- self-guided, single-centre walking holiday
- feel part of the community, with insights into local ways of life
- traditional New Year’s Eve dinner
- rewarding and varied walking, route notes provided
- hire car included
To the south-east of the Moorish city of Granada, the almond-coated hills of Las Alpujarras flank the southern slopes of the dramatic Sierra Nevada, the highest mountains in mainland Spain. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty, where characteristic whitewashed villages tumble down terraced valleys, and the ancient Moorish irrigation systems are a testament to the area’s long and colourful past. Here, you will find a hardy people who have worked these landscapes for centuries; theirs is a traditional way of life that seems untouched by the passage of time.
Mairena, the base for your break, is one such timeless Alpujarran village whose hard-working inhabitants adhere to a simple way of life, based upon a sound knowledge of the terrain and climate. More than just a chance to see in the New Year and enjoy some fantastic walking in warmer climes, this holiday offers a real insight into life in rural Spain, at a time when the olive harvest is in full swing, bringing an animated buzz to the hillsides. With the help of your knowledgeable hosts, Emma and David Illsley, you have the opportunity to become much more than just a spectator, immersing yourself in the gentle rhythms of the south. Follow David on a guided tour through the fruit trees of their organic finca (farming estate); join in the olive harvest; meet Adolfo, the local olive-oil producer who sends his renowned produce to some of London’s top restaurants; sample local wines at an award-winning bodega; watch the hotel cook lovingly recreating authentic Alpujarran dishes; and join villagers in watching the distant fireworks light up the hillsides.