# Just visiting, suggestions welome



## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

Hi Guy's 

I have decided to spend a week in Andalucia at the end of September and wondered if any of you guys could recommend some places to visit? I'm hiring a car and haven't booked rooms yet so were very flexible 

I'm treating my twin brother to a little holiday, he's never been to Spain before but I used to live in Estepona so all the usual places are on the shortlist like El Chorro, Lakes at Ardarles, Alhambra, Gib and Ronda but I wondered if there were any little gem's I didn't know about that you good people may have been keeping to yourselves?

I know Spain is lovely and he will have a great time but I've been to all the places listed and I'm paying  so any help would be greatly appreciated (not financial help) Anywhere with stunning views, Nature etc would be appreciated also neither of us drink alcohol so recommendations for bars and stuff aren't needed.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

Dean


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

I have been told Nerja caves are great! A hike up the Torcal?

FYI, last time I was in Gib having a wander, I saw 5 monkeys the whole time I was on the rock - seems there are very few now


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

donz said:


> I have been told Nerja caves are great! A hike up the Torcal?
> 
> FYI, last time I was in Gib having a wander, I saw 5 monkeys the whole time I was on the rock - seems there are very few now




Thanks for the quick Reply Donz, I'll check out your suggestions online and maybe add them to the shortlist.

I agree about Gib, I was over in July and didn't see 1 monkey! Then again I've been about 5 times in the last 5 years and never seen a Monkey, maybe this time I'll hunt one down and demand a photo


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

no worries, also I know it's not everybodys thing, but the new Butterfly House has opened in Benalmadena & apparently is very good.


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

Thanks Donz,

You never know, if it rains I might have to venture in. I didnt even know there was such a place, it does look nice though


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

How about a visit to the troglodyte area (cave houses)? We can recommend Purullena just to the west of Guadix. It is complete with a small museum in a cave house that is still lived in with one of the lowest admission charges that you'll find anywhere.

On the way to the above drive from the coast road from Adra via Berja over the top of the Sierra Nevada at Puerto de la Ragua to La Calahorra, then turn left onto the A92, then take the old road through Guadix (good stop for lunch) then into Purullena.

Learn about the struggle for Granada by the Reyes Catholicos by visiting the Fortaleza de la Mota at Alcalá la Real - the audio visual presentation is very good and shows much of how the Moors managed to keep the Christians at bay for nearly 200 years, understand the role of all the watch-towers that you see dotted about. The "front line" passed back and forth during that time right over where our house is.

What about a bat cave - Zuheros off the A318 between Cabra and Luque.

How about an exceptional ermita such as El Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de Araceli just outside Lucena?

There are so many places worth seeing that are off the usual tourist itinerary and, therefore, are not full of snapping tourists.

For spectacular scenery and opportunities to see wildlife, visit the Province of Jaén, it has more national and natural parks than anywhere else in Spain. The Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas is a prime example (it is also the source of the Rio Guadalquivir. The province is also home to the Parque Natural de Despeñaperros which has even more dramatic scenery in a very small area.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Don't try and see too much or you´ll spend the whole week travelling. The Province of Granada has everything - superb historical sites, mountains and coast all in a relatively small area.

To visit the Alhambra, you do need to book in advance. If you haven't been before it is really worthwhile. Then maybe a trip up to Lanjaron in the Sierra Nevada, ending up on the beautiful Costa Tropical, somewhere like Salobreña.


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2011)

Just a technicallity but there no monkeys on Gib as far as I am aware they are Barbary Apes. Different species 

I can recommend Puerto de la Ragua also, great place for a pincic and walking in the forest. Also the High Alujarras, I reckon you have a month or so of places already though. Lanjaron and Salobreña are two places I did not like very much, the first, not sure way not but am visiting again soon, the other is in 'plastic valley' and spoilt by it.

Have a great trip no matter what you do but do have chill days when not rushing around, I always seem to do that when back in UK, trying to pack too much in.


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> How about a visit to the troglodyte area (cave houses)? We can recommend Purullena just to the west of Guadix. It is complete with a small museum in a cave house that is still lived in with one of the lowest admission charges that you'll find anywhere.
> 
> On the way to the above drive from the coast road from Adra via Berja over the top of the Sierra Nevada at Puerto de la Ragua to La Calahorra, then turn left onto the A92, then take the old road through Guadix (good stop for lunch) then into Purullena.
> 
> ...


Thanks for such a detailed reply Baldilocks.

These are areas I would never really thought to visit :clap2: I've had a look on Google maps at some of these places and they look stunning, just what I've been looking for.

I'm now seriously considering booking 2 weeks in the spring to visit the Jaen area as I think it would be amazing at that time of year with all the activity that spring brings.

Thanks again for the great reply, I'll have a good look at all the suggestions and definitely incorporate some of them into our trip if I can.

Shame it's only a week


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

Thanks for the reply ValL,

The high Alpujarras could be worth a good look, I love driving on mountain roads with pine forests and big scenery, you just don't get that in Nottingham lol I'll note your caution on Lanjaron and Salobreña but if we do end up there I'm sure we'll do our best to enjoy whatever we find.

I hadn't really planned any rest days as nothings really going to be planned but I'm sure we can find a nice spot somewhere to rest for a day or two in such a wonderful country, as long as I'm not down on the coast with the massed ranks of tourist Spain then I'll be very happy, not that there's anything wrong with that....maybe it's just me getting old.

As for primates...... Who gives a monkey's 

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated.

Dean


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## xxxxxxxxxxxxxdeanhankin (May 5, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Don't try and see too much or you´ll spend the whole week travelling. The Province of Granada has everything - superb historical sites, mountains and coast all in a relatively small area.
> 
> To visit the Alhambra, you do need to book in advance. If you haven't been before it is really worthwhile. Then maybe a trip up to Lanjaron in the Sierra Nevada, ending up on the beautiful Costa Tropical, somewhere like Salobreña.



Thanks for your suggestions Alcalaina, 

I would really like to visit the province of Granada, on all of my previous visits to Malaga I've always jumped on public transport and headed west to the tourist type areas and used them as a base to find other lovely places, so your suggestion really appeals.

Thanks for the heads up regarding the Alhambra I had no idea you had to book in advance and you've probably saved me from being disappointed when I do get around to visiting this stunning looking site.

All of the replies to my post have given me lot's to consider, I could never fit all of the places in over such a short space of time but that just gives me a great excuse to keep coming back. Sometimes I wish I was still living over there but the chances of me finding work in my trade or relocating my business to Spain are almost zero, I'll be happy to visit as often as possible though and bring my tourist shekels with me


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2011)

I´d agree(ish) with Alcalania, but would suggest either Pampeneria or Trevelez instead of Lanjaron. Don´t get me wrong, it´s ok, but apart from the stunning Moorish fort, it´s not a particularly great place to visit. However, the mountains above, up the Lanjaron Valley, are extremely accessible by car and you can easily get up to 9,000 ft without any effort, on roads that are pretty canny. From up there, you can easily see Morocco and if you´re really lucky, the Rif Mountains.

Salobrena is a nice place to visit, but if the weather is good, it will be teeming with people and the access road from the Autovia is currently single-lane, due to road works, so can be a real chew with traffic. Still, a lot less of a chew than Chiswick roundabout on any given morning.

Agree with Baldy - the Troglodyte cave houses are amazing and well worth a visit. Only about 20 minutes on Autovia from Granada. Tis a nice road up to Guadix, makes me wish I still road a motorbike, but that´s just me...

A good side trip would be up to the Ski Centre above Granada (34Km from Granada on excellent roads, with picturesque views). You can also take one of the roads off of the main Ski Centre road down to Guadix and that is a very pretty little route.

From the Ski Station car park, you can walk up Veleta (see link), which is about 11,150ft, but has good paths and I´ve always been amazed at all the nippers and grannies pootling about up there. Sure, it can be busy (worst at weekends, quiet during week), but the views across the Sierra, especially Mulachen (tallest mountain in mainland Spain), are well worth it.


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