September Relaxing Break

For those of you who will be working during the Summer, why not treat yourself to a well deserved Relaxing break in Andalucia in September?

We have still a few places left on our September Relaxing Break (20th-23rd September 2011). If you would like to relax fully and be pampered while enjoying some stunning guided walks and well being therapies, this relaxing break will be ideal for you.

This Relaxing break is designed so you can recharge your batteries while being looked after, with attention to every detail, to ensure you enjoy fully your break and come back home fully rested and energised:

• Airport transfers and all transport
• Welcome drink before settling in in your room
• 3 nights half board (B&B and dinners) single or double occupancy in a luxurious boutique hotel/Restaurant just outside Ronda
• Handmade natural soaps and bath salts 
• 2 wellbeing therapies of your choice
• 2 morning guided walks

We are lucky to have in Ronda experienced and qualified therapists, who provide top quality wellbeing therapies. We can offer the following wellbeing therapies for total relaxation:

Reflexology - an in-depth foot massage including foot bath. Each part of the foot connects to a different organ in the body, vertebra, brain etc… So this massage helps to alleviate specific problems and also allows vital energy to flow through the body so that you can feel more balanced, healthy and grounded. Highly relaxing.

Shiatsu - a Japanese method of massage which works with the meridians (energy fluid lines) using pressure points to release blockages. Resulting in a more effective energy flow therefore leaving you less stressed and with a sense of improved wellbeing.

Thai massage - a 2500 year old technique for relaxing the body and calming the mind. Ideal after walking as it can help to relieve back pain, tense shoulders and neck, stiffness, sciatica, etc....

Reiki - a highly relaxing natural healing technique based on Universal Life Force, channelled through the practitioner's hands.

Light Touch Reflexology - less pressure applied than traditional reflexology, making it ideal for anyone who enjoys reflexology but prefers a softer touch. This treatment is wonderfully relaxing and soothing and leaves you feeling relaxed and revitalised.

For further information regarding itinerary, price, accommodation, what is included and what is not, etc, click on Ronda Relaxing break. There is a limited number of places left, so book now to avoid disappointment!

The smurf village or blue village in Andalucía

Nestled in the Serranía de Ronda, Júzcar is now seeing hordes of tourists due to its very unusual attraction... This charming pueblo blanco or white village has been turned into a striking blue village to host the launch of the new Smurf cartoon “The Smurfs 3D”!

This little traditional Andalucian sleeping village hidden in the Genal Valley within forests of sweet chestnuts and against a dramatic backdrop formed by limestone craggy outcrops, just 20 minutes south of Ronda, was thought to be the perfect place to launch Sony’s Smurf cartoon worldwide premiere. And what a fun idea! The very small population of Júzcar felt it was a great idea (they have such a great sense of humour) and agreed to have the entire village painted in blue for the duration of the summer...  Come September, the village will turn to its traditional whitewash again.

All in all, it is very surreal to walk around a complete blue village (including its church) but the colour is beautifully complemented by the contrasting splashes of colours of the geraniums and bougainvilleas. It is actually quite charming, reminiscent of Chefchaouen albeit less subtle with just one shade of blue.

It seems that The Smurfs or “Los Pitufos” has been exceedingly popular in Spain in the 80s when this cartoon first came out and they are all very enthusiastic with the new release.  So far, the inhabitants of Júzcar are not showing any signs of having the blues yet and everybody seems to be enjoying it and not minding the increasing number of people flocking to their village to see this blue wonder. Some even have asked if they could keep their house blue...  They are also going to have a craft market on Saturdays throughout the summer to make the most of this sudden influx of people.

If you fancy going to see this Smurf village for yourself, try and make it a week day as it is very crowded during the weekend, to say the least but avoid Mondays as most bar/restaurants are closed.  If you fancied making a day out of it, why not visit some of the Alto Genal villages?

Coming from Ronda, on the Ronda/San Pedro road, take the first turning on the right hand side before the Petrol station "La Ventilla" and then take the first left to go and see Parauta, a pueblo ecológico part of the Biosphere of La Sierra de las Nieves, with its artistic cobbles and the only remaining Moorish arch (Plaza de la Constitución). Follow Parking signs and park by the church as there are very limited amount of places to park in the village centre.  

Turn back onto the road you came from and at the t-junction, turn left. The next village you will be coming to is Cartajima, the highest village in Malaga province (846m). Turn left into the village and park in the car park signposted for the Hotel Castaño or on the road. It is mostly outstanding for its lovely views over the surrounding mountains and villages (Parauta and Pujerra).

Return to the road and turn left to continue to Júzcar, the Smurf village. Do also visit the newly opened Centro micológico (the mushroom centre) next to the church – it is well done and shows how rich this area is in quality mushrooms.

Then continue onto the same road to Farajan. Notice its lovely church with its well preserved Minaret (most of the churches were built onto Mosques after the Catholic Reconquest) and the particular architecture of its chimneys.

Then, continue onto the last Alto Genal village, Alpandeire, with its imposing cathedral sized pink church. Best to park at the entrance of the village as streets are very narrow. Note round bulges in houses that indicates indoor private wells. Many houses here have one.  This village is mainly famous for being the birth place of Fray Leopoldo, a well known monk who has just been sanctified by Rome. From the Fray Leopoldo view point, you can see Morocco on clear days.

Continue your journey on the same road, and you will come to the Ronda/Algeciras road. At the T-junction, turn right to get to Ronda.

However, if you would like to do a morning walk in the Genal Valley, while it's still cool before visiting the blue village, why not let me guide you? Visit the following link for more information on our guided day walks. 

I hope you will have a great day out! Let me know how it went.

Going cheesy in Andalucía

Beyond all the restrictive and globalising EU rules and regulations, there are still, thankfully, a few die-hards clinging onto their traditional way of life in Andalucía.  I have just had the privilege to be introduced to goat cheese making with one of our walking guests who has a farm in the UK and has a keen interest in goats, farming and the protection of the environment. Juan, one of the local shepherds, was happy and kind to show us how he makes his delicious cheese and he turned out to be a mine of information and a wonderful, calm and amused teacher.

We spent a couple of hours on his farm learning, step by step, all about goat cheese making as well as tasting the yummy end result, which is nothing like the industrial Spanish goat cheese you buy in shops!  The first step after milking the goats is to make the milk curdle by adding rennet to it - did you know that rennet is actually the membrane lining the stomach of a young goat? Juan told us that most people in the Serranía de Ronda used to make their own goat cheese and lots of shops in Ronda used to sell rennet. You cannot buy it anywhere nowadays though, a tradition fast disappearing with industrialisation and globalisation.

For the curdling process, you cut a little piece of the rennet and grind it in a pestle and mortar. Then you mix this powder with a little water to make a paste and add this paste to the milk. Juan had thankfully already milked the goats - there was about 10 litres of milk in a vat - and had added the rennet mixture. He checked if the milk was ready by sticking a wooden stick into the milk and he told us, if the stick stays firmly and perfectly upright, the milk is curdled enough to make cheese. Since the milk wasn’t quite ready, we waited for a while longer, sampling his cheese, looking at his goats and asking him all sorts of questions. We found out that he has always been a shepherd. He started with a handful of goats when he was young and his herd grew very quickly. His parents used to have goats and used to make cheese and he learnt from them. He stopped selling his milk to industrial cheese making companies because the price is far too low and not worth his while. Instead, he only milks a few goats and makes a few cheese to sell locally.

Once the milk is ready, it is a matter of separating the curd from the whey: Juan sat himself on a little stool with the vat full of milk in front of him and started pressing the curd down with his hands, very gently and repeatedly. This way, the curd gathers at the bottom of the vat and the liquid stays at the top. Then he scooped the whey out into another smaller vat. Apparently when the milk is warm, this process is quicker. The whey used to be added to the pig feed as it is very nutritious. Now he adds it to his hens and dogs feed.

Once all the excess liquid has been pressed out and scooped out, and only the curd remains at the bottom of the vat, it is time to place the curd inside a platted belt handmade with esparto grass that has been rolled twice and tied so as to hold the curd together in a round shape (see photo bellow). This makes an interesting pattern on the side of the cheese! These belts used to be made in Parauta and Igualeja, two Alto Genal villages famous for their esparto grass skills.

The belts were placed onto a grooved wooden board (allowing the whey to drain out). Juan filled the belts with the curd and patted it down, until forming a uniform round cheese. We tasted the curd and it was surprisingly sweet, a taste very similar to cream. Neither the milk nor the curd had a goat smell or taste actually.

Then the cheese is left to dry, being turned now and again. Juan adds some rock salt on one side, once the cheese is dry enough so as not to absorb the salt too quickly. The next day, he removes the remaining salt and turns the cheese over to add rock salt onto the other side. The salt is added to taste.

Then, it is a matter of leaving the cheese to dry further, cleaning it with whey everyday to remove any mould forming on the outside and after about 30 days, it is mature enough to keep for ages. In Andalucía, they like to preserve goat cheeses in olive oil or in fat. They eat it as a starter or tapas and it is also eaten with homemade Membrillo (Quince paste) and walnuts, which are a delicious combination! ChefShop offer a lovely organic quince paste: Membrillo (Quince Paste) - Organic by ChefShop.

Walk in the Serranía de Ronda: Alpandeire - Atajate

Time: 1:30 to 2 hours
Ascent: approx. 100 meters
Descent: approx. 250 meters
Distance: approx. 6 km
Type of walk: linear
Walking level: low/medium
Time of the year: avoid in hot weather as there is not much shade on the Atajate side
Starting point: opposite the pharmacy and the Hotel Restaurant La Casa Grande
Description: this walk meanders through Cork Oak woodland on a wide dirt track, crosses a little river (mostly dry in Summer but be careful in wet winters as it can be quite wide and deep)and follows an old Moorish path cobbled in places through ancient olive groves. The last section leading up to Atajate, the smallest village in Malaga Province, is concreted.

View Larger Map

Park by the church if at all possible and take the street at the back of the church leading down to the Hotel/Restaurant La Casa Grande on the right-hand side and the chemist on the left-hand side. Take the way-marked track (yellow and white stripes) on the right behind La Casa Grande and follow it down, round a block of buildings ignoring the track on the right, and where the track forks, take the dirt track on the right going up, with a house on the left-hand side. Keep following the main way-marked path down through cork oak woodland, ignoring any tracks on the right hand side.

After a very wide right-hand hairpin bend (red sandy soil and fenced land with a ruined farmhouse in the distance and little tarns to your left as you are going downhill), keep following the same track down (bearing right) and keep an eye for a smaller track going down to the left with small metal green posts either side of it. Leave the main track and take this smaller track on the left and follow it downhill. The track will eventually narrow and fork. Take the path on the left-hand side, ignoring the one going to the right which takes you to a property.

Keep following the path down to the bottom of the valley, walk past a farmhouse with orange groves. Cross the river immediately after the property, and carry on uphill (the path skirts round the property).

Go through a first gate and keep following the track up. You will come to an intersection, turn right and shortly after, at the second padlocked gate (there is a sign on a big oak tree warning against bees – take the path opposite that sign), leave the main track and take the narrow way-marked ancient Moorish stone path immediately on the left. Follow it up. It crosses ancient olive groves.

At an intersection with a goat track, with a stone wall opposite and a sign reading something like “prohibido de paso” (there’s a ruin also further away to the left), take the continuation of the stone Moorish path slightly up and to the right. Be careful here as the path is not obvious as it is hidden by bushes! DON'T turn left or right on the goat track, but CROSS it and take the path opposite behind bushes.

 Follow the stone path up and go through 2 or 3 makeshift gates. It has been recently cleared. This path follows a fence on the right-hand side and on the left, the edge of a field. Just before the end of the cobbled path, you will walk under a very impressive oak tree. At the end of the path, where it comes onto a wide track, turn right and follow the main track going up to Atajate.

5 tips to ensure blister free walks

In order to fully enjoy your walking, whether low level walking, hill walking or mountaineering, it is important to avoid the formation of blisters. Here are 5 tips to ensure blister free walks:

1) Wear proper walking socks adapted to the time of year – they will have extra padding where needed to ensure comfort and protection from blister prone areas of your feet. Winter walking socks will keep your feet nice and warm and comfortable in winter and summer walking socks will keep your feet nice and dry with their moisture wicking properties. If your feet are extra sensitive, you can also get anti-blister walking socks which are double layered to reduce friction and therefore prevent blisters. Never wear tube socks though!



2) Wear correct walking shoes suited to the type of walking you are doing: light weight and flexible walking boots or shoes for low level walking (normally low cut). More rigid ones with medium ankle supports for hill walking/trekking. And high-cut boots offering all round high levels of support and duress for mountaineering.


3) Ensure correct size and fit for your new walking boots: always try new walking shoes with a pair of your walking socks since walking socks are bulkier than normal socks. With your boot fully laced up, stand up and your foot should feel comfortable, supported and snug but not tight or pinched in the boot. Then walk around the shop and make sure your toes don’t touch the front of the walking boot, your foot doesn’t move around in the shoe and that your heel doesn’t lift up from the sole. Then, unlace the walking boot and slide your foot as far forward as possible in the boot so that your toes touch the front of the boot; you should be able to place your finger between your heel and the heel of the boot with just a little friction. This is to ensure there is enough clearance at the front of the walking boot when walking downhill as feet normally slide forward in the boot, especially if you are carrying a heavy rucksack. If your finger cannot slide into the gap, then the boot is too small. By the way, never wear brand new walking shoes on a long walk without having broken them in beforehand!


4) If you have a very long and steep descent ahead of you, you can tighten a little bit more your laces at the front of your walking shoes (not too tight that your foot is uncomfortable or pinched and that it is cutting your blood circulation though!) to avoid your toes hitting the front of your shoes when your feet slide forward in the boot. Don’t forget to undo your laces and tighten them normally again once the descent is finished!


5) It is also advisable to take with you blister care products such as special second skin plasters. Nowadays, there are wonderful products available to prevent blisters and to treat and relieve blister pain instantly if you do get some despite of all the care and precautions taken.

And to find out how to relieve and relax tired aching feet after a hard day’s walking, visit Sara’s Blog Treat your feet!

Ronda - Estación de Benaoján walk description

Time: approx. 2/3 hours
Ascent: approx. 350 meters
Descent: approx. 300 meters
Distance: approx. 10 km
Walking level: easy
Time of the year: avoid in hot weather as there is no shade.
Best time for wild flowers: January to beginning of June
Starting point: Wide open square of the Barrio San Francisco, Ronda (parking spaces available around it most of the time)


Leave the wide open square of the Barrio San Francisco and the old walls of Ronda (and mini round-about) behind you and walk up the Calle Torrejones (A369 road) signposted for the Camping El Sur (it is also the old road to Algeciras/Atajate).


View Larger Map

Keep walking up, past residential areas until you see a big pink sign indicating La Virgen de la Cabeza. Turn right here and the road forks immediately. Ignore the road on the right going to La Virgen de la Cabeza and take the road on the left. Follow this road down amongst olive and almond groves and keep going downhill.

The road will turn into a dirt track and will fork: ignore the track bearing to the left signposted in blue – this is the walk called “los amanisco” (linear walk), and continue downhill on the wider track bearing right.

Stay on this main track now which will go over 2 passes with meadows on either side. After the first pass, the track will go downhill and up again and you will come to a farm gate. Take the little path to the right of the gate (crossing a river bed - dry most of the time) and follow the path going up in between 2 fences. When at the top of the second pass, you will have great views over Ronda and its famous New Bridge behind you and of the Guadiaro Valley and the village of Benaoján in front of you.

Follow the track downhill with fields either side of you. Watch out for the Sexima Tower, also called Arabs tower (a vigil and protection tower used by the Moors during the Catholic Re-conquest - Ronda was taken in 1485) silhouetted in the distance on the left hand side. You will also be able to see your destination, the village of Estación de Benaoján, an extension of Benaoján which sprung up around the then newly built train station when the Bobadilla-Algeciras train line was constructed (1850). 

Just after reaching a derelict building on the left hand side and a garden on the right, go through the pedestrian little gate to the left of the main gate (well, chain and make shift gate) and continue downhill on the track. Walk round the next “chained fence”. The track turns to tarmac and reaches the main ronda-Banaoján road. At the road, turn left, and before you reach the bridge, take the little path on the left, behind the Armco barriers. And turn left again almost immediately taking the little path going downhill under the trees. You will shortly reach a track.

If you want to have lunch in a cute place and visit the Cueva del Gato, the longest cave complex in Andalucía, turn right, under the road bridge, and follow this path along the river Guadiaro, cross a dry river bed and walk to the right of the Hotel 4 Paradas where the path continues right behind it (don’t go through the gates), and follow the path cobbled in places, along the river until you reach the second hotel/restaurant Cueva del Gato. To see the entrance of the caves with its lovely lagoon, go across the bridge (might still be in a bad state of repair but still passable after last year's floods). Turn back to get to Estación de Benaoján. It normally takes 30 minutes to walk from the bridge to Cueva del Gato.

If you prefer to go to directly to Estación de Benaoján, turn left on the track and follow it along the river, ignoring tracks on your left. At the little bridge (start of the Estación de Benaoján-Estación de Jimera de Libar walk), turn right, cross the bridge and walk up the road leading to the railway crossing, cross it, turn right to get to the train station and there are 2 “bar/restaurants” there. Or turn left and follow signs for Hotel Molino del Santo, if you fancy a gourmet meal by a babbling stream (only 5 minutes away).

Train times departures (journey only takes 20 minutes)
Benaoján to Ronda: 8.27 / 13.11 / 17.16 / 20.24 (not Saturday or Sunday)
Ronda to Benaoján: 07.30 (not Saturday or Sunday) / 09.15 / 16.16 / 19.49

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List of what to bring when walking in the Serranía de Ronda, Andalucia

When going on a walking holiday in the Serranía de Ronda, Andalucía, it is important to pack all the key items which will enable you to enjoy fully your walking holiday. Here is bellow a list of the items that are in my opinion essential to bring with you: 

Essential items for all seasons

√ Worn in walking boots (you will be more likely to get blisters with brand new boots)
√ Walking/hiking socks (goog quality socks adapted to the time of the year you will be walking will keep you nice and comfortable)
√ Water bottle (always have plenty of water with you as you can easily get dehydrated even in winter)
√ Light weight day pack (a must to carry all your essentials)
√ Walking stick if you normally use one
√ Lightweight trousers for comfortable walking in all terrain (some walks can be overgrown with long grasses and thorny bushes so wearing trousers will protect your legs from scratches and unwanted bugs such as ticks)
√ Travel insurance including hill walking (For great value for money and flexible Travel insurance policies, visit Walking holiday travel insurance)
√ European card (for European travellers)

Spring and early autumn

√ Light clothes for warm, sunny days
√ Warm clothes for coold days and cooler evenings (evenings always cool down a lot in the Serranía de Ronda)
√ Lightweight waterproof jacket for the occasional showers

Summer

√ Hat √ Sun cream
√ Swimwear √ Sun glasses for sensitive eyes
√ Sandals for “afterwalking”
√ Light fleece only if you are staying in the Alto Genal Valley as nights can sometime be a little chilly (very refreshing after the heat of the day!)


Late autumn and winter

√ Warm clothes, ie fleece, thermal tops, etc.. (Even though Andalucía is thought to be warm and sunny all year round, it can get very cold in late autumn/winter especially at higher altitudes such as in the Sierra de las Nieves)
√ Warm hat (to use especially at high altitudes such as in the Sierra de las Nieves)
√ Gloves (same as above)
√ Waterproof jacket
√ Waterproof trousers
√ Light clothes for warm, sunny days, such as T-shirts...

Whatever the season you are walking in the Serranía de Ronda, it is best to use the concept of layering clothing, with base layers such as thermal tops or T-shirts, mid-layers such as fleece tops and outer-layers such as waterproof jackets. Here is a link to an interesting article about Learning to layer clothing.