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Heart of Andalucia
La Herriza, near Gaucín
Walking and sightseeingWe suggest several grade 2 walks for your time here, including two circular routes from the hotel door. Alternatively, use your hire car to visit some of the region's many pueblos blancos ('white towns'), among the most famous of which are Ronda and Arcos de la Frontera.
The fishermen's trail: this easy walk also starts from the hotel but leads southwards to meet a drovers' trail which in turn links to an old fishermen's trail, the Vereda de los Pescadores, rewarding you with some beautiful views across the valley below La Herriza. (9.5km, 3hrs) A stroll through history: leading from nearby Jimena de la Frontera, this walk is very rewarding, not only in terms of the variety of scenery that it offers, but also in terms of history and culture – it passes a lime-kiln, a watermill, abandoned houses and an 18th-century armaments factory. Take time on your return to explore Jimena, an unspoiled, historic town with plenty of charm, cobbled streets and whitewashed houses adorned with baskets of geraniums. (11km, 5hrs)
Ronda & Arcos de la Frontera: Ronda is an intriguing place to while away a few hours. Its most striking feature is its location on either side of a 130-metre-deep gorge. Spanning the gorge is an 18th-century bridge. Other sights to seek out are the bullring (one of the oldest in Spain), the Moorish baths and several grand mansions, though it is just as enjoyable to wander where your feet take you through the maze of streets that make up Ronda's Moorish Old Town (la Ciudad). Built on a crag, Arcos de la Frontera also boasts a dramatic position and a handsome mix of Moorish and Renaissance architecture. Prices & travel 2008
*Price includes: 3 nights' dinner & breakfast; 3 days’ category A car hire from Malaga airport > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Rugged hills, woodland of cork oaks, chestnuts and oaks, and villages of whitewashed, red-tiled houses characterise Andalucia’s tranquil heartland. Peaceful as it is nowadays, imposing fortresses still stand proud on the ridges, reminding visitors that this was once a contested frontier land between Christian and Moorish territories. Also forming part of the backdrop is the verdant Alcornocales Natural Park – an area of majestic cork, oak and chestnut forest stretching south of the famous white town of Ronda to the shores of the Mediterranean. To the north, quintessential Andalucian villages cling to the sides of deep valleys that wind southwards towards a landscape of rolling pastures. On a break here you can enjoy scenic walks on the edge of the Natural Park and learn about Andalucia’s rich heritage for yourself, perhaps visiting some of the fortified settlements built by the Moors. Choose to travel in spring or autumn and, with any luck, you will sight some of the majestic birds of prey that cross the region as they migrate.
Your base is the 3-star Hacienda la Herriza. Perching on the slopes of the Guadiaro Valley near the small
castellated town of Gaucín, elegant La Herriza has been stylishly converted from a farmstead and you stay in one of several small cottages (each with its own lounge). Besides the panoramic outdoor swimming pool, the main focal point is the locally renowned restaurant where, as well as savouring delicious regional and Mediterranean dishes (we include dinner every night), you can enjoy the spectacular views over
the valley and the Alcornocales Natural Park afforded by the arched picture windows. 
The Guadiaro Valley: leading direct from the hotel, this is a pretty circuit around the hill called Cerro de las Maravillas ('Hill of Wonders'!). You start by heading towards the railway station hamlet of El Colmenar then follow the south bank of the River Guadiaro, gently rising through mixed cork- and gall-oak woods to gain views along the river gorge. You ascend away from the river and return to La Herriza across pastureland on an old drovers' trail that passes a series of farms. (16km, 5.5hrs) 
Orange groves & cork woods: for an easier but very pretty walk from Jimena de la Frontera, choose this route, which heads westwards along the river, affording views up to the Moorish castle that dominates Jimena. (12km, 4hrs)