Walking in Grazalema, Andalucia

Walking in Grazalema , in the far south of Spain, immerses you in a region still relatively under-explored in comparison with other destinations such as the Spanish Pyrenees, or indeed the magnificent Picos de Europa. It’s the kind of place where you’ll find it easy to get away from it all on holiday, and hard to resist going back again the following year. The silence can be deafening, broken only by a birdcall, or the furtive shuffle of a deer, ibex or wild mountain goat disturbed in the undergrowth.

The village of Grazalema, situated between two peaks, is the gateway to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, which is comprised of several mountain ranges and offers walkers a rugged landscape of limestone cliffs and plunging gorges that has been accorded the status of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Grazalema itself is a pleasantly relaxed pueblo blanco. Whitewashed houses and shops that sell wool products and meaty pastries line steep cobbled roads, down which you’ll often see people trotting along on donkeys wearing colourful harnesses. It makes an excellent base for centre-based guided walking holidays in Grazalema, with only short transfers needed to the trailhead each day.

The old saying has it that the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain, but actually the Sierra de Grazalema is reckoned to be the wettest part of the country. However, most rainfall is concentrated in the winter months, so we recommend walking in the late spring, around April, or autumn, around September. In the summer months temperatures can reach around 23°C and you’re pretty exposed to the sun up in the mountains, while some areas of the park may be closed off due to a heightened risk of fire. It goes without saying that if you’re walking anywhere you need to be careful not to carelessly discard cigarettes or matches, or to leave any waste, particularly glass bottles, that could start or spread a forest fire.