Walking in Andalucia, Spain
| country: | Spain |
| location: | Andalucia |
| trip type: | Introductory walking holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb, 14 Mar, 28 Mar, 11 Apr, 18 Apr, 25 Apr, 16 May, 30 May, 6 Jun, 20 Jun, 27 Jun, 17 Oct, 31 Oct, 7 Nov, 19 Dec 2011: 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 13 Mar, 20 Mar, 27 Mar |
| price: | From £779 - £949 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £659 - £819 excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 3 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
Andalucia, Spain's largest province, is only a few miles from Morocco and harbours many characteristics from its Moorish history. Rolling plains planted with sunflowers, olives and wheat stretch to the distant mountains and beyond the southern sierras, while long fertile valleys add to the varied scenery. Based near Algamitas, Cortijo Rosario boasts views as far as Seville, Cadiz and Malaga provinces. This beautiful renovated farmhouse sits in the heart of an agricultural community where life goes on much as it has for generations. Our walks take us through rugged hills, white villages, olive groves and the granite peaks of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, and a whole day is reserved for Seville. Look out for special weeks where you can learn or practice yoga in the idyllic Andalucian setting.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Malaga; transfer to Cortijo Rosario. |
| Day 2: | Gentle walk through rolling olive groves to neighbouring village of Villanueva de San Juan. |
| Day 3: | Visit Canos Santos Monastery; walk to Setenil, a unique 'Pueblo Blanco' with homes built into the side of a gorge. |
| Day 4: | At El Chorro Gorge, we walk to a high point and see the most spectacular scenery in Spain including the canyon, the massive Guadalhorce dam and resevoir complex. |
| Day 5: | Introduction to the magnificent city of Seville with free time to walk at your own pace. |
| Day 6: | Walk the 'Pass of the Doves' through fantastic limestone scenery to white village of Benaocaz. |
| Day 7: | Walk a circuit around the impressive Penon crag; optional tapas lunch to soak up the Andalucian atmosphere. |
| Day 8: | Free time optional visit to Ronda or self-guided walk. To Malaga, fly to London. |
travellers' tales
Myself and my wife booked this trip at short-notice after following a link from the responsibletravel.com website. It's the first time we have ever taken anything even remotely resembling an "activity" holiday and we loved it. (more)
this type of trip
This is a 'small group adventure' - typically you will be sharing your experiences with a dozen or so like minded travellers. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends/family its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places!
award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
|
Although just an hour or two from the "Costas", the tiny village of Algamitas is virtually untouched by tourism, and the beautiful "Cortijo Rosario" is the only tourism venture in the village. We employ several people from the village to run the Cortijo, and much of our produce is sourced in the village as well. Surrounding village cafes and bars all benefit from our visits. Set amongst the olive groves and hills of central Andalucia, Spain's poorest region, we get a real taste of the local lifestyle, as different from the "popular image" of the South of Spain as could be.
|
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |