaga and come off at Km 272 for Velez-Malaga and home to the Escuela.  But for an evening meal not to be forgotten, come off at La Herradura, just past Almuñecar, and head down to the seafront.  Turn left and head to the furthest beach bar on the Eastern end of town, the magnicent Chambao de Joaquin.  Here, you can have a romantic meal by the lapping shoreline and watch the sun go down to the West, lighting up the waves of this enchanting horseshoe-shaped bay.  And as the sun is swallowed up, the twinkling lights of the town, its many beach bars and the Chambao de Joaquin will cast a magical atmosphere over this delightful little place, a perfect way to end your day!

From the Escuela, head to the Bar El Cruce and then left onto the main A356 road heading inland.  Take the right hand turning signposted Alcaucin, just before Lake Viñuela and keep going on this road, straight past the Periana crossroads and the bars and restaurants, and up the winding mountain road and through the spectacular U shaped Zafarraya mountain pass which marks the boundary between the provinces of Malaga and Granada.

Drive through Ventas de Zafarraya, a border town dedicated entirely to open field vegetable growing, and at the end of the village, turn left, (rather than following the road right which is signposted Alhama) as this is a little bit of a short cut, and head across the flat vegetable growing plains of Zafarraya and into the hills beyond.  Fifteen minutes of driving along this road brings you over the rim of a hill and you will see the town of Alhama de Granada below you, with the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the distance (on clear days).  You are now well into the wonderful area known locally as the Poniente Granadino (Western Granada province).

As you come down the hill to the main road into Alhama, you can turn left at the T junction, or better still, go straight across and down the steep hill all the way into the lower town square.  Park here if you can, or in a nearby street.  Walk up the hill on the East side of the square (petrol station and exit towards Granada on the West side) and you will come to the Plaza de la Constitución, on the left at the top of the hill, where you wll find a number of very nice cafés with outdoor tables and chairs to refresh yourselves and take in the atmosphere.  Across the square from the cafés is the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) with its little tourist office where you can pick up a map and chat to the friendly staff.  Follow the street the town hall is in, and this will take you to the old part of town, known as the Barrio Árabe (Arab quarters).  On the right, by the gorge, there is a wonderful old church well worth exploring both outside and in.  Built in the 16th century. shortly after the Christians had pushed the Moors out, after some 800 years of occupation, this buildling was erected outside the old Arab city walls, within the newly expanding city.  The Iglesia del Carmen was originally built as a convent and following major damage during the massive earthquake of 1884 and other turbulent historical events, it became a church for public worship, supported heavily by local wealthy families.  It is full of barroque classical features and detail with a fascinating and ornate domed ceiling.

Behind the church, lookout points offer you spectacular views of the deep gorge below, chiselled over thousands of years by the river, running snake-like at the bottom, and into the open countryside beyond.  Look out for the decaying old water mills scattered, as if discarded carelessly by time, along the river banks.

From here you can take steps down to the bottom of the gorge and stroll along the ‘tajo’ and inspect the mills at close range.  Continue walking for as long as you like, and enjoy this beautiful, almost arrogantly proud natural phenomenon!

Back in the town, explore at your leisure the many little squares, 100-year-old shop interiors and old buildings and then head back to the car, as we are now going to visit the hot springs.

From the lower square, take the road by the petrol station on the West side, signposted to Granada and wind your way out of town, viewing the gorge from the other side this time, as you look back on the town.  3Kms outside town, take the turning to the left, marked Balneario (Hot Spa) just before the bridge over the river.  Follow this narrow road between solid rock walls on either side, to the Balneario and park.  Here you have three choices:

-          Swimsuit-clad, climb down the rocks on the left just over the bridge and slip into the soothing mineral waters of the spring which maintain a constant temperature all year round of 42 degrees C.  There are several rock pools, the top one being the warmest.  Even in Winter this is a most wonderful experience, although getting changed afterwards in the open can be a little complicated and, in colder months, challenging affair!

-          Cross the bridge and turn left along the footpath and head for the public spa pool to enjoy the same hot spring waters in a slightly more dignified manner!  Here, there are changing rooms, but you do pay a few Euros for the priviledge, and check the Balneario website for opening and closing times.

-          A path along the other side of the river takes you on a rather pleasant walk under the shade of all, leafy trees, very pleasant indeed!

My choice, every time is the first option!  It is lovely even in the rain!

From Alhama there are more places to explore.  So if you want to leave time to do something else after Alhama, or you want to know what else to do in this area, check out one of the following posts:

Day trip to Lake Bermejales returning via Almuñecar
Granada city and the Albaicin
Walk and swim: La Alcaicería, Los Ventorros and El Pato Loco

And check this link for a visual taster of Alhama

The apartment, located just 5 minutes from Escuela La Crujía, consists of a large, comportable lounge with TV and airconditioning, fully fitted modern kitchen with washing machine, a family bathroom, twin room (with two single beds) and large double room (with double bed) with en-suite bathroom and a nice balcony.

The apartment is on the second floor and there is private parking available.

The apartment is also available for long term lets.

For more details and rental rates, please email us.

Feria de Malaga 2011

From the week-long Malaga feria with traditional daytime activities and nightime festivities, to trying out your ‘paso doble’ with a mass of heaving villagers in the village squares, you are guaranteed to have a great time.

In many of the villages close to Escuela La Crujia enjoy very impressive celebrations, including free paella (and beer!) in the main square at lunchtime, open air concerts, dancing, flamenco shows, and fireworks.  Great too are the foam fiestas, such as the Feria del Agua in Alcaucin, where the streets are pumped with foam to the absolute delight of children and adults alike!

The large majority of fiestas take place in August, but do not worry, there is always a fiesta somewhere!  Most are religious festivals, on the Saint Day of the local village Santo.  In Vélez-Málaga our Saint is San Miguel (St Michael) and is celebrated at the end of September and lasts almost a week, for example 26th to 30th September 2011.  Come and enjoy!!

For more information about Ferias and Fiestas in our area, try this link:

FIESTAS SUMMER 2011

We have welcomed a growing variety of hibernators to our humble abode.  For example, businessman from Canada, in Europe to concentrate on writing for one month.  It was a joy to have him, and we chatted about life in Canada, life in Spain, life in general and what’s it all about! And he liked it so much he even bought  a little piece of Andalusia of his own – a plot where he now intends to build his own paradise!

Or a delightful couple from Corwall in the  UK, who chose the ‘luxury’ of one of our double rooms with kitchen and bathroom, over their normal caravan stay!  They were with us for two months, happily getting involved in our rural lifestyle, feeding the hens, chatting to our guests as they came to visit, willingly helping us collect and cut wood for the woodburners, and enjoying many a pleasant evening around the open fireplace in the old school hall with a glass or several of Rioja! Our warmest regards to all our hibernators, such as Stephen,  Mike and Valerie, and our warmest thanks.

We welcome all Wintering hibernators and can offer you some fabulous long stay discount rates, so book soon!

As the pool is closed down until next Spring and the Autumn bloom of the roses dies away, we are once again blessed with the vibrant colour and bountiful excess of heavily laden mandarin trees, as the mandarins turn ripe and begin to look juicy!

But the garden is full of flowers once again, with the endless flowering of the passion flower, pink blooms cascading over the roof eaves and sky-blue hues spreading like mist along the walls.

Now is the time to renew the potted geraniums and fill hanging baskets, in the knowledge that they will grow and bloom with vigour, no longer in constant battle with the heat and warm winds of the Summer.

Our chickens are out and about too, digging and scratching in the fallen leaves, although having eaten all the lettuces I planted with one our our guests in time for Christmas, something has to be done soon to protect the veggie patch from their ever-inquisitive eyes and beaks!

IF YOU WISH TO SPEND SOME TIME AT THE ESCUELA IN WINTER, JOIN OUR GROWING NUMBER OF ‘WINTERING’ GUESTS, WHO, FOR  A MODEST PRICE, SPEND A MONTH OR SO ENJOYING LIFE IN SPAIN WELL OUT OF SEASON. CONTACT US TODAY FOR PRICES AND AVAILABILITY

Bar Restaurante El Cruce is on the corner of the main A356 Velez-Malaga to Viñuela road.  It has a very nice bar area, with plenty of tables and large windows, perfect for a coffee, or for a few drinks with a few friends.  And a drink and a very tasty tapa is little more than a Euro!

Through the double doors at the rear is the restaurant, which is always buzzing with people at lunch time.  It is open every day for lunch and on weekdays the Menu del Día (Menu of the Day) is excellent value – a free salad, a bottle of wine and water or soft drink, an excellent choice of starters, followed by a choice of main dishes, and then either dessert or coffee, all for around 8 Euros!  And there is no hanging around – you get served with a speed and efficiency which leaves you wondering where your plate went!!

At weekends the menu is more ‘a la carte’ but still absolutely excellent value, with temptations such as juicy ‘Axarquía’ salads, with plenty of fruit mixed in, or deliciously succulent barbequed steak and piping hot jacket potato with garlic ‘ali-oli’ sauce.

There is a huge wedding marquee attached to the establishment (if you fancy getting married?!)

Next door is the Bar Restaurante El Trapiche.  It is similar to the Cruce, in terms of service, Menu del Día,  prices, weekend meals and tapas, with the added advantage for being open for evening meals too (no Menu del Día in the evening, but very good value food).  There is also a lovely outdoor covered terrace area, ideal for Summer evenings.

These two excellent establishments are so close to the Escuela that there is little need to drive home (no need to worry about drinking and driving) and if you would like us to pick you up, just give us a shout!

Quiet, secluded, and a snorkeling paradise!

But this wonderful, hidden gem of a beach, is not for everyone;  it is located within the protected area of the national parkland to the East of La Herradura, (around 30 minutes’ drive from Escuela La Crujia).  This means that you cannot drive down the 1.5 Kms of track to the beach – you have to walk down (August- 4×4 or minibus ride down to the beach provided by the Andalusian Government).  But the walk is beautiful, and is not SO bad.  For anyone who is not disabled or with a health problem, it is totally ‘do-able’.  In the Summer, it is advisable to get there early or leave after 7pm, when the heat of the day will make the walk more bearable – and take bottled water and a snack!

The beach is simply beautiful!  It is wild, rugged, quiet (except mid Summer), breathtakingly spectacular, with wonderful rocks, glittering, crystal-clear water and a myriad of tiny, incredibly pretty, brilliantly coloured and patterned pebbles.

Best of all …. THE SNORKELING.  This is a perfect snorkeling beach, and as you explore the sensationally cristal clear waters, you will be amazed and fascinated by the variety and beauty of so many fish, in huge shoals, everywhere you look!

Even without the snorkeling gear, all you need to do is step into the water and you will often find that your feet are surrounded by fishes!  They will even nip at your legs – quite surprising the first time it happens!  The water is so clear, you can see the seabed clearly even many metres down.

There is a lovely and very tropical-looking ‘chiringuito’ (beach bar) here, so although it is very adviseable to take a supply of water and a snack with you and perhaps a picnic, (the bar is not always open), the chiringuito provides a cool drink and tapas when the sun gets too hot!  There are bins – so take any rubbish to the bins – this is a clean, beautiful and simply divine little beach, and we all want to keep it that way!

So go take a look, and ENJOY!!…

Getting there:  from the Escuela, take the main A356 road South, and join the motorway, (left) towards Nerja/Almería.  Come off at the second Nerja exit (signposted Maro, Cuevas de Nerja) and follow the coastal road East.  Just before you reach La Herradura, and just after a roundabout, you will see the signs to Playa El Cañuelo.  Park at the top in the car park and either walk down or wait for the Summer 4×4 ride down.