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.
Grazalema is a small hilltop town
in the Sierra de Grazalema in the province of Cadiz. It is around
15 miles from the town of Ronda and 25 miles from Arcos de la
Frontera.
|
|
The pretty mountain village of Grazalema
is located in a high valley in the Sierra del Endrinal and is
a popular base for visitors to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural
Park. The park is a vast protected area of rugged limestone mountains,
which are famous for being the rainiest place in Spain accounting
for the verdant vegetation in the surrounding countryside. Grazalema
is a lively village with steep, cobbled streets lined with whitewashed
houses with windows covered by wrought-iron rejas and plant pots
spilling over with colourful flowers. In the heart of the village
is an attractive main square, the Plaza de Espana, lined with
bars and restaurants, and the 18th-century church of La Aurora.
The village was established in Moorish times by Berber settlers
who discovered a similarity with the mountains of their homeland
and those of the Sierra de Grazalema. They introduced sheep to
graze the lush mountain pastures and produced wool for ponchos
and blankets to guard against the wet climate. |