Casa del Horno - House of the Kiln
boutique townhouse in alhama de granada, andalucia, spain

Cultural

The City of Granada - 45 mins drive

Granada is in the heart of Andalusia. One of a three key Moorish towns in Southern Spain, the others being Cordoba and Seville. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, Beiro, Darro and Genil.

View from the AlhambraNasrid Palace columnOf course Granada is world famous for the Alhambra Palace. It is one of the most renowned historical sites in the world. A trip to this part of Spain would not be complete without visiting the Palace. It is advisable to book tickets online to avoid disappointment it costs 12 euros for the day, there are a number of different ticket options available.

The town itself is well worth spending some time in. The Albaicin is the old Arabic quarter, a maze of winding alleyways and streets, with cafes and Arabic teterias (teahouses) with their cool, dark fragrant interiors they beckon visitors out of the bright sunlight, a place where you can treat yourself to sweet pastries and drink aromatic teas around traditional, three-legged sinya tables. There are fantastic shops selling rugs, lamps, mirrors, furniture, jewelry and clothes. As you climb the winding streets you are offered glimpses of the fabulous Alhambra on the opposite side of the valley. The locals say that, to understand it, you need to spend time in "el Corazon de su Corazon" - at the heart of its heart. Finding that heart, through it's maze of cobbled, winding streets, is not so easy. A great place to take photos of the Alhambra is in the plaza at the top of the hill (Mirador de San Nicolas Church) many people gather here every evening as the sun is setting, as it is such a good view and there is great soft orange light on the Alhambra.

Church of Santa Ana and Plaza San Nicolas. Half way up this hilly district is the 16th-centrury church of Santa Ana whose bell tower is a converted minaret. Nearby is an original, working Baños Arabes, beautifully restored with brick-vaulted ceilings, star-shaped skylights and wall mosaics. Narrow streets run between whitewashed houses called carmenes. These were homes built by wealthy Arabs between the 12th and 15th centuries who hid their prosperity behind high walls, but the gates and grilles reveal some wonderful secret gardens, geometrically-designed with Moorish patios, fountains and a profusion of fruit trees, plants and flowers.

Sacromonte the gypsies and flamenco guitarists Quarter. The Albaicin morphs into Sacromonte via a barely noticeable fountain, but the atmosphere subtly changes. This is the home of an ancient and still considerable gitano population from whose clans many of Spain's best flamenco guitarists, singers and dancers have emerged. The gypsies originally lived in caves carved out of the hillside – some still do, although the majority have been converted into attractive tourist apartments, restaurants and night clubs. The area still has an anarchic energy, fed by late-night flamenco zambras. Although there are a few bona fide flamenco clubs, sadly most of these once-spontaneous gypsy festivities have become blatantly contrived for tourists, with entrance priced at anything the gitaro hosts feel like charging in exchange for a quick show and a small sherry. But this is still a barrio well worth experiencing. During Semana Santa, when religious statues are paraded through the streets, the mix of incense, candles and singing creates a highly-charged atmosphere.

Antequera - 1h 45mins drive

Antequera has a history going back almost 5,000 years, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The city has a profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers.

Antequera has that look of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.

The town and valley are overlooked by an enormous crag of limestone, 880 metres high, called La Pena de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". The name comes from a local legend about an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, who were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.

One of Antequera's most impressive sights is its dolmens, located in a park to the west of the town, the most spectacular of which is the Cueva de la Menga. These megalithic mass tombs, made of huge slabs of rock, were created by the original Iberian people and date back 5,000 years. There are many such dolmens in Andalucía, but none as large as the Cueva de la Menga. When it was excavated in the nineteenth century, many hundreds of skeletons were found in its inner chamber.

Other monuments to be seen in the town are the recently excavated Roman baths, the magnificent Renaissance church of Santa María la Mayor Church, the Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, the 19th century bullring, and the Arch of the Giants, built in 1585, which leads up to the 13th century Moorish castle.

At the Convento de las Descalzas, the Barefoot Carmelitas, on the square of the same name. Inside the heavy wooden entrance, there is a small counter with a display of bakery products and prices, next to a revolving wooden door. You pull a rope which rings a bell, and then hear a woman's voice say "Si" after which you give your order and place your money on the tray. The hidden nun then spins the tray around, with the pastries emerging from the door.

El Torcal in Antequera, Finca de La Concepciòn. A unique place, El Torcal in Antequera is a 45 minute drive from Alhama. Two hundred million years erosion have form this rocks into fabulous shapes. It's fascinated place to walk around the cliffs and there are stunning views down over the countryside.

On the road from Antequera to Malaga is Finca de La Concepciòn. A tropical park with an impressive collection of palm trees, flowers and exotics plants, apparently it has been here since the 18th century.

El Chorro

It has three great reservoirs. Here is a sparsely populated wildness defined by historic white pueblos, craggy mountains rugged canyons, scented pine forests and surreal rock formations.

Loja - 35 mins drive

Loja is situated in the western side of the province of Granada. It was the door to the kingdom of Granada, placed between its two mountain ranges, like strong bastions.

The terrain is broken and picturesque. Among the so-called "Sierras de Loja "(Mountains of Loja), Sierra Gorda is the highest peak, 1,671 m above sea level.

Fuengirola Saturday Market - 80 mins drive

Get there early, it is a huge second hand flea market. Packed with bargains. From second hand clothing to antique maps, second hand furniture as well as household items and thousands of cheap second-hand things. Handicrafts and local produce. On the fairground (feria ground). An 80 minute drive from the house. Head down Carretera de Loja bearing left out of Alhama, follow the road towards Loja, through the town of Sala and onto the Autovia de Andalucia A-92 (motorway) heading South (road becomes A-45) to the coast and Malaga, skirt round the city of Malaga following the coastal Autovia del Mediterraneo (A-7), towards Torremolinas and Fuengirola (it is clearly sign posted). At Fuengirola Take Junction 210 onto Av Suel, at first roundabout take left turn onto Calle Tejar, first right onto Calle de Rodrigo de triana and first left onto Calle Feria de Abril, this should bring you to the market.

Fuengirola Saturday market map

Nerja Sunday Market - 65 mins drive

Nerja market / car boot sale is on Sundays - it usually gets going between 08:30 and 09:00 and everyone starts packing up at around 14:00, we have heard that it is a good market, we haven't managed to get down there and check it out ourselves yet.

Nerja is a little over an hours drive from Alhama de Granada.

The market 'Rastrillo' is located in Almijara II, near to the Genesis bar and is signposted from the centre of town. By car, exit E-15 at junction 292, cross 2 roundabouts, turn left onto the N-340 heading from the centre of town, at the third roundabout turn left (Burriana roundabout - exit 3) into calle Julio Romero. The road bears right and then about 250 metres further up on the left is a turning (calle Cisine) to Almijara II and the market.

Nerja Sunday market map