Málaga to Granada

Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Seville, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands
Driving to Ronda on April 5th, a recommendation of Barbara W, as well as both of our guide books. Even though it is around 100 km due west of Malaga (and our destination two days hence was Granada, well to the east), we decided we had to go there. Then it was a matter of getting used to Spanish driving while getting out of Malaga, and to the tiny Hyundai, wishing we'd paid the extra money for an automatic vehicle.
Got as close as we could to the B&B we'd booked for the night in Ronda. Run by Natalie (who migrated to Spain with all her family from Venezuela when still a child). A nice spot, where we could use the kitchen to make a cuppa. No chance of lugging the suitcases to the room, up steep cobbled streets, so we just took out the essentials and left everything else in the car.
Then off for a walk, not really knowing where we were going: not a straight line, level plane or right angle to be found in the street layout. Ronda was a strategic frontier town in the wars between the Moors and the Catholic Monarchs, and is one of the best known Pueblos Blancos (white towns) in Al-Andalus (name taken from the Vandals, apparently). It's also quite big (40,000 vs 10,000 for most of the bigger pueblos), and is full of tourists like us.
Passed by the Old Bridge (rebuilt in 1616), and the not quite so old Arab or San Miguel Bridge, both right under the walls of the town, and then down to the Arabic Baths by the river. After a visit there we headed into town to see the New Bridge: as seen in just about every tourist entry about the town, including this one. A bit further on was the most famous bullring in Spain, quite old and modest in size, compared with the big one in Seville. It holds just 5,000 people, and was opened in 1785, on the 300th anniversary of the defeat of the Moors in Ronda.
Had no idea where to eat, but for some reason chose the fairly downmarket Tapas Bar Elias. Elias was behind the bar, where it turned out he'd been for 35 years. The menu was standard fare, but it was actually good food, as well as excellent value.
Next day Natalie had prepared an Andalucian desayuno spread – fruit, eggs, salad, and 3 different types of not-for-sale virgin olive oil to go with the blitzed tomato on toasted bread. There were all sorts of preserves, both savoury and sweet, delicious Andalucian ham of course, as well as bread, cake and coffee. We shared the breakfast table with an Austrian couple from Linz (I made the faux pas of remembering who was born there) who were travelling in Andalucia via hire car. The previous day they had walked the Caminito del Rey, once considered the most dangerous hike in the world – or some such description – having booked it 3 months previously. It was not on our agenda, fortunately. But the recommendation is to Book Early! Just like the Alhambra in Granada – Book Even Earlier.
Parking had been causing the Austrian couple quite some trouble and expense, and we were sure they would have plenty more when they got to Seville, their next stop. We were thinking of going a bit further west to see more pueblos, but they mentioned Setenil, due north, as a notable place to visit. So we decided to head there too, only 12 or so km away. The drive was excellent, and easy, with June being entranced by the huge profusion of wildflowers everywhere.
We couldn't find anywhere to park in Setenil, so decided to go to the next town on our way, Olvera. This was a good choice, especially as we fluked a parking spot straight away, not far from the Castle and the main church, which loomed above the town.
Next to the church was an ornate cemetery, with hundreds of graves stacked in niches, one above the other, with flowers everywhere. We had seen similar cemeteries in Italy, on the similarly rocky Amalfi coast.
Barbara's other recommendation was the Torcal limestone formations, south of the town of Antequera, which was on the way to Granada. And it was free, and required no reservations. The drive from Olvera to Antequera took us through vast groves of olive trees, but these don't exactly make for good photos. We actually had to then drive quite a bit south and climb steeply up a winding road to get to Torcal, hard work for the i10. The road finished at a car park and we chose the middle-difficulty "Green" track, about 3 km in length, through the karst landform.
 The rocks were of all sorts of weird shapes and sizes, and our photos don't do justice to their variety. There was not a lot of level ground either, so our legs were certainly feeling it at the end of the hike. But it was a rewarding experience.
We had booked a hotel about 10 km from Torcal, but got a message to say there was a problem. This turned out to be something to do with the plumbing, but we then were taken by a very helpful man, Luis, to another hotel, even further south from Antequera, and ended up only 16 km north of Málaga. But it was nice enough for an overnight stop.
Next morning, Sunday 7th, we headed to Granada. After some to-and-fro, we finally found out where and how to get rid of the hire car. Then it was into a taxi to our next accommodation, for 6 nights at Calle Zacatín 5, right in the centre of Granada: the cathedral is a mere 100 m away. A very nice apartment: good size, comfortable, washing machine, dishwasher, etc. 

Comments

Susan Bewley
2024-04-10

so glad you enjoyed the places B recommended! Am looking forward to Alhambra photos

Jan
2024-04-11

Knowing your love of rocks June, from our visits to Oman, you would have been in your element in Torcal.

Lesley
2024-04-11

Glad the weather is keeping fine for all the walking and sight-seeing. All very interesting . A lot of driving for you, Lance, and in a manual too!

2025-02-13

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