CADIZ PROVINCE
 Cadiz province has some of Andalucia's most windswept beaches, prettiest white villages and most celebrated sherry. It also boasts one of the region's most visited protected areas and the rainiest place in Spain: the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Its coastline has long been peppered with fishing ports that were established by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Today, the Cadiz coast is a mecca for windsurfers, birdwatchers and anyone who prefers a wilder shoreline with relatively few beachgoers compared to the busier Costa del Sol.
CADIZ CITY
 The historic centre of Cadiz has an island feel about its streets, lined with centuries-old seafront houses that have been weather beaten by ocean spray. Situated on a peninsula, this part of the city is almost completely enveloped by the sea; the town's beach is easily accessible and a mere pebble's throw from the centre.
The skyline is dominated by the cathedral's gilded cupola that appears to shimmer in the incandescent light reflected by the sea. If you penetrate the honeycomb of narrow streets behind the cathedral, you come across small, pretty squares and pavement bars, which serve up some of Andalucia's tastiest seafood treats. If you're here in February, don't miss the incredible carnival, the biggest in mainland Spain.
JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
 Located inland, 20 km from Sanlúcar, Jerez holds worldwide acclaim for its sherry and brandy production. The word Jerez is derived from Arabic and has now become synonymous with the English word ‘sherry’. The city is equally famous for its fine horses as well as Flamenco music and dance.
The town dates back to Moorish times and possesses a charming old town, casco antiguo, with beautiful palm lined squares. The 11th century Moorish fortress, or Alcazaba, has been partially restored. Of special interest is its church, originally built by the Arabs as a mosque. The Sacristy of the Cathedral del Salvador is home to a lovely painting by Zurbarán, The Sleeping Girl. Today the city of Jerez has a remarkably aristocratic air with wide streets, squares and magnificent rows of jacaranda trees during spring.
The sherry production houses are located, surprisingly, in the centre of the town of Jerez and are generally associated with an element of snobbery and aristocratic pride even to this day.
The Spanish word bodega means "cellar", but its generic meaning is "wine manufacturer". Visitors take guided tours of the many Jerez bodegas, such as Gonzalez Byass, Pedro Domecq and Sandeman. British winemakers have been active here for centuries, which is why many of the names have an Anglo-Saxon ring to them. Tours of the cellars take place on week days, followed by sampling of the various types of wine produced.
ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA
 One of Andalucia's most dramatically positioned pueblos blancos (white villages), Arcos balances atop a rocky limestone ridge, its whitewashed houses and stone castle walls stopping abruptly as a sheer cliff face plunges down to the fertile valley of the river Guadalete below.
Declared a national historic-artistic monument in 1962 in recognition of its exceptional architecture and impressive location, the old town is a tangled labyrinth of cobbled streets that lead up to a sandstone castle, the Castillo de los Arcos. As you’d expect from such a spectacular vantage point, there are exhilarating views over the town and the rolling plain below.
Arcos's population of 28,000 is divided between the newer town on the lower slopes of the ridge and the old town, which you reach by following Cuesta Belén up the hill. In the heart of the old town is the cobbled Plaza de Cabildo, its picturesque situation somewhat marred by its dual function as a car park. On the southern side of the square there are some stomach-churning views, where the mirador (viewpoint) ends in a steep 150m-high cliff
Among the most memorable of Arcos's pretty and often strikingly narrow streets are the alley-like Calle Cuna and Calle Maldonaldo, lined with elegant palacios built by the town's 18th-century nobility and overhung by wrought-iron rejas of windows.
Tapas bars in the old town are concentrated on or near the central Callejón de las Monjas. Try the Mesón El Patio, an atmospheric cave-like bar near the Santa María church that serves good-value tapas. If you want something more formal, one of the most upmarket restaurants in town is El Convento on Marques de Torresoto, which is in a 17th-century palace and has plenty of game dishes on the menu. The terrace at the luxurious Parador on Plaza del Cabildo is the place to go for a leisurely drink in style and enjoy the best views in Arcos.
OLVERA
 There has been a human settlement on the site of Olvera for more than two thousand years. Archaeological findings suggest this verdant agricultural region north-east of Ronda was an important area for settlement as far back as the Palaeolithic era, at least twelve thousand years ago.
pain went into decline again at the end of the 19th century after the loss of its Cuban interests, but in the early 20th century Olvera hit a stroke of remarkable good luck. In fact, one of Olvera's key modern-day tourism attractions, the 38km ruta verde abandoned rail-line hiker/biker route linking it to Puerto Serrano, is the result of a small but crucial economic fillip in a period of economic downturn. The shortlived dictatorship of General Rivera between 1923-29 decided, in the late 1920s, that Olvera should be the key station on a new rail link between Almargen and prosperous Jerez de la Frontera. Between 1927 and 1930, Olvera flourished on its own tiny rail boom. The line was never completed, but today its levelled trackbed a via verde is one of the most remarkable walking experiences in Andalucía, with half a dozen viaducts, more than twenty tunnels, two wayside restaurants and a small hotel at the Olvera terminus.
The años de hambre, 'years of hunger', after the Civil War affected Olvera like every other Spanish pueblo, inspiring an inevitable population drift towards the coast. Olvera continues to support its agricultural specialities, and its famed olive oils. Its remarkable castle, probably the finest surviving example in the region, has recently been renovated, and the dramatic Iglesia de la Encarnación church in fact hides one of Andalucía's best small museums behind its imposing bulk. The town was declared a centre of artistic and historic importance in 1983.
There are now three hotels in Olvera, and an increasing number of restaurants and bars when five years ago there were hardly any. The Sierra y Cal hotel and restaurant (956 13 05 03) is among the best, and friendliest.
The Hermitage Church of “Nuestra Señora de los Remedios” (Our lady of the Remedies) is situated two kilometres from Olvera on the road to Torre Alháquime. This is a unique building and well worth the visit. On the first floor you will find a whole room of paraphernalia, including, photographs, sports trophies, walking sticks, L plates, wedding dresses and babies outfits all dedicated to the Virgen de los Remedios as a thanks for her " miracles". There is a central patio filled with plants and a small chapel with an ornate alter and beautiful stained glass windows and a gift shop for souvenirs. Outside there is a statue to Fray Francisco de los Remedios Cerezco Cabrera, known affectionately as “Father Cerezco”, thanking the local people for restoring and maintaining the sanctuary for five centuries. There is also a beautiful cherry tree at the entrance of the church.
VEJER DE LA FRONTERA
 If you are exploring the N340 Costa de la Luz coast road, you'd be wise to make time for a wander around Vejer. This classic white village on the hilltop is well worth a visit. It is actually 10 kilometers inland, perched high above the steep gorge of the River Barbate.
The more interesting arrival is from the outpost at the bottom of the ravine called La Barca de Vejer. From here take the steep road up the escarpment and straight into the beautiful Plaza de Espana, undoubtedly one of the prettiest village squares in Spain. The town square, shaded by vast palm trees, has a wonderful old fountain with traditional ceramic Andalucian frogs, which spout water high into the air, thus forming a fountain. If you are lucky, park the car in the plaza. If not park on the road leading up to the plaza and walk back.
From the plaza enter the old walled town through the arch (Arco de la Villa). This stunning castellated town is a magical place to explore, its quiet cobbled streets meandering through a charming jumble of secret corners, hidden patios and delightful houses. One is relieved to find barely a hint of plastic or a trace of the 20th Century. Even the rubbish bins appear to have been carefully designed to please the eye!
The village has been officially declared an Historical Artistic Monument of National importance.
GRAZALEMA
 Located in a high valley over 800m in the Sierra del Endrinal and dominated by the magnificent rocky outcrop known as Peñon Grande, the pretty mountain village of Grazalema is most popular base for visitors to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. The park is a vast protected area of rugged limestone mountains, which are famous for being the rainiest place in Spain. These high levels of precipitation account for the verdant vegetation in the surrounding countryside.
The limestone peaks of 1,500m around Grazalema are the first barriers that clouds from the Atlantic meet, causing plentiful rainfall. A unique microclimate has developed where a wide range of flora flourishes, such as the rare Spanish fir (pinsapo) that grows in the Sierra de Pinar close to Grazalema.
Grazalema is a lively village whose population of 2,250 swells hugely with the influx of visitors to the park. Its steep, cobbled streets are immaculately kept and are lined by whitewashed houses with windows covered by wrought-iron rejas and plant pots spilling over with colourful flowers. It was famously described in the 1950s by the British anthroplogist Julian Pitt-Rivers in his study, People of the Sierra.
In the heart of the village is an attractive main square, the Plaza de España, lined with bars and restaurants. On this square is Grazalema´s central sight, the 18th-century church of La Aurora. Also here is the village hall (ayuntamiento) and the parish church, the Iglesia de la Encarnación. Up Calle Mateos Gago from the square is the 17th-century Iglesia de San José, a former Carmelite convent with paintings by a disciple of Murillo. Close to the church is a viewpoint that looks out over the village.
The village was established in Moorish times by Berber settlers who discovered a striking similarity with the mountains of their homeland and those of the Sierra de Grazalema. They introduced sheep to graze the lush mountain pastures and produced wool for ponchos and blankets to guard against the wet climate. In 1485 the Duke of Arcos conquered the Moors in Grazalema but the cottage industry of producing woollen blankets - the renowned mantas de Grazalema - continued, reaching its peak in the 17th and 19th centuries, when wealth from textile manufacturing helped to fund the construction of the village´s churches.
Grazalema still has vestiges of this industry today, with one workshop still in operation making woollen blankets, rugs, ponchos and scarves, which are exported all over the world. Visit the Artesanía-Textil de Grazalema, 956 132 008, a workshop on the Ronda road where you can see looms and carding machines and buy blankets and other textiles in the shop. Other locally produced handicrafts include baskets and leatherwork.
|
|
