The image of Andalucia tends to be dominated by the mass tourism of the Costa del Sol beach resorts (esp. west of Malaga). But there are places not far from the coast which are simply another world. For instance, in Granada province, the region on the south side of the Sierra Nevada is known as La Alpujarra. There are a series of small villages set high up in the mountains. The air, the food, the walking is fantastic. The villages are beautiful, with stunning views from terraces. There is tourism, but it's pretty low-key. The driving along the narrow, steep, windy roads is, er, exhilarating! I had a wonderful time there, and I find I think about it often.

Hasta hora!

Hi El Boqueron,

We are planning to visit Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada in July, but would also like to get "off the beaten track" and see some small towns. The villages you describe seems very nice. Can they be reached by bus, or do you have to rent a car? Are there some other small towns in Andalucia that you can recommend?

Thanks


[This message has been edited by nelmarie (edited 05-20-2000).]

Hi Nelmarie.

When I went to the Alpujarra I was staying in Almeria, and I drove, so I'm not to sure about buses etc from the cities you mention. However, your obvious starting point would be Granada, as the Sierra Nevada is in Granada (province). There ought to be buses into the region (at least to Oviedo, or better, Lanjaron). I would strongly recommend you get the Rough Guide to Andalucia, which is full of info on these things.

I stayed in the villages of the Poqueira gorge. The highest is Capileira (I may be
rusty on the spelling!). They are all beautiful, and have very good value accommodation including self-catering apartments.

Another area I know something of is further to the West, around Ronda (probably most accessible from Seville on your itinerary). Ronda itself is in a stunning location, and from there you can get to the Serrania de Ronda which is dotted with numerous small towns and villages (e.g., Gaucin).

If you really want to be able to get around in any of these areas, it's probably best to hire a car, but there are buses to all the
villages (though not many to some of them!).

Hope that helps! Have fun!.

Las Alpujarras are one of the loveliest parts of Andalucia, but you really do need a car to explore the area properly. You can approach going south from Granada into the skiing area, or travelling north from Motril on the coast. Some of the roads can be - interesting!! It is possible to drive all the way from Granada to Motril through the mountains, but only in the summer. My web site has a whole page on Las Alpujarras so feel free to have a look : www.davidsholidays.com
As I live nearby (in Nerja) I'd be happy to try to answer any specific questions, so ask away!
davej@wanadoo.es

Correction to my last post. When I said "Oviedo" I meant Orjiva.

Only out by about 500 miles!

Thanks for all the info - It really sounds great and we are definitely going to some of those villages.

PS to previous message.

You might like to try www.lasalpujarras.com
as well!

dave