So glad you enjoyed Granada, not just for the Alhambra. I also read that it was 'gritty', and yet photos online make me think I'd love it.
I guess it's the same with Naples, lots of negative stuff, but I definitely feel like I would enjoy that city too.
I love your itinerary, it's just how I would plan it (but I'm not interested in Malaga). Glad you are not day tripping Ronda, it looks like it is a very interesting town.

kimhe and alvamo - love all the videos! So much more to learn and I do love dance. I'd love to see Molina live -- her videos are amazing! I can see why you need to have an annual fix, kimhe! And I'm now intrigued by the traditional dances you've posted, alvamo. Looks like I'll just have to get back to Spain to see more. :)

Adelaidean, I haven't been to Naples, either, but think the same thing about it. I really enjoyed Ronda and am glad we were there for 2 nights. It's a good base, too, to explore the region, while being a beautiful place to stay. Of course, I was there in the midst of a festival that made one forget that it was the 21st century at times!

I'm not sure why Granada is called gritty. The best I can imagine is that there are small groups of young people (like "travelers") who congregate in the streets of Plaza Nueva. I don't remember the name for them, though there is a nickname. But there's nothing dangerous or uncomfortable about them. We were also concerned about pickpockets because of Granada's reputation, but never once felt any threat.

(Just a side comment, Naples is glorious. I have visited the city four times. Here's my most recent TR:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

<Adelaidean on Jun 8, 15 at 11:12am
So glad you enjoyed Granada, not just for the Alhambra. I also read that it was 'gritty', and yet photos online make me think I'd love it.
I guess it's the same with Naples, lots of negative stuff, but I definitely feel like I would enjoy that city too.
I love your itinerary, it's just how I would plan it (but I'm not interested in Malaga). Glad you are not day tripping Ronda, it looks like it is a very interesting town.>

Granada gritty? It´s a beautiful and safe city.

Naples could be compare to Malaga both places can be somewhat chaotic when you first arrive and walk around the centro but the people are friendly and helpful, I wonder why you are not interested in Malaga?

We also loved Granada. I'm glad we spent an extra day there. Terrific trip report progol!

((H))

Thanks, maitaitom! Glad you're enjoying my TR! That's high praise indeed, from someone whose reports I love! Glad you spelled España correctly, too!


(to IMDonehere, if you're still here - I think I've got it! By George, I've got it!)

alvamo... I hear what you are saying.

Have not been to Granada, so was curious to read it described elsewhere as 'gritty', as it appealed to me from what I saw in photos.

I had planned on an Italy trip tacked on to a Spain itinerary, and that is why I mentioned Naples, similarly described, which calls to me (but then, I want to see Marseille and Genoa, rather than Nice and Monaco, so maybe I just like gritty :) )

BTW....Thanks EYW I loved your TR too.


Maybe if Malaga is gritty I need to reconsider... :)

Sunday, May 17 – A drive in the countryside, and views, views, views
Woke up to another stellar day! First decision: breakfast. We opted not to do the 11euro breakfast at the hotel but ended up having a 5.50E desayuno Ronda at the Poeta de Ronda hotel on their outdoor patio. We had been looking for a bar-style café, but we couldn’t find anything like that, and it was Sunday morning after all.

Today, we planned to take a drive through the region and get a feel for the landscape. The getting out of any city is always a challenge, but our trusty iPhone GPS aced it!

The first stop -- Cueva de la Pieta, in Benajoan about 20km from Ronda, a prehistoric cave with some fascinating paintings and wonderful formations in large cavernous spaces, or "rooms". The views on the drive, through a range of mountains, were just extraordinary – every turn of the road took us into ever more beautiful vistas.
(http://www.cuevadelapileta.org/texto.../situacion.htm)

Back to the cave. It's a long walk up to the entrance but with the spectacular views surrounding us, it’s worth the effort. We had a short wait for the next tour and there were a few people waiting, most were English speakers, although there was one Spanish couple. The tours run roughly an hour long and are offered on the hour (more or less).

The guide was a local man, with a great passion for the cave and its significance. As we were a mixed group, he would speak first in Spanish and then in English. The cave is minimally lit and we’re given lamps (one per couple) to help light the way. This is not a glitzy, high tech presentation! There are several areas with roughly built stairs between rooms, so it’s not for those who are physically challenged.

What a treat to be here! The figures were not as sophisticated as those at Font de Gaume (in France), but it is an amazing feeling being in a place that was the home of prehistoric man. Some of the drawings had multiple colors, and it’s believed that each color represented a different period. Amazing! There were other interesting points -- about the use of fire for light, which caused smoky conditions, leading to the development of very simple candles. Seeing the pieces of pottery that were found in the cave. All in all, it was a highlight.

From there, we went off to Grazalema, described as the “prettiest of the pueblos blancos”. It is beautifully sited, surrounded by mountains and the drive there is stunning. Arrival in town was not so much fun -- it was incredibly busy, and clearly a major tourist destination, so finding parking was a struggle. Everyone was out for the Sunday afternoon drive, and I think they all descended on Grazalema! By the time we found parking, we had both decided that it was late enough in the day and another town was unnecessary. We decided to have lunch and then return to Ronda.

Lunch was the menu del dia at the Restaurant El Torreon. A traditional style restaurant, and it was a popular place for a Sunday afternoon dinner. It had good reviews, but honestly, it wasn’t bad, but not memorable.

Returning to Ronda through the mountainous area was again magnificent -- the light, the landscape, everything was just stellar -- and the ride into the city turned out to be so much easier than we expected. The Romantico is much more low-keyed today, especially at the end of the day when we return.

That afternoon, we walked down to the old bridge, walking down a steep, winding road, till we came to an arch that led to the bridge. More spectacular views! The light is incredible now! We wander down and around and back up a steep street, till at last we come back to the town center. We discover an ice cream shop, Heladeria E Gelato, with a crowd of people-- mmm, must be good, we think-- and we both have lavender and coca. Absolutely delicious! We stroll back to the park, and though there are still some stalls open, the festival is pretty much dying down. We then walk to the gazebo, and stay awhile, listening to the accordion player (wonderful!) and watching the many people who are there enjoying the views and the ambience, just like us. We watch two little girls dance to the music, and M. starts to do a little dance as well, making them giggle and laugh.

After that, we walk partway down the gorge on the valley side to a spot that seems a natural place to end, with a wide flat area of ground overlooking the bridge. A number of people are there, including 3 younger folks still in their costumes and everyone is taking pictures of each other. Fun! I took some pictures, too.

For dinner, I had read about Almocobar, a trendy little bar/restaurant on the outside of the walls. While it was a bit of a walk to get there and back, it was a lovely experience! The food was excellent and the service outstanding! The warmth and welcome and the attentiveness made this extra special. The food presentation was amazing, and though some of the food did not quite meet the expectation of the superlative ambience, it was still quite good, and overall, the experience was delightful.

We walked back to the hotel, absolutely sated by the wonderful day, and enjoyed a gorgeous clear blue sky that was not yet completely dark. The night was magical.
We love Ronda!

So fascinating; I am eagerly awaiting your Malaga comments so get some rest tonight in order to post some early morning thoughts tomorrow :)

Ronda sounds wonderful. I remember looking up bus options for a visit to Grazalema from Ronda and reading how sleepy it is. It must have been a surprise finding it buzzing.

Molina dancing a rondeña in the Ronda bullring ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQcJC72NTsc

EYWandBTV- I'm up early but not early enough to write -- but Malaga is up next, so it won't be too long a wait!

Adelaidean - Grazalema is very much on the tourist track and, on a gorgeous Sunday, a local destination, too, I suspect. A gorgeous day for a drive and we arrived at mid-day, so a good time for Sunday lunch (or dinner). But it's not just about the destination, right? And the journey was fabulous!

kimhe-- love seeing Molina dance in the Ronda bullring!

So happy you loved Ronda and the Montelirio - I knew that was the right call. Your festival sounds just as lively and colorful as Pedro Romano, the one we witnessed.

We had the opposite experience in Grazelema. It was completely deserted when we were there...beyond sleepy. I guess the buses had just left. Looking forward to more.

crosscheck,
I want to thank you for reassuring me about visiting Ronda in the midst of a festival! Arriving by car in a small town with many one way streets is a challenge at the best of times, and with a festival going on, quite honestly, we were both a bit worried. But your reassurance after your experience was very helpful. And it was terrific to be there in the midst of such a fun festival!

Funny about Grazalema - it was so filled with cars and traffic. Timing is everything.

I'll be working on the next section later today - hopefully post some more tonight.

Paule

Thanks for continuing the report progol! Enjoying all your impressions of the trip. I hope we are as lucky in catching good flamenco performances. Seems like you are making excellent use of your time.

Very happy to hear you enjoyed Ronda, as we have planned two nights there in October. Guess I'll find out soon enough but do you know if the Granada train station issue will affect traveling by train from there to Ronda?

Thanks.

Hi, Nelson,
As far as I know, the service on the train between Granada and Ronda is still a train/bus combination, with the bus stopping in Antequera and transferring to the train to Ronda. There's a long thread on Trip Advisor about this issue, so I'm sure if there are any changes, you'll find it there.

It was a non-issue for us, however, since I had planned to pick up a car in Granada for that trip.

Next segment (Malaga day 1) ready to be posted, but I couldn't get on to the board this morning. Later today!

Paule

Thanks for your time. I'll keep an eye on TripAdvisor as well.

My wife and I are on the road right now, based on how we are doing things on this trip we'll most likely get the two Alhambra tickets as EYWandBTV has suggested. We move real slow!

Thanks again.

Still reading. Great report on Ronda. We're definitely in the camp that believes Ronda and area deserve more than a day trip. I've seen some people say it only deserves a 1/2 day. That may true for some people's mode of travel but I would have been disappointed if we had spent that short of time there.


Looking forward to more of your report!

Ronda is one of the only memories I have from when I was a very young child in Spain. I remember the colors. [Or I think I do.]

Can't wait to read about Malaga. Thanks again, progol.

Many thanks for still following and it's so helpful to get your wonderful comments. It does inspire me to keep going!