Andalucia is the southern
region of Spain and is made up of the eight provinces of Huelva,
Sevilla, Cordoba, Jaen, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria. There
are airports at Almeria Malaga Seville Gibraltar Jerez Granada
& Cordoba. Malaga
Airport is 5 miles west of the city of
Malaga and is the main flight path for millions of people arriving
on the Costa del Sol each year. There is a wide selection of
bars and restaurants, bank cash points, postal and Internet services
for passengers. There is also a pharmacy and a children's play
area. However there is no left luggage facility. There is a half
hourly train service to Malaga City and Fuengirola from the front
of the main Terminal. There is also a half hourly Airport Bus
and an Airport Coach Service from outside the Terminal hall to
Malaga city centre. There are always plenty of Taxis waiting
for passengers. The Spanish
railway network is run by the state owned
company RENFE (www.renfe.es). International trains from France
terminate at either Madrid or Barcelona. From there you can catch
a train to many of the cities in Andalucia, including Huelva,
Sevilla, Cadiz, Jerez, Sevilla, Algeciras, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada,
Almeria, Linares / Baeza. There are various ferry companies and routes
to choose from, depending on your base. You can either drive
to the Spanish port and park your vehicle to embark as a foot
passenger, or take your vehicle across to explore further within
Morocco and North Africa. The general procedure is to turn up
and await the next ferry, with the exception of the Cadiz-Canary
Islands route for which a cabin or seat needs to be booked.
Gaucin is located 12 miles inland
off the main N-340 coast road between Estepona and Algeciras,
just a half hour drive from the beaches of the Costa del Sol.
There is a train station in El Colmenar and an 8-mile, very rewarding
walk, up-hill to the village. Buses go directly to the village.
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Gaucin
is a spectacularly beautiful mountain village with sweeping views
across to the Straits of Gibraltar and the Rif mountains of North
Africa. It is situated in the Sierra del Hacho mountains, whose
highest peak is 1,011 metres. There is a magnificent castle to
visit, Castillo del Aguila, where eagles can sometimes be seen
circling the towers. There are two dungeons and a subterranean
escape passageway inside, built by the Moors, and the castle
was still in use for defensive purposes up to the 19th century.
The centre of the village is a tangle of narrow, twisting streets
where the houses maintain the tradition of white facades and
potted plants on the balconies. |