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Guide to Los Guajares. Los Guajares consists of three villages, set in a beautiful sub-tropical valley with bananas, olives, mangoes, loquat, etc, growing in abundance. From the village of Guajar Faraguit you can enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and "castillejo" (a medieval settlement, approx. 3/4 hour walk from the village). Indeed the villages have the benefit of being set in a beautiful mountain landscape, whilst being only 20 minutes from the nearest beaches at Salobreña and Motril. The main village is Guajar Faraguit with Guajar Fondon and Guajar Alto close by. This valley is the perfect place to escape the pressures and demands of modern life, spending your precious free time in the most stunning part of Spain. The pace of life here is slow, with working mules still an everyday sight, as arboriculture is the main agricultural employment in the area, and many paths into the countryside are not accessible by car. As you walk through the village you will be greeted by the villagers with a 'hola' and a 'vaya con dios' (go with God), as the number of foreign visitors is still small and they are warmly welcomed by the locals. Along the main road through the village, you see the Bar Parada. Here, you are given free ‘tapas’ (light snacks) when you order drinks (roughly between 12pm and 3pm and after 6pm). You can also order a ‘menu del dia’ from about 1.30 pm till 3 pm – a three-course lunch with a cold drink and coffee, for 8 euros or so. Simple country food served at a very good price. In the evenings the old men gather at the bar and enjoy their card games and their dominoes. It is the perfect place to watch the world go by whilst enjoying a beer or wine and the delicious free tapas that are served. There is also a bar-restaurant in Guajar Fondon, where the food and surroundings are more sophisticated and therefore a bit more expensive. After lunch or, just before lunch, to build up an appetite, there is a lovely walk, with a routes from both Fondon and Faraguit, up to an ancient settlement on the mountain – the ‘castillejo’. It takes less than an hour and is a lovely spot to spend some time. There are also a few bars and restaurants in Guajar Alto, further up the valley, as well as a lovely picnic-barbecue site, approximately 3 kms from Faraguit, in the direction of Guajar Alto – look out for it amongst the pine woods on the left. There is a lovely waterfall (for most of the year) where you can cool off on hot days. There are several bars, restaurants, bakeries and grocers in the villages and also a bank and pharmacy, so you do not need to leave the valley whilst on holiday. There are two daily deliveries of fresh bread, and also fish deliveries, frozen goods etc. (which many locally rely on, as they often do not have cars). If you do decide to leave the valley, you can find bars, shops, restaurants, etc on the nearby coast, in the pretty white village of Salobreña and the bustling town of Motril. Salobreña is a popular resort with the Spanish. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, supermarkets etc. There is also a walk up to the castle – nice for an early evening stroll. Although not really a beach location, Motril is also worth a visit. The large supermarket ‘Alcampo’ (a bit like Tesco, with clothes, household equipment etc., as well as food) is a good place to stock up, and is only 20 minutes from the village. The town itself is very Spanish, with lots of shops and Spanish prices. About 13 kms further along from Salobrena, in a westerly direction, is the larger town of Almunecar. Again, there are lots of bars, restaurants, shops etc., a long beach area, a castle, parks, and in the hotter months an ‘aquapark’. Every Friday there is a large market there, selling clothes, shoes, jewellery etc. Although about an hour’s drive away from the valley, Nerja is also worth a visit, with lovely sandy beaches and a more cosmopolitan feel. In the centre of town, and also on the seafront, is the ‘Balcon de Europa’, a piece of land jutting out to the sea, with a number of cafes, and generally a good place to people-watch and maybe take a horse dawn carriage ride. There are also the ‘Nerja caves’, open mornings and evenings, with the usual long siesta. Malaga is about an hour and a half from the valley – and is a large city of more than 600,000 people. The most recently opened highlight there is the ‘Picasso museum’ – a lovely place to spend a couple of hours if you like art. It has a busy nightlife, with stacks of bars and clubs etc. There are also a number of beaches here with great fish restaurants. Going inland from the valley, you can along the main road for about 50 minutes to the fabulous historic city of Granada. Here, apart from a great city with large department stores like ‘El Corte Ingles’ (also found in Malaga), you find the ancient Moorish quarter, known as ‘El Albaicin’, and also the world-renowned palace, the ‘Alhambra’. This is really a must and in the busier months it is imperative that you go on the net, prior to your arrival in Spain, and book your entrance passes from www.alhambratickets.com. In the general northerly direction you also find the region of ‘Las Alpujarras’. This is about 30 minutes from the house. You need to take the turning after Velez de Benaudalla, either following the road up to Orgiva or to Lanjaron. The latter is a quite sedate spa town. Orgiva is more of a bustling market town and from there you can take the mountain roads to Pampaneira, Bubion, Capileira, Pitres, Trevelez etc. These are all pretty mountain villages with lots of local crafts for sale (our favourites for eating are Bubion and Capileira). In winter you have the choice to spend a day on the beach or skiing in the Sierra Nevada or in fact you can do both on the very same day!! Only 1½ hours away in the Sierra Nevada you find Spain’s most modern ski resort, Europe's ski station with the most sun hours in winter. The high guarantee of snow, long and wide ski slopes (up to 75km!), low prices and the very pleasant ambience make this a ski destination with an international reputation. For those interested in golf, only 20 mins away from the valley, down on the coast, there is a superbly set golf course, between Motril and Salobreña. Play golf with the sea to one side and the snow covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the other. The family members, who don’t feel like joining you playing golf, can sunbathe on the beach, take a dip in the sea or enjoy the restaurants and cafes of the golf club. Another golf course will open soon near Salobreña and yet another one half way to Granada. The area is also ideal for painting, walking, pony trekking, climbing, cycling and paragliding. Travel to Los Guajares Granada is the nearest airport (60km) with international flights and serves many destinations in the UK as well as France, Switzerland, Italy and Holland. Malaga (120 kms) has flights to just about all destinations in Europe. Almeria is also a possible airport for this area, being about the same distance away from the valley as Malaga. Car hire can be arranged at very competitive prices from all of these airports (and should always be booked in advance for the best value). Written by Rosalind Beck - Owner of Property 86636 in Guajar Faraguit, Spain |
