Looking for a base in western Andalucia

Hi Ireynold1,
Just a couple of questions before I throw out some ideas...
I'm assuming you will all have a van to get around?
Do you need to stay IN the small city/town so as to walk to shops, restaurants, etc? Or could you take a self-catering house in the countryside?
Do you need a pool (for the scourching summer months)?
Any idea as to price range?


My first thought would be in the Serranía de Ronda, as there are so many properties from which to choose.
There are also the Villas Turísticas de Grazalema, handy to the hiking in the park there. I'll try to come back with some specifics as soon as I know your particular needs.

I sort of feel like I've won the lottery when Maribel offers to help! Thanks so much.

Our trip will not be till late fall, or it may even be over the Christmas-New Year holidays, depending on people's schedules. Everyone's starting to ask about time off, so I'm starting to look into location. With those dates, no pool will be necessary. And as far as price goes, we're pretty flexible. No luxury needed, and based on my initial searching, it looks like 1000-1500E is do-able. We would need three bedrooms plus a bed somewhere for our 23 year old son.

We will have two cars. We are open to staying either in the small town itself or having a "country" place that's close to a small town. We will probably not do much major cooking at the home, but like to eat breakfasts and pack lunches. And sit around a big table, or out on a porch/balcony with a late night glass of wine.

We are an active bunch, speak Spanish, and would like the location to facilitate our ability to take day trips in multiple directions.


Thanks very much, I so appreciate your help. Laurie

Hi Laurie,
You have so generously given so many tips to me (us) from your Spain/Portugal travels, it's a pleasure to try to help (and thanks for your faith in my help!)

Personally I would choose either Ronda, Grazalema or Gaucín for my week so as to explore the Grazalema park, Los Alcornocales and Sierra de las Nieves. I love the scenic beauty of this area.

Ronda would give you the benefits of a small city, with more supermarkets, bars, restaurants to choose from, plus easier access to points beyond on the very good A 376.

But very pretty Grazalema or Gaucín would offer fewer tourists and a more village feel but also more isolation, although Gaucín is a hop from the coast between Estepona and Sotogrande (a more tastefully developed section of it). Gaucín does have a large expat population, if that matters.

I do prefer Ronda to Arcos as a small city, because I find the former far prettier and prosperous, and for your hiking it would be more convenient. And it's tedious to drive up to the top of Arcos with its incredibly narrow lanes.

However, for day trips to the sherry triangle and Cádiz or down to Medina Sidonia and Vejer, Arcos would be more convenient, and rents are generally less expensive.

Here are a few properties that might work for you under €1,500 per week:

Outside of Arcos, next to the lake,
"Casa el Caserío" (3 br, sleeps 8)

http://tinyurl.com/5k7pz9
http://tinyurl.com/56fpzf
http://tinyurl.com/3uprp6

"Villa María", quite nice, but 9 km. outside of town (4 br., sleeps 10) We like our rentals, though, to be no more than 2 km. to grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.

www.villa-maria.es
http://tinyurl.com/4nsxtw

In Ronda, a group of casas rurales, side by side, each with 2 bedrooms, but you can rent two of them (10% discount), which would give you more flexibility if your group increases in size, plus you can walk to town. Fully equipped, even with h.dryer. My husband and I would rent one of these happily, and they're well priced.
"Los Arrayanes"

www.los-arrayanes.com
(also listed on antiquanatura.com)

And look at the Ronda country houses and luxury flats at
www.enronda.net

And all the listings of "casas rurales" on
www.serraniaderonda.org
Just choose by village or by size.

Also just below Ronda and right below the Tajo gorge, this property gets great reviews on Top Rural (and I pay close attention to those reviews), but for 7-9 people you'd need to rent both the Casa and the Casita-but still comes in under 1,500.
"Huerta del Tajo"

http://tinyurl.com/59xpjq

A km. outside of town there's also
"Casa de los Cedros" but no Top Rural reviews as yet.

www.casadeloscedros.es

In Zahara, right off the A 376 there's the very pretty "Villa entre Olivos"-but I don't know if they rent it in late fall/winter.

www.villaentreolivos.com

In Gaucín there are several that Real Ronda represents, including Casa Cipreses and Casa Elena, right in town, but prices are higher.

www.real-ronda.com

And of course, there are also the webs such as

vrbo.com
holiday-rentals.com
homeholidays.com

which I haven't gone through.

Hope this helps to get your planning started.

Several years ago, the Molina del Santo in Benoajan, just outside of Ronda, was catering to hikers and naturalists. Maps, lunches, directions etc. Don't know if they still are but nonetheless, it is a great place to stay. Beautiful gardens, private cottages, good food. Easy 10 min into Ronda. Cork forests, mtns, etc right at your door. I presume they are still there. Check it out.

Yep, weber, this lovely country house hotel is still around.
www.molinodelsanto.com

Hi, Maribel and Weber,

Thanks for this great start. I'm going to focus on the Ronda area, because based on what you say, we will have no trouble filling up a week in that area. One place that has caught my eye is http://www.serraniaronda.org/casitadepiedra.htm (it's listed on toprural with good reviews, too)
and I'm sure I'll find a lot more to make the decision very difficult.

I'll be back again with questions about a proposed itinerary. I know there is a lot of good information on this board already, and I'll try not to abuse your goodwill. Thanks so much, Laurie

Hi Laurie,
I also saw that one and meant to include it.

If you can get hold of a Footprint: Andalucía guide, 4th edition (by Andy Symington) at your B&N, Borders or local library, its section on the pueblos blancos is excellent.

Page 186 and beyond gives sound advice on "El Parque: practicalities and walking" with several walking routes.

It's the one Andalucía guide that I always take along with me, or xerox copies. Good and inexpensive dining recommendations as well. Really practical advice.

Have fun planning!

While I wholeheartedly agree that Grazalema is stunning and so is Arcos and Ronda, these cities are also located in the rainiest region in Spain for late fall/December (per guidebooks and locals confirmed!). So, step back and do a reality check on your week of hiking, day trips and rural stays.

Ah, viajero, thanks for a dose of realism! I have spent two end of year getaways in the southern Iberian peninsula. In 1994 we had the weather you describe. In 2004 it was glorious and sunny, so maybe my ideas reflect too much wishful thinking.

So, do you have some alternative destinations you might suggest? I know that with the weather all bets are off, but I agree it makes sense not to go to a location at what is historically its rainiest time with the hope of good weather!

Thanks, Laurie

Laurie,
A quotation from the Footprint: Andalucía re the weather in Grazalema-

"it has to be said that Grazalema receives more rainfall than any other spot in Spain. It's a remarkable microclimate, as villages as little as 5 km. away receive barely a quarter of the precipitation. Don't be put off however, as the rain comes down mainly in November, April and May; at other times there's a sporting chance of good weather."

So I would email the lodging of your choice and ask them about the history of rain for your specific dates.

Just so you know...

Happy planning!

Laurie,
Just to show that all bets are off regarding weather predictions-
we spent the first week of Nov. last yr. in Picos de Europa, thinking that it might be a very risky proposition and that we might have dreary, cold, rainy days, but yet it turned out to be glorious. It was warmer up at the Mirador del Cable above Fuente Dé then than it was in late July!

We also had nice Feb. weather in Granada and also in late Jan. in the Baix Empordá (Girona province), but the Rioja in Nov. is usually wet, so you just can't predict these days..

There's also the Parque de Monfragüe and the Jerte Valley of Extremadura, but I've only been in March.

Am I the only respondent who thinks of western Andalucia as the Province of Huelva, west of the Doñana wildlife refuge?
There's a resort, Matalascañas just west. It's not too far from el Santuario de la Virgen de Rocio. Then there's the City of Huelva itself, a Petrochemical Port, like Houston & Texas City; and Palos de la frontera, the port of departure for Columbus' First Voyage of Discovery.
There's a Parador outside Mazagon, which is close to all those points

Laurie,
I think an email to horizonaventura.com, the Grazalema agency that organizes hiking tours in the Grazalema park, might be helpful. They of all people are the experts at hiking in the park and will advise you as to the possibilities of hiking when you decide on your dates. (One can also subscribe to their online magazine).

Since you're an avid Camino walker (and from one who only dares to do the "Camino light", you have my utmost respect), I'm sure you're quite used to all types of weather, the good and the bad!

I've really enjoyed your posts regarding your Camino experiences.

Hi, Maribel, I have emailed Horizon Aventura and will let you know what I hear. What a glorious November experience you must have had in the Picos, I devoured your postings! And though I have had to walk 8 hours in the rain on some Camino days, I don't think my family would put up with it, so I would like to choose a destination where the likelihood of daily rain is low. So I will keep mulling this over and researching it. The problem is that we're not much of the beach type, and only a few in the group are skiers, so neither the pirineo nor the costa seem like good choices either.

And I would like to stay in Spain, because three of us will be living there next year and it would really cut down on travel costs. But with all those cheap airlines out there, maybe it makes sense to move farther east in the Mediterranean. So, basically, I'm confused, but I greatly appreciate all this help.

By the way, I'm hoping to walk the Via de la Plata from Sevilla next April, if all goes well!

Laurie

Hi Laurie,
You are truly an indefatigable walker!
You have my utmost admiration!

Lucky the 3 of you to be able to live in Spain next year.

Speaking of the Vía de la Plata, I was just re-reading my file on Extremadura and thinking that walks in both Gredos, Sierra de Candelario and the Monfragüe park would be great for you and your family sometime.
The Paradors Spring magazine did an article about this.

We've stayed at the Gredos Parador and done walks in the area (there's also horseback riding), and we spent a week in March exploring the Jerte valley, during the cherry blossom festival. Walking from village to village there is delightful. In fact, we felt guilt and quite lazy when driving around, because all the locals were out walking! We had the driving lanes practially to ourselves!

Your post prompted me to get out my dog eared Lonely Planet Walking in Spain to read the "When to walk" chapter. The author's recommendation for the winter is Mallorca and the snow free Serra de Tramuntana-there's a lengthy chapter about walks in the Balearics. You might give that a thought. Low cost flights to Palma from Sevilla and Madrid.

Sounds like you have a wonderful year ahead of you!

Hi, Maribel,
Your comments have sparked my interest. I have never been to Mallorca, and I'm thinking that maybe this would be a great place for a Christmas trip. Several members of my family have never been to Barcelona, so that would be an easy add-on. I will investigate this further and get back to you -- with questions! Thanks, Laurie

Yes! We had a truly wonderful post Christmas stay in Barcelona 2 years ago. It was so nice to be in the city without the huge tourist crowds that populate it in the summer. We just fell in love with Barcelona, actually, as we found it so different. We did a huge amount of walking and museum visiting. And the weather wasn't bad at all with day temps in the sixties-quite pleasant. (I have a Barcelona guide on my web page, and there have been lots of apartment rental reviews here).

Talk to you later!

For anybody asking where to spend a week of hiking and day trips in Spain late Fall/December the choices that jump out are Balearic Islands or Canary Islands. I have not checked any guidebooks, but it is kind of a no-brainer. The next step would be accesibility and prices. If a week is tight for an island-hopper, then drop the expectations a bit and recalibarte what that week could be about besides daily hikes and outdoor ventures.

we used arcos as our base and, while the town is wonderful and we found some great tapas, we were miserable. honestly, the hair raising drive up through the crevasses (mirrors in) was always followed by a long and anxious wait for parking. "oh my god-- i think he's leaving..." one night, we decided just waited-- fairly content-- from midnight until 1am. then i saw that we were going to have to race the manager of the paradore, who had apparantly told guests to double park and that he would move their cars as spaces came open!! the race was on, and it was another 30 minutes before we fought our way to a space!! that is the only parking in the upper town... and i heard that it is a huge problem... the city looked at making an underground lot... they just don't know what to do. i would just visit for the day or evening and wish someone had warned us.

we liked ronda a lot, but it was swarming with people. like disneyland during spring break. we fell in love with grazelima and, while it is a ways from everywhere, it's fairly between all the main hill towns. next time i will stay in grazelima and enjoy the town and mountains nearby with day trips out to the other towns.