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Once only the
realm of intrepid explorers, the mountainous regions beyond Ronda
have been tamed in the past 2 years. Still spectacular and rugged,
they are now accessible to BMW's as well as 4 x 4's. A weekend in
the mountains is becoming an integral part of life for those Marbelli
who don't spend every spare minute on the golf course.
Accessible they may now be, but they retain their vast grandeur
and awesome sense of wide open space which makes you marvel at the
size and emptiness of Spain. The Junta de Andalucia is making a
great effort to keep the local populations in their traditional
homes, and is promoting "Rural Tourism" to create jobs in the villages.
Walking holidays, cycling, bird watching, climbing and other energetic
pursuits are enticing people to the new hotels and recreating village
life |
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Nowhere
is this more apparent than in Grazalema, 20km north west of Ronda.
The Grazalema nature reserve of some 52,000 hectares encompasses
eleven towns and villages, including Ronda. In many places the limestone
rock has been cut out to create numerous chasms, caverns and caves,
some famous for prehistoric remains. The Torreon is the highest
peak in the park at 1,654m.
The Rio Guadalete begins in these mountains creating 2 large reservoirs.
The extraordinary abundance of water with rainfall on average of
2,500 litres per year and over 4,000 litres in rainy years produces
a micro-climate and ecological richness unique in Andalucia, nowhere
else is Andalucia so green. The village of Grazalema justifiably
prides itself on being the cleanest in the province. With 5 hotels
and a variety of restaurants, it is probably also the most enterprising.
A cottage industry of fine wool blanket weaving, and a variety of
local produce (the pickled garlics are to die for) adds to that
reputation. |
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it's high location, tucked into a steep corner of a mountain, which
creates the perfect environment for walkers. A variety of marked
senderos (walks) exist for all levels of expertise. Some regions
of the park are restricted and you need authorisation and possibly
a guide, both available from the village tourist offices, or your
hotel. |
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There are 2
excellent 4-star hotels. El Fuerte (Tel: 956 133 000) on the outskirts
of the village with a superb mountain view, and Puerta de la Villa
(Tel: 956 132 376) next to the main square in the village. This
hotel has a superb restaurant "La Garrocha" (don't eat anywhere
else).
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