The Grazalema Sierra

The holiday overall was super, the village of Grazalema being absolutely lovely.

However the changing climate did mean that the temperature at the end of September 30 deg plus meant the walks were that bit more challenging.

HIGHLIGHT: Taking our breakfast on the terrace with the views of the distant hills and the resident griffon vultures soaring over our heads - sometimes as many as 20 in one field of view! 

Overall, a very good holiday; great walking, ideal hotels etc. The only disappointments were the unimaginative breakfasts at both hotels and the poor picnics offered in Grazalema.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers had 3 nights in Grazalema followed by 2 nights in Granada

We traveled in May expecting to see spring flowers but this year there had been little rain so no flowers or grass. However there were loads of butterflies and beautiful bird songs. We were pleased to have had an extra 2 nights in Malaga and to stay at Molina Lario, a great hotel.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our discovery walking holiday 'The Grazalema Sierra' followed by our city add-on in Malaga.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Grazalema and recommend it as a single centre walking holiday. The hotel was lovely with stunning views from our room and the veranda over the village and distant landscape.  We enjoyed our meals at Restaurante El Torreon and Restaurante El Simancon (inlcuded) but we also highly recommend Casa Martin 1920 on the main square which offers an excellent selection of high quality local produce on its extensive menu of small plates as well as excellent sherry and wine. We went on 5 of the recommended walks including 3 which required a reserve permit (note that you can no longer obtain permits in the local tourist information centres - they have to be booked online). The weather was hotter than it normally is at the end of the April, nearly 30 degrees, so we went on the more strenuous walks at the beginning of the week - the Pinsapar reserve and the Garganta Verde. The Pinsapar walk was stunning but I fond the gorge walk very challenging in the heat. We also enjoyed the walk over the Puerto de las Presillas - the wildflowers at this time of year are stunning. We also visited Setenil de Bodegas rather than the more touristy Ronda. Setenil is famous for its buildings which are built into the rock overhangs. Unfortunately the nearby Roman ruins of Acinipo were not open.  

Travel by rail was easy and smooth, and trains were always on time. Driving in the small villages in the Sierra de Grazalema was challenging because of the steep, narrow and twisty streets. Particularly difficult with a manual shift car.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Journey by rail 'Fino and Flamenco' with our Discovery Walking holiday 'The Grazalema Sierra'.

I combined the Trail of Three Cities with the Grazalema Sierra holiday.  I particularly enjoyed the walks around Cordoba, the Sephardic Jewish Museum, the Mezquita de Cordoba and a flamenco show (also in Cordoba).  The Alhambra in Granada is incredible and the guided tour was great - our guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Staying in Grazalema after the three cities was a really nice change of pace.  Thls little pueblo blanco was beautiful.  Because of a foot injury I was not able to hike as much as I'd hoped, but I enjoyed some local walks and just wandering around the town - much less touristy than the larger cities.  The only thing I didn't like were those crazy winding mountain roads - a bit terrifying!  The hosts at the La Llave de la Judería in Cordoba and at La Mejorana in Graazalema were so welcoming and overall outstanding.  

We did two walking holidays back-to-back. Consequently, after seven days walking at Aracena, we found the Grazalema walks more challenging, but certainly manageable. Given that it is a more mountainous area we found that walking poles were indispensable, particularly for the rockier ascents and descents.Travelling in March allowed us to escape the last of our Canadian winter and enjoy the early spring in Andalucía. The day temperatures were perfect for walking, even when extra effort was needed to ascend (and descend) some of the steeper routes. We were fortunate to see early flowers but too early for the new season’s leaves. Our holiday included a car so that once we had mastered the villages’ narrow streets, it was very easy to travel to the start of the more distant walks and to enjoy driving through spectacular Andalucian landscapes. Driving is not for the very timid however, as the roads are quite narrow and winding, particularly in the Grazalema Sierra.

Accommodation at both Aracena and Grazalema was comfortable and just right for the 7 nights spent at each location. At Alajar, the hosts Angel and Lucy were charming and helpful, and the accommodation is in a beautiful and interesting historic home. We appreciated Lucy's home cooking and use of local products. Their enthusiasm for the area is commendable and Angel is most willing to share his passion and detailed knowledge of the area.  It was a very personalized experience which is unusual for a self-guided holiday. There was a good variety of walking routes, with sweeping views and tourist worthy villages. We can recommend the Restaurante Arrieros in Linares where we enjoyed a perfectly presented array of local cuisine expertly served.  Also recommended for local cuisine is El Padrino in Alajar which is open on the weekend only. If visiting the caves in Aracena, it is advisable to avoid the weekend to avoid the crowds of visiting tour busses.It's the kind of holiday that one would like to repeat. In Grazalema, Andres too was a charming and helpful host in a comfortable historic house, and certainly located in one of the most beautiful and well-maintained white villages of Andalucia.

 With the addition of a car, we were able to visit Zahara in an afternoon, after an earlier walk. We also enjoyed a day trip to Rhonda.  Driving through the Grazelema Sierra allowed one to experience the mountains and landscape in a different way.  The variety of routes in the amazing landscape and mountains of Grazalema was excellent and unexpected, and a wonderful experience. On reflection and looking at the photographs we took, these are walking holidays not to be missed if you are looking for a bit more of a challenge in a quieter corner of Spain. We would recommend visitors to this area to visit Jerez, which is a vibrant and interesting city, and certainly quieter than nearby Seville.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our walking discovery holidays 'Treasures of Aracena' followed by 'The Grazalema Sierra'.

Our four favourite walks were:

The Simancon - we had clear weather and terrific 360 views from the top including the sea to the south. As the weather was settled we descended via Reloz and the return hike was lovely following the initial steep descent.

Benaocaz via Dornajo - gently and rewarding and extremely peaceful

Garganta Verde - wonderful decline into the gorge, filled with haunting and echoing sounds from birds and animals. Great views of Griffon Vultures and Choughs. Recommend to take the secret path to find the best spot to view the nesting and soaring vultures - we saw 40-50 from this spot. Also recommend to go early to experience it alone, the sounds especially! Then head to Zahara for the afternoon.

Coros circuit was excellent - high vantage points, easily reached. Not on Inntravel itinerary.

Accommodation was extremely welcoming and nothing was too much trouble for Andres including advice on the walks (on one walk, his own waymarking!) and helping with taxi bookings.

Grazalema was a very beautiful and welcoming village, and a wonderful base for a walking holiday, with dramatic limestone scenery. We frequently saw the griffon vultures circling overhead. We enjoyed all the walks, though the ascent of El Simancon on Adam's 79th birthday was a particular highlight. And we very much enjoyed sitting out on the lovely terrace at La Mejorana, for breakfast and for pre-dinner drinks. However we would probably recommend to future customers a visit when the national park is open, to take full advantage of what can be seen there.

Having a car made it possible for us to reach Zahara and Ronda and we would strongly recommend visits there. The castle at Zahara has been very expertly restored and is an exciting visit, and there is so much to see in Ronda. 

 One suggestion - on the way back from Zahara, we did the easy circular walk and ascent of Coros from the Puerto de las Palomas, described in Guy Hunter Watts' Walking in the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema.  The combination of the visit to the castle and the walk make it an excellent day.

All four of us were most impressed by the hotel and the setting. Our host was incredibly helpful and well informed - he made phone calls for us and more. The included evening meals at restaurants in the vllage were also excellent, we paid return visits to both of them. The walks were very good and well described - nobody got lost! We need to go again in the spring to experience the green version.