Andalucia Day 33 Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra
It's a fresh start to the morning. The car shows just 10 degrees as we drive to Grazalema at 812m a.s.l.
By the time we get there the sun is shining and warming some small black pigs which have escaped from their field. Grazalema is a pretty town, white houses, black railings, lots of flowers.
By the time we get there the sun is shining and warming some small black pigs which have escaped from their field. Grazalema is a pretty town, white houses, black railings, lots of flowers.
We get something for a picnic lunch and then drive back down and along the artificial lake, actually an enormous reservoir, towards Zahara de la Sierra. On the way we stop for a very comfortable picnic on the roadside with our camping chairs and table and a view of the lake and Sierra. Very few cars go by and below a shepherd is moving his sheep along into another field.
Zahara de la Sierra is exceptionally pretty, only very small but clustered around the rock with the castle on the top.
There's a quite steep path to go up but then the castle, which is quite simple, just a square tower really, is open to the public and the views are once again spectacular.
We stop for coffee in the square before wandering around some more, there's a small park with Pinsapars, the local pine trees which can only grow thanks to the high amount of rainfall. Surprisingly, since we are in Andalusia, Grazalema has the highest rainfall of the whole of Spain.
In fact the forecast is for rain and clouds are gathering as we stop at one of the many outside gyms which are as common in this part of Spain as children's playgrounds.
But the rain only starts when we are already in Mercadona shopping which is just fine: I'm in the mood for cooking.
Kilometres by car: 90
Kilometres on foot: 9
Hi, I found your blog while looking for some tips about Ronda and nearby Pueblos Blancos on Tripadvisor.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember where was the spot where you stopped for a picnic? The scenery is fantastic :)
By the way, which town did you like the most - Zahara, Setenil, Olvera or Grazalema? I'm staying in Ronda in May for a few days and I'm trying to figure out which one to choose for a day trip... or maybe I should visit all of them! :)
I'm really pleased you found the blog useful! About the picnic spot, we were driving along the lakeside on the A2300 on the way back from Grazalema and then turned off to the left directly towards Zahara without going right to the end of the lake, if you look on Google maps you will see the road. We were a few bends up where there was space to park on the right.
ReplyDeleteAs for which village, Setenil is more special because of the houses built into the rock and under the rock but Zahara is a small but perfect pueblo blanco. The least interesting for us was Grazalema, but perhaps because we live in the mountains ourselves and because the road is quite long, narrow and full of bends. But it's difficult to say, a lot of comments also on Trip are from people who loved it...
You might find this post useful too:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2018/12/considerations-pueblos-blancos.html?m=1
Thank you for writing san I hope you enjoy your trip:)
I've checked this route on Google Maps, it's beautiful and this lake has incredible color...! I'm not sure if I found the spot you're referring to, but a few other places where you can park and admire the view. I think I will choose Setenil and Zahara for two day trips :)
ReplyDeleteI've read all of your posts about Pueblos Blancos and Ronda - thank you for sharing this!