The photos below were taken on 19th November 2020
Find out more about La Cala Finestrat (the beach) and Finestrat the mountain village here.
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La Cala de Finestrat, The Beach
Did you know - La Cala Fiestrat actually belongs to three municipalities, Benidorm, La Vila Joiosa and Finestrat, so on more than one occasion you cross a street and change municipality.
Just three kilometres away from busy Benidorm itself.
The beach is a clean sweep of golden sand, ideal for children and safe for bathing. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes along promenade, the beach can get busy during July and August, but the rest of the year you will find it much quieter than the beaches in Benidorm itself.
Smoking, vaping or the use of any other electronic cigarettes is prohibited in all areas of public use on La Cala Beach - La Cala de Finestrat is one of the first smoke-free beaches in the Valencian Community, smoking has been prohibited here since summer 2020. Failure to comply can lead to penalties of up to 750€
La Cala and Finestrat
If you prefer a little quieter setting, walk away from the cafe area to the right side of the beach and, from here, there’s a small path around the headland where you can enjoy some fresh sea air and take lovely photos of Benidorm and the surrounding Mediterranean area.
In 1986 the World Health Organisation recommended the climate of the area as one of the most equitable in the world - neither too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter.
On the beach of La Cala are also the Hotel Delfín, the luxury establishment of Benidorm par excellence for many years and a symbol of the city, and the Hotel Bali, another icon of the tourism capital of the Costa Blanca. Next to the Delfin Hotel and, as a result of the urban pressure in the area, the "Delfin Tower" is being built. It is a skyscraper in the shape of a sailboat, with 22 floors and 44 homes, which represents the type of luxury apartment that is being built in this area of the city and that will undoubtedly change both the appearance of the neighbourhood.
La Cala Markets - Tuesday and Saturday, By the bay, near the SuperCor supermarket.
VISIT THE TOP OF THE GRAN BALI HOTEL
Europe’s tallest hotel, the 52-floor Gran Hotel Bali has a viewing platform that is open to non residents for a small fee, (2.50 for residents, 6€ for non residents) once on the viewing platform you will have spectacular views right across to Calpe, the whole of Benidorm, La Cala and the surrounding area. non residents can pay to go to the viewing platform and the views are well worth it.
Price - Residents 2.50€, Non Residents 6€
La Ermita
At the end of the Poniente beach, at the top of the hill, through the Mont Benidorm urbanization you will find what is called La Ermita (Hermitage of the Virgin of the Sea of Benidorm). The small hermitage houses an image of the Virgin of the Sea with the Child in arms, this image is responsible for safeguarding the sailors whilst out at sea.
From this viewpoint you can admire the entire bay of Benidorm, the island, Sierra Helada and the Puig Campana, a great spot for that special photo.
Tossal de la Cala
The remains of the Benidorm fort are to be found on the headland between Benidorm and Cala Finestrat. They were discovered in 1935, and years of careful excavation have converted the area into a type of open air museum which is open to the public.
The fort was part of a network that was constructed on headlands along the Mediterranean coast, with the idea of giving an early warning system of approaching enemies.
August 2024 - If you don't fancy the steep walk, an exhibition of relics of Benidorm´s past, including some Roman objects has just opened at the towns Museu Boca del Calvari.
Watchtower of l'Aguilò
Also worth a visit is the Renaissance watchtower of l'Aguilò, situated the other side of La Cala Bay, this is actually classed as being in the municipality of Villa Joyosa.
The Torre de l'Aguilo was built in the 1500s to protect the coastline from North African pirates. The tower would have been manned by soldiers whose job was to spot any incoming ships and give warning by lighting a signal fire on the top platform. It has been fully restored, and there is a modern metal staircase that takes you into the tower itself, but it was firmly shut and padlocked and no signage to say when it is open to the public.
There are two routes but the longest is the easiest and begins on the road as you head out of La Cala from the beach, the entrance is on the left, its a comfortable paths to walk with some steep climbs, so go with appropriate footwear At the foot of the tower, the views are breath taking and there are places to rest contemplating the landscape. The walk will take approximately 90 minutes (about 1.5km), make sure you take some water with you as there is no where to obtain any on this walk, there are also no toilets.
Popular Hotels in La Cala
GETTING TO LA CALA
The Number 2, 3, 14, 15,16, 30, 53, 54 buses will take you to Cala de Finestrat depending on your location.
FINESTRAT MOTOR MUSEUM - Situated in the commercial area on Calle Joan Fuster, 4
This museum has more than 4,000 square meters dedicated to the history of the automobile.
In the unique three-story building, a permanent exhibition of classic and unique vehicles and film vehicles are distributed, as well as an area dedicated to driver education and training, a projection room, a children's play area, a restaurant area (food truck) and a souvenir and an automobile shop.
The collection is made up of about 60 museum-owned vehicles and some others on loan. Among the exhibits are a 1923 Dodge Brothers, a 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine that belonged to the Spanish government during the Franco era, a replica of KITT, from the film "Knight Rider", two Delorean DMC-12s in impeccable condition (one of them with only 3,000 kilometres on the clock), or an exclusive Aston Martin Lagonda equipped with the “Tickford” sports kit, of which only 5 units were manufactured.
OPEN between 10:00 and 20:00, Calle Joan Fuster, 4, on the Finestrat commercial street, and offers free transportation to its visitors to and from Benidorm, Finestrat, Alfaz del Pi and Villajoyosa. Adult admission is 12 euros, children under 6 years of age go free, and younger and older people pay 7 euros.
LA MARINA SHOPPING CENTRE - FINESTRAT - Located at Avda. País Valencià, 2, Finestrat
La Marina in Finestrat is the largest shopping centre in the Benidorm area of Spain and is popular with both Spaniards and visitors. Known as ‘Centro Comercial La Marina’ in Spanish.
La Marina Shopping Centre first opened on 14th September 2000 and consists of four floors: one underground floor offering completely free parking, two shopping floors and one leisure and food service floor
FINESTRAT THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
Where is Finestrat? – Finestrat is a small village up in the mountains just half an hour from Benidorm. Finestrat is Spain’s only village that has a mountain location plus a beach miles below on the coast. Finestrat was given the beach by the Spanish government for its generations of work helping save that area of Spain from pirates. So nowadays, although the beach is a 20 minute drive from the village of Finestrat, with kilometres of land owned by other towns in between the two locations, it’s still part of the town of Finestrat and a wonderful place to visit.
Finestrat, The Village - The picturesque village, which hugs the mountain side of Puig Campana, has beautiful views from the mountains down to the sea; the architecture has a distinct Moorish influence and many of the houses are colourfully painted. Friday is market day.
It is worth a 10 minute walk on a gentle incline to see the 18th century church of Saint Bertomeu, you may go inside and take photos and admire the beautiful architecture.
Walk higher up the village to the famous lookout point of the 13th century "El Castell" from here you can see for miles down the mountainside, across the valley, over the city of Benidorm and right dont to the Mediterraean. Take a stroll round the park where there are also various sculptures.
Sit in one of the local Cafes order a cafe con leche or a cake and sit and watch the village life all around you.
Ancient history
The village of Finestrat has hosted many cultures throughout history. Its proximity to the coast and to the coastal roads, it has been assumed to be a magnet for settlement of the various civilizations of the Mediterranean as well as others from the central and northern Europe.
All ancient civilizations have left their footprint in this growing town overlooking the sea. Thus, at every step, every corner, every street and every house you can see the legacy of their ancestors. A municipality with 20,000 years of history.
The first signs of human settlement in what is now known as Finestrat were hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic Superior who inhabited the caves and shelters of Sierra Cortina, near the place known as Raco de les Bastides. although it has been shown, it is thought it may also have settlements of its kind in the caves and shelters of the Puig Campana. Although no paintings have been found to confirm the presence of humans during the Neolithic, one should not forget that Finestrat is by its location, a passageway to the mountains of Alicante, where the first farmers had to enter that came to this land.
Finestrat was the ideal place for the location of villages, since the hills were making an high visibility of the surroundings. Iberians and Romans, two cultures that left their mark in Finestrat. The Iberians formed one of the most advanced cultures of ancient Mediterranean. They knew the writing was established in organized territories and political structure minted coins as payment. This culture lasted from the sixth century until I ac., at the time the process of Romanization.
In finestrat the remains of this culture can be found in the grounds of the Castle, in the Tossal of them Bastides and Tossal of the creek. The oldest deposits, around the fourth century BC found inland, while that of the Cala Tossal dating from the II and I ac. you can see remnants of houses in the village dug decades ago.
A factory was built dedicated to salted fish. Apart from this town today there are three known Roman villas near the town of Finestrat, whose inhabitants were engaged in the production of wine, oil and cereals. Between remains of these villages have been found mosaics showing continual cultural arts and the arrival of the Romans.
Getting to Finestrat
No 15 bus to the village.
For bus time tables and prices.
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Find lots more places to visit on the Costa Blanca North here
Ontinyent is about 1 hour 30 minutes drive (124km) from Benidorm there are a couple of different routes you can take which will be listed below.
Xativa would also be a great place to visit whilst in this area.
Ontinyent is a municipality in the province of Valencia of Spain. It is actually located in the comarca of Vall d’Albaida. Former World No. 1 tennis player Juan Carlos Ferrero was born in this city. The city is situated on the Clariano river.
The trace of the human population in this municipal city dates back to the prehistoric era. The first discovery was made in La Cova l´ Hedra. There are also some sites of the town. They belong to the Neolithic period, namely the larenal de la Costa and the Bronze Age sites. You also get to see some sites of the Iberian Age and the Roman times.
Places to visit in the city -
Bridge del Salt del Bou
Church of Santa Maria
Hermitage of Sant Esteve
Pont Vell
Wineries Ontinium
Fester Museum
But what attracts most people to this area is the waterfalls situated about 3kms outside of the city, the most popular is Le Pou Clar
The Pou Clar. The Rio Clariano has its source here and the first section of its course is marked by a series of pools and waterfalls, which have all been sculpted by the water and go to make up an attractive area, used by the local people.
Over the generations, each pool has acquired a name; The Pool of Slaves, The Clear Pool, The Frozen Pool, The Side Pool, The Dark Pool and finally The Pool of Horses.
There is easy access to the Pozo Claro and the visitor can walk along the whole section, as they enjoy the contrasts of colour in the rock formations and water and maybe take a refreshing summer swim in the freezing natural pools. You will find plenty of Spanish families enjoying the pools and there are plenty of diving areas. (there is no life guard on duty).
Sadly the car park that was situated right next to the Pou Clar has now been removed , which was normally very full. There is now a car park near the Polideportivo (Sports Centre) in Ontinyent (with 95 spaces). The exact address is Carrer Vicent Lluís Montés Penadés, 46870 Ontinyent. From here it is less than 2 km to reach Pou Clar, during the summer it does get very busy and prior reservation is required during July and August https://reservespouclar.es/es/
Pou Clar bus timetables Saturdays and Sundays in July and August:
Sports Center → Pou Clar 10:00, 13:20, 17:00, 19:50. Pou Clar → Sports Center - 10:10, 13:30, 17:10, 20:00.
Getting to Ontinyent from Benidorm
Route 1, with tolls, 1hr 25 mins, 124 km
Get on AP-7 from Av. de Europa, Av. Comunidad Europea and CV-753
Follow AP-7 and A-7 to CV-81. Take exit 20 from A-7
Continue on CV-81. Take Av. del Tèxtil, Av. Ramón y Cajal and Carrer del Dos de Maig to Carrer de l'Altet de Sant Joan in Ontinyent.
Route 2, 1hr 27 mins, 107 km
Get on AP-7 from Av. de Europa, Av. Comunidad Europea and CV-753
Follow AP-7 to Calle Calderón de la Barca/CV-800. Take exit 681 from AP-7
Get on A-7
Follow A-7 to CV-81. Take exit 20 from A-7
Continue on CV-81. Take Av. del Tèxtil, Av. Ramón y Cajal and Carrer del Dos de Maig to Carrer de l'Altet de Sant Joan in Ontinyent
Route 3 1hr 32mins, 78.5km by far the most attractive route across the mountains.
Follow Calle del Esperanto and Calle Lepanto to Av. de Europa
Follow CV-70, CV-790 and A-7 to Av. del Tèxtil
Follow Av. del Tèxtil, Av. Ramón y Cajal and Carrer del Dos de Maig to Carrer de l'Altet de Sant Joan in Ontinyent
FROM ONTINYENT - By car. Take the CV-81 Ontinyent-Bocairent road and at the crossroads for Fontanars
Another place worth visiting whilst in the area is the town of Bocairent
Bocairent is famous for its 50 or so Moorish manmade caves that date back to medieval times, these are set into a rock faces 300 meters from the village.
The caves are all interlinked inside through a series of openings in the rock, you are permitted to explore them freely
The countryside in this area is stunning and depending upon the time of year you visit you will come across fields of sunflowers.
Dog friendly beaches in the area
Alicante : Agua Amarga
Generally open from 15th June until September 15th. This beach is full of amenities for dogs such as hammocks with umbrellas, so the dogs can escape from the heat of the sun, elevated platforms for when the dogs want to take a break away from the hot sand and on the 250 squares meters of the dog beach there will be an area for the pets to do ” their business” . This place will be cleaned and disinfected daily. All dogs must have their passport with vaccinations.
Altea, Playa Mar y Montaña
Located close to the residential complexes of Altea Hills. This is a small and narrow shingle beach, Playa Mar y Montaña has no services, but there is parking nearby.
Altea, Playa de la Olla
This area is adjacent to the chiringuito Arrecife de la playa de la Olla, located near the urbanization of Villa Gadea.
Calpe, Cala Les Urques.
Located South of the coast of Calpe, near the Puerto Blanco marina. A small gravel beach that is open all year round, where you can enjoy impressive views of the Rock of Ifach with your dog.
Denia - Punta del Raset
Located in the Punto del Raset area, on the Northern breakwater. This area is perfect for your pet to enjoy a day at the beach in Dénia.
El Campello, Playa de Punta del Riu
Located near by the dry river. Therefore the beach is a pebble beach, here there are natural rock pools, but take care of the currents while your pet is swimming. This is one of the most popular beaches for dog owners in this area.
El Campello, Barranque Beach
Located next to the protected nature reserve of Lloma de Reixes. This is a natural beach of pebbles and gravel and is protected by a small cliff. Dogs are allowed here for free and it is not overcrowded so the ideal place for walking during the summer season.
Elche, Playa El Pinet
This beach in Elche has sandy dunes surrounded by pine trees, muzzles are obligatory for the dogs who can be dangerous and due to the Spanish law, all dogs must have their passport showing up to date vaccinations.
Orihuela, Alicante, Mosca Cove
The wild and natural cove of Cabo Peñas (known as Cala Mosca II), in Alameda del Mar, (Punta Prima) this is the only canine beach in the municipality of Orihuela, there are no time restriction and it is open all year round and one of the few sandy doggy beaches.
Dog friendly beaches in the area
Santa Pola, Calas del Cuartel
This doggy beach is located by the Santa Pola light house. The dog beach is a small sandy beaches with a little bit of pebbles.
At Santa Pola beach the pet owner is welcome with maximum two dogs.
Dogs who are dangerous must wear a muzzle to avoid problems with other dogs.
Torrevieja, Rocio Cala (Torrevieja, Alicante).
Small cove located between Cala Ferris and Rocío del Mar beach, where bathing with pets is possible.
Villajoyosa, Playa El Xarco
The beach of El Xarco at Villajoyosa is a very quit pebble beach but is quite hard to access, located between El Campello and Villajoyosa, access is only possible by car by Venta El Xarco on the main road, go early as there is not a lot of parking as it is near a residential area The beach can also be very windy.
Checklist before taking your dog to the beach.
European passport filled with completed schedule of vaccination certificate, the vaccination against rabies and possibly the health declaration. By Spanish law, all dogs must be micro chipped.
Necklace with tube with vacation information, address and telephone number.
Eating and drink bowls.
Can opener for food.
Dog poop bags.
Photo of your pet if he would run away.
A first aid kit.
Toys for your pet.
Finally at all beaches as a dog owner, you must clean up after your pets the authorities issue heavy fines.
Spains Black Bulls - The Toro de Osborne is a huge black bull that watches over the Spanish roads and is one of the most recognized “national” symbols for all tourists visiting Spain, However, despite common belief, this bull is not a symbol of Spain, but the advertising logo used to promote a brandy-sherry toro, which means bull in Spanish by a group of wineries called “Osborne”.
The Osborne group began in 1772, and with more than 200 years of experience it is considered one of the oldest businesses in the world that still remains active today (94th place), and is the second oldest in Spain.
It was founded by Thomas Osborne Mann, an English shopkeeper from Exeter who settled in Cadíz. In the Puerto de San María he struck up friendships with other winery owners who originated from Britain and married the daughter of one of the managers of “Duffy Gordon”, with whom he had five children, the first Osbornes.
Two of his sons, Tomás and Juan Nicolás, inherited the business. The former took charge as soon as he was old enough; the latter followed a diplomatic career, and was named Count Osborne. Since Juan Nicolás had no heir, both his title and share of the business were inherited by his nephew, Tomás´ son who continued to run the business with great success.
In 1956 the advertising agent Azor, as instructed by the company, designed the first publicity campaign, the silhouette of a bull, made of wood and 4 metres high. These bulls were erected a year later in 1957.
From 1961 onwards they were made from metal sheets to avoid deterioration caused by harsh weather conditions, and the height was increased to 7 metres. However the new advertising rules published in 1962 forced to company to move the signs further away from the roads, and so they decided to make them 14 metres high, as they are seen today, so that they would be more visible.
In 1994 a law that prohibited all roadside advertising of alcoholic beverages came into place, and the bulls were therefore to be removed. By this time the signs were nationally renowned, so although some campaigners wished them completely removed to fully comply with the intent of the law, public response resulted in the signs being retained, but completely blacked out to remove all reference to the original advertisers. The Court eventually allowed these signs to remain on the grounds that they have become a part of the landscape and have "aesthetic or cultural significance", thus turning the bulls into public domain images.
There are in total 90 Osborne bulls (Spain's Black Bulls) distributed throughout the roads in Spain, 10 of them in the Cadíz province, but others can be found in all corners of the Peninsular. The wide distribution of this successful advertisement has meant that the Osborne bull is now associated with Spain itself and its silhouette is often seen on national Spanish football flags, t-shirts, caps, and towels etc.
There are now only two signs in Spain with the word "Osborne" still written on them. One is at the Jerez de la Frontera airport in the province of Cadiz, and the other is in the nearby town of El Puerto de Santa María, where the Osborne headquarters is found.
The Osborne group continues to be a model family business in today´s food and drink industry, and the majestic bull, a symbol of Spain as it is now known, keeps watching over the country's roads.
Now you know a bit about the history of the Osborne Bull, (Spains black bulls) Watch the 1992 movie “Jamón, Jamón”, this is the first film that Spanish actors Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem shot together, in which a young couple makes love next to an Osborne bull, you will never look at the giant silhouette's in the same away again!
You may also find this interesting - The History of Benidorm
It has often been said that Benidorm has everything. Having travelled to many parts of Europe including Italy, Sardinia, Greece, The Balearic Islands, and also the Canary Islands and places further afield such as India, Eilat, Kenya, Gambia etc, we in admin would share that opinion. However as part of our holiday we decided this year to explore other parts of Spain via a road trip. Will we discover anything that cannot be found within half an hour of Benidorm?....lets find out as we head off Discovering Spain!!!
Day 1 - Benidorm to Ossa de Montiel, Albacete 335km
The Journey
After leaving a hot Benidorm with weather reports of it being the hottest day since records began in in-land Spain, this is just where we were heading, so was it really that hot, yes it was,with temperatures steadily rising as we headed further inland and hitting a staggering 44ºc...... IN THE SHADE.
We had a wonderful journey travelling through groves of almonds, oranges, lemons, olives and even some peach trees, the further inland you go the more vine yards there are, the scenery was stunning through a lot of mountain ranges until we got closer to our destination where the scenery suddenly changed to slighter flatter terrain with acres and acres of corn fields etc which would look similar to some of the British countryside. The one thing you do notice in the Murcia region is the number of wind farms which are virtually every where you look.
The other thing you cant help but notice is just how quiet all the towns and villages were, driving through these was like driving through ghost towns, not a single person in sight, just the odd stray cat or dog wandering aimlessly around, we came to the conclusion that everyone is indoors hiding from the extreme heat.
Our Accommodation - Hotel Spa Galatea 2 Star hotel, cost 210€ for 3 nights, free parking
This hotel was about 11km (15 mind drive) outside the Lagunas de Ruidera Nature Reserve, in the quiet countryside of Castilla La Mancha. The spa includes a steam bath, sauna and hot tub and cost 15€ each.
Rooms were a classic-style décor, with free WiFi and a flat-screen TV, bathroom with a hairdryer..
Very pleased with our chosen hotel the Spa Galatea. The hotel itself although it was only a two star and only fairly recently constructed, had all the charm, elegance and looks of something much older and suited us perfectly, with everything we needed in the room apart from tea and coffee making facilities, but then again we were in a very Spanish area and tea first thing in the morning is not a Spaniards first priority. For a 2 star hotel this was an amazing place.
Would we return? yes but not during August and not over a weekend (Spanish come from miles to enjoy the lakes and it gets very very busy over the weekends), but perfect for a quiet few days of relaxation.
Derek's Input: It seems this holiday Tracy has taken on the persona of Dora the Explorer, meantime I have been appointed the official role of "Guardian of the Handbag"
Day 2 and 3 - Lagunas de Ruidera.
After a good nights sleep on our memory foam mattress and a typically -Spanish breakfast of tostada con tomate, freshly squeezed orange juice, off we headed to explore the lakes of the Lagunas de Ruidera......
The Lagunas de Ruidera is a natural park situated in the La Mancha plain containing 16 interconnecting lakes of various sizes, these lakes cover an area of more than 9,300 acres (38 km2). The lakes are connected by falls, small rivers as well as subterranean flows and are the source of the Guadiana River. This is also Don Quixote country.
The whole area of the lakes is stunning, with several spots for swimming and various water sports available, we had an enjoyable day driving round just getting a feel for the area, after a quick return to the hotel for our afternoon siesta (part of our daily life lol) we were off out and about again to find a nice restaurant to enjoy a relaxing evening..... Unfortunately this was not to be as everywhere we went had stopped serving food during the time we were hungry ie 7.30, most of the restaurants would not be re-opening again until 20.30, 21.00ish so after calling into every restaurant we came across and being told the same thing, we eventually gave up and headed back to our hotel for a meal and a bottle of vino, Hands up! we should really have been aware of this as we provide the information about Spanish Meal times HERE.
One of the things that Benidorm spoils you with is the ability to get what every you want 24/7 and being used to this it can be frustrating when you leave the area. There are very few shops, only 1 petrol station and only 1 tabac in the whole area (well that we found). The restaurants all seem to serve paninis with very little other choices on the menu other than fairly standard Menu del Dias which were only available at very limited times although advertised all day/night. I had to resort to the safety of a pizza. We have heard NO English Language or seen anything written in English since our arrival, although we ourselves love this, it may be daunting to some.
Can areas such as this be found near Benidorm, of course the answer is YES we have our very own Algar Falls, although not as big, they are equally as attractive. In truth though 2 nights would have covered it here, two weeks here?...no chance.
Derek's Input: First official day of sunbathing. Have to admit I was a little upset when I undressed and applied the sun cream only to find a queue had formed for the Hog Roast. Diet will have to start after the holiday
Day 4 - Ossa de Monteil to Cordoba approx 297km
Quite sad to be leaving our wonderful hotel of the last 3 nights, but looking forward to some new adventures in Cordoba. The roads here are excellent even though we don´t take the toll roads, but the slightly quieter roads, sometimes driving for miles without seeing another vehicle, other than the odd tractor, the journey time is slightly longer, but you get to see more of the surrounding countryside.
Accommodation - Hosteria Lineros 38 2 star, 40€ per night, parking 12€ per day
Our bed for the night was in a Hosteria called Lineros 38, this was situated right in the heart of the old town so the perfect location as all the main tourist sites were within walking distance.
This was quite a cheap overnight stay at 40€ for the night (12€ extra to park the car in a private garage) the house itself was what can only be described as quirky, with the décor based on Andalusia’s Arabic past, Unfortunately the room itself left a lot to be desired it was quite basic even though we pushed the boat out and booked a deluxe double room to make sure we had a balcony, not sure we actually received this as there was definitely no balcony in the room in fact there was not even a window I called the room quirky, Derek called it a dungeon and hated it.... the bed had slates missing on the base but was still fairly comfortable being positive the best things about the room was the size and power of the shower and due to the fact we had no windows and were situated in the heart of a house the room was cool and even in this heat we didn´t really need to use the air conditioner, which was just as well as it would have woken up the whole house. All in all we were glad we had only booked just the one night here and would not return to this particular Hosteria, but don´t rule these out for a cheep nights accommodation.
Cordoba was known in the past for being one of Europe’s biggest cultural and intellectual centres, it is situated on the north bank of the Guadalquivir River and served as both the Roman and Moorish capital of Spain many years ago.
The old town has some lovely old buildings and a surprise round every corner, plenty of tapas bars and some wonderful looking restaurants. There are some lovely renaissance churches and plenty of cobblestone streets in the Jewish Quarter and of course the famous Roman Bridge. Flamenco dancing is very popular with quite a lot of restaurants offering dinner and a free show, unfortunately these don´t start until late and we needed an early night after sight seeing in the heat of the day, as once again its been one of the hottest days of the year at 44ºc in the shade.
Apparently the best time to visit here is between mid April and Mid June when most of the major fiestas are held and NOT in mid August, due to the heat as mentioned above, as with other places we have visited Cordoba seems like a ghost town during the day and comes to life after 22.00 with families trying to enjoy the slightly cooler nights, not that it actually got much cooler, the temperature dropped to a chilly (I wish) 38ºc
There are plenty of ways to see all the sights with open top buses, free walking tours and the horse and carts, as we were so central to everything we stuck to good old fashioned shanks's pony (walking).
Derek s input: I have now been promoted to Camera Caddie and given full permission to attend all photo shoots.
Day 5 - Cordoba to Seville 145km
After leaving Cordoba fairly early with good intentions of getting to Seville before lunch... but as with this sort of journey nothing quite goes to plan and not driving on the toll roads you never know what you will find. After driving through once again some stunning scenery of miles and miles of orange and olive groves and field after field of sunflowers which unfortunately this time of year are waiting for harvesting so not in bloom if they were this drive would have been amazing, (so another good reason to do this journey slightly earlier in the year).
We decided to stop in the town of Almodóvar del Río so still in the province of Cordoba for yet another Tostada for breakfast (getting to the stage now where we are craving a good old English Breakfast) we stumbled across one of the most fantastic castles we have ever seen and found out it was open to the public so too good an opportunity to miss, we paid 9€ each entry and it was well worth it, this castle is truly spectacular and it wasn't until we had paid to go in that it is advertised as being one of the main locations for Game of Thrones and is actually HighGarden of House Tyrell so a must do for any Game of Throne fans in the area, we spent nearly 2 hours wandering round this beautifully well kept castle and it was time well spent.
Derek s input: Now that I have been given my place with the cameras with no further opportunity of promotion in this field, I have been allocated a new task. "Checker of whats up there". With so many steps everywhere, Tracy decided that she was getting tired of going up steps only to find she was looking at the same view from a different angle. New job for Derek.
Our accommodation in Seville, Hotel Maestranza,
Situated right in the heart of Seville old town so a great location for many of the main tourist attractions, just 250 m from the Cathedral, Barrio Santa Cruz is 800 m and the Plaza de España Square is 1.5 km. This was a fantastic hotel set in a restored Sevillian style mansion dating from the late nineteenth century.
This hotel deserves a higher star rating, from walking in the door you are made to feel welcome all the reception staff were polite, friendly, very helpful and for the first time in 5 days we spoke to people that could speak English. The room was spotlessly clean and tidy with everything you need for a one nights stay and considering its location very quiet, lovely comfy beds, good bathroom, including a shower and bath. Car parking is just a few seconds walk away. We would definitely stay here again even for a longer visit.
A special thanks to Antonio who checked us in and out, and after reading this article felt so sorry for us having to eat tostada every single morning presented us with a special gift upon checking out.
Seville
What a wonderful City! So vibrant and busy and yet full of smiling faces. Seville has been referred to as the "frying pan of Europe" and yes I can believe that. The temperature was still 40° at midnight. There is no way we could ever fully experience this city in just one day, and although not tied by time, we both felt a cooler time of year would be the time to do it, hence our short stay. The small narrow streets, full of restaurants, shops, street musicians and Flamenco Shows on offer throughout gives this city a heartbeat that needs to be felt. This one is a "must do" for returning. For anyone with a love of architecture and photography, this is heaven. The quality of food here is excellent good value and plenty of choice, you certainly will never go hungry here a mixed grill for 2 cost 22.90 so wont break the bank either. When considering could we find similar anywhere near Benidorm, you would have to make the trip to Valencia to come close. You will still not find better than Seville though.
Derek s input: At last I have figured out the plan. She is trying to kill me using a slow cooker. Water is my new tipple and possibly my only means of survival.
Day 6 - Seville to Ronda 129km
Accommodation - Mountain Paradise Ronda 38.50€
Mountain Paradise Ronda provided free WiFi, 1 km from Plaza de España and a 16-minute walk from Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor, these is a nice little tapas bar 2 minutes walk from the property.
This property offered rooms with a walk-in wardrobe, fully equipped private bathroom with shower and free toiletries and use of a shared kitchen and a nice roof terrace where we enjoyed a bottle of wine with the owners.
The Mountain Paradise Ronda was within walking distance of Tajo's Tree-lined Avenue, Ronda Bullring and Ronda's New Bridge. The nearest airport is Malaga Airport, 105 km from the property, but due to the extreme heat we became lazy and took the car into the town centre, plenty of parking was available.
Unfortunately we thought we were booking a hotel so spent 10 minutes driving round looking for one to discover this was actually a guest house, but after some initial doubts and thinking oh well its only for one night we really enjoyed our stay here and left feeling we had made new friends in Janitta and Juha. They made us feel very welcome, and the quality of the room and facilities was superior to most of the Hotels we stayed in during our trip. The only negative comment is the name and the description lead us to believe we were booking a Hotel and not a guest house. However this turned out to be a fortunate mistake - Would we stay here again yes if in the area.
Ronda
Ronda sits in the heart of the Serrania de Ronda, with a population of approximately 35,000 inhabitants.
Surrounded by lush river valleys and sitting above a deep ravine. It is said to be one of the most beautiful and visited cities in Spain (the third most visited city in Andalucia), but to be honest although it was lovely and worth the visit, we felt that Guadalest and the Jalon Valley is just as beautiful.
Ronda’s most famous landmark is the El Tajo gorge and the Puente Nuevo, (new bridge) which is a strange name as it was actually completed in 1793 and took forty two years to build. The bridge joins the old Moorish town and the newer, El Mercadillo parts of the city.
The other famous land mark is the Plaza de Toros - The Bullring, which was built in 1785 by the architect Jose Martin Aldehuela - the same architect who built the Puente Nuevo. This bull ring can hold up to 5000 spectators.
There are also the Arabic baths which are some of the best preserved in Spain. They were built at the end of the 13th century, unfortunately we did not get the time to visit these.
The town itself is lovely and quite busy with tourists from all over the world, one thing that did surprise us was that bars and restaurants started to close at around 23.00 which was quite a shock after coming from Seville where things are only just getting started then and don´t even think about eating between 16.00 and 20.30 as everything apart from McDonalds is closed, but there were plenty of bars and some lovely restaurants to try for anyone spending a bit more time here and of course plenty of the normal souvenir type shops.
Would we return to this area? probably not unless we were passing though to go else where, yes its lovely but you only need to see it once and we have places closer to home as mentioned above which are just as picturesque.
Derek's Input: It´s the holiday of steps! "Lets see what's down there", "Lets see what's up there". Then Janitta and Juha give me exercises to do. My God, Tracy has them in on the plan to get rid of me!!!
Day 7 - Ronda to Gibraltar, 186km
No over night stay here, we did this just because we could and to bring back happy memories of our wedding day, Gibraltar will always hold a place dear in our hearts and also after living on tostada and tapas for the last 6 days we fancied a good old English Breakfast and what better place to go for this and a spot of tax free shopping, we were warned of possible queues of up to 2 hours to get through passport checks but were only held up for around 40 minutes, so not too bad.
In our hast to get our English breakfast we were well and truly ripped off, we found The Star Bar (Gibraltar’s oldest legal drinking establishment) which dates back several hundred years, there is a local story that Christopher Columbus diverted into Gibraltar to enjoy a fillet steak meal at The Star Tavern on his way to discover the Americas! We spotted an all day English Breakfast advertised on the boards at 6.90 pounds, including a tea or coffee so thought that was just the ticket so sat down to enjoy our meal and got the shock of our life on asking for the bill (in very very small print somewhere that price was only up to midday) the total cost for 2 breakfasts, 1 decaf coffee and one normal came to a staggering 21.30 pounds - top tip never pay for anything in Euros on Gibraltar as the bill in Euros came to 27€ something.
A nice trip down memory lane and no doubt we be returning in the future, we would have stayed for one night but the prices this time of year were expensive and not much choice for last minute booking, so book in advance.
Derek s input: With Cigs at two quid a packet, it didn´t take long to recover from the breakfast "sting". Thats the 2nd time in my life, I left Gibraltar with a lot more than I arrived with.
Day 7, part 2 - Gibraltar to Benalmadena, Malaga - 120km
Avoiding any toll roads and motorways its a pleasant drive along the coast road, some quite heavy traffic in places, well heavy by Spanish standards ie a 4-5 mins delay.
Accommodation - Boutique Hotel Pueblo 2 star hotel, 95€ for one night.
This was our most expensive accommodation on the entire trip, as there was not a lot available at short notice, we had to book the premium double room with sea view (distant sea view) but were not disappointed as this was at the top of the premises so nice and quiet and was actually more like a apartment with its own fully equipped kitchen etc. I was all excited at the thought of getting up and actually having a cup of tea with my morning cigarette unfortunately it was a bit of a let down as the milk provided had gone off, other than that we enjoyed our stay the hotel was clean and tidy and the owners helpful.
This was situated just a couple of streets away from the old town of Benalmadena, and close to local bars and cafes.
Free parking was available but quite a distance from the hotel so not really convenient if you were to have a lot of luggage and parking on the road side was virtually impossible even for a quick drop off.
Would we return, yes if in the area and the price was right.
Benalmadena
Benalmadena is situated in the province of Malaga and consists of three main areas: Benalmadena Pueblo, Benalmadena Costa and Arroyo de la Miel.
Benalmadena’s beaches are mainly centred around Puerto Marina. They vary from wide, sandy beaches perfect for families to more rocky beaches that are best suited for serious swimmers, but these are situated miles away from the old town area, so if your looking for a beach area you would need to actually book on the coast itself.
The old town is quite picturesque with narrow streets and typical white buildings, although there did not seem to be a lot going on to be honest, if you're after entertainment this is not the place for you.
We had a night out at Tivilli World, I thought we would feel out of place not having children with us, but there were plenty of other couples just enjoying the shows etc, great value at 7.95€ entry per adult, and wrist bands to enjoy all the rides at around 15€, food and drinks were reasonable here as well which is unusual when they have a captive audience. What will surprise the British is that this park opens at 17.30 and doesn't shut until 01.30 and yes there are still plenty of families with young children out at that time of night, enjoying the slightly cooler temperatures.
The other place worth a visit and just up the road is the Butterfly park, Mariposario de Benalmadena here you can walk amongst more than 1,500 exotic butterflies from around the world, flying freely in a tropical paradise between waterfalls and flowers, normal cost would have been 10€ pp but if you book on line its cheaper we used the discount tickets which were available in the hotel and got a 1€ reduction each.
oh and breakfast was once again tostada con tomate lol
An enjoyable night here, but not enough going on to warrant a longer stay. Benidorm has TerraMitica which would be similar to Tivilli world and both Benidorm old town the village of Altea are nicer than Benalmadena (which only looked this pretty with all the flags etc as they were preparing for a fiesta) with the beaches being closer to the town (walking distance), with more restaurants and bars etc, maybe we just stayed in the wrong area but will not be returning, much nicer places right on our doorstep here in Benidorm.
Derek s input: Marbella, Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Torremolinos all have their tourist areas that are attempts to create another Benidorm. They all fail miserably.
Day 8 & 9 - Benalmadena to GRANADA - 142km
We only initially planned to stay in Granada for 1 night but ended up extending it to 2, not because we liked it but we were tired and the hotel was nice.
Accommodation - Hotel Molinos 1* 84€ (for 2 nights) car parking 16.50 per day.
We could not resist booking this hotel as its in the Guinness Book of Records for being the narrowest hotel in the world. It had a rooftop terrace with views over Granada and was supposedly only 10 mins from the Alhambra (more like 45 in this heat), situated in the old town area of Granada, with bars and restaurants near by, we were especially delighted to find a Mexican restaurant less than 2 minutes away, where we had probably the best meal of the entire holiday.
The hotel was lovely and again hard to believe it was only classed as a 1*, I presume this was because the lack of a lift. All the staff were polite, friendly and helpful, lovely little cafe area for breakfast which was... yes you guessed it Tostada´s and cost 5€ extra. The one big bonus to this hotel was the amazing hydrotherapy shower. Nice comfortable beds and a good sized room which was bright and airy and was a bit of a surprise for the narrowest hotel, I expected to be able to touch the walls and squeeze round beds.
Private parking (16.50 per day) was less than 2 minutes away but the hotel had a drop off/pick up point right outside, which was convenient.
Would we return - Yes definitely if we were to ever visit Granada again.
Granada
This is somewhere I had visited many years ago on the way to the airport and always wanted to see it properly, Granada lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Andalusia region. It's known for its medieval architecture which dates back to the Moorish occupation, one of the main attractions is the Alhambra. This is a sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens, Unfortunately after walking up 100´s of steps and steep roads to get to the Alhambra we found out it was a very expensive 45€ each to walk round the palace and gardens, far to expensive we felt, so made do with seeing the free areas.
The city of Granada itself I felt looked a bit tired and dirty and had the feel of more of a working city rather than a tourist destination, it was very busy compared to other places we had been on our journey and I have to say I did not feel entirely happy walking round the town centre at night time. It is the only place we encountered obvious pick pockets at work. There were plenty of touristy* type shops in the narrow streets of the La Alcaiceria which is part of the old Arab district.
The Cathedral - construction was started in 1501 by order of the Catholic royal couple. The cathedral was built on the former site of a mosque and the burial chapel for the kings was completed first. For a time, the old mosque served as a cathedral, The cathedral was built in Renaissance style and finally put to use in 1561. Afterwards, the necessary changes and additions have occurred, such as the Baroque dome church Iglesia del Sagrario in the place of the planned second tower. For nearly 200 years, various architects worked on the building of this cathedral, making the cathedral of Granada a mix of Renaissance and Gothic styles. To be quite honest we were not that impressed with the cathedral and had seen much better on our travels, not to mention you had to pay an entrance fee to see inside.
I think overall we were both a bit disappointed with Granada, it all seemed a bit tired and run down, maybe we just did not see the right areas or our expectations were too high, as everyone else seems to rave about it, but to us Seville beats it hands down as does Valencia which is only an hour and a half away from Benidorm and has much more to offer.
We will be returning - No I doubt it.
Derek s input: *yes, we know there is no such word as "touristy", but you know what it means. ... Yet again hills and steps threatened my existence on this planet....and yet again Benidorm wins hands down. The pickpockets here are much smarter, you can spot the Granada ones a mile off!!!!!
Day 10 - Granada to Sierra Nevada - 40km
As we are so close and having been to the Sierra Nevada before in winter as its mostly known as a ski resort we thought we would take a quick detour to see what it was like in the summer, the scenery is equally as spectacular in summer as it is in winter and believe it or not even in August with temperatures in the mid 30´s down in Granada there were still some patches of snow visible on the higher mountains.
The resort itself was a bit like a seaside resort in winter but the opposite way round what is a bustling resort in the winter months is quite a drab and depressing place in summer, there were still a couple of hotels open and a few bars, but the businesses obviously take this opportunity to do their renovations so there was quite a lot of building work going on. The cable cars were still working but at 14€ each just to go up and down we thought that was a bit "steep". but parking that is normally quite expensive during their peek season is free during the summer months, and as we did in winter we managed to forget where we had parked the car.
As you drive back down the mountains you have a great view of the Guejar Sierra reservoir.
We had planned to spend our last two nights on a beach somewhere, but this was not to be as we could not get a booking anywhere near the coast for just one or two nights unless we paid an extortionate amount some were coming up in the region of 600€ for a two nights stay. In fact it was actually difficult to find anywhere available to book with Spain being 98% completely booked up, so we took what we could get..... and headed inland again towards the mountains and hopefully some cooler temperatures.
Derek s input: A ski resort in August...really? The things I do to keep the peace. Perfect husband here.
Day 10 and 11 - Sierra Nevada to Huescar 139km
The journey to Huescar was amazing we drove through so many different landscapes, and the one real pleasure was finding out we were driving right beside the Guejar Sierra reservoir which we had seen driving down from the Sierra Nevada, this was just stunning, we also drove through areas where cave houses were the main residential properties, unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to take any photos of these.
Accommodation - Hostería El Molino de Portillo - 100€ for 2 nights stay including continental breakfast, free parking.
Our one stipulation was that the property had a swimming pool as we could not get a booking on the coast so we only had a choice of around 3 properties, so this seemed perfect for what we were looking for and the prospect of a continental breakfast swayed the decision.
This was the property description -
Offering free WiFi, a sun terrace with a swimming pool and barbecue facilities, Hostería El Molino de Portillo is set in Huéscar. With a garden, the property also features a shared lounge. The property offers a 24-hour front desk.
At Hostería El Molino de Portillo, every room comes with a desk. Rooms are complete with a private bathroom, while certain units at Hostería El Molino de Portillo also have a patio. The rooms have a seating area.
Well for a start the room we had did not have a desk which was important to us as we wanted to keep working on Benidorm Seriously also the seating area was one chair. The bathroom was situated up stairs which was quite unusual, and at certain times of the day the water was only a dribble, so no chance of a proper shower, only 2 power points in the entire room so had to unplug lights to power up the computers.
The swimming pool was adequate and we had it to ourselves which was a bonus. The owner spoke very little English but we managed.
This was basic but comfortable accommodation BUT and this was a big disappointment the continental breakfast we were so looking forward to turned out to be 4 slices of toast and coffee, in fact the funny thing was the owner supplied 4 slices of toast for us and when they had gone whisked the plate away, when the only other people that were staying there turned up for breakfast he introduced them to the "breakfast buffet" which we found hilarious and the look on their faces was priceless, he then again produced a plate with 4 pieces of bread that you had to toast yourself, no fruit juice, cereal, croissants, fresh fruit, just 4 slices of bread.........
The property could have been stunning with a bit of care and attention and some money spent on it, but sadly felt a bit neglected with the garden areas quite dirty and untidy, and no one in their right mind would have wanted to use the BBQ area. There were no facilities to even buy a bottle of water here and the nearest town of Huescar was a good 2.5km away which was a bit of a pain, but we did get the peace and quiet we were looking for.
Would we return - NO.
Huescar
The small town of Huescar is known as "Cuidad de la Paz" (City of Peace). It sits at an altitude of 953 metres and has a population of less than 8,500. Its quite a traditional/authentic Andalusian village. The natural surroundings are picturesque, with the stunning backdrop of mountain peaks and greenery, Like all the villages/towns this place was as dead as a door nail during the day, but come around 22.00 every single bar/restaurant was heaving with people enjoying the cooler evening air there were even queues of people waiting for tables to eat their evening meals, groups of people seemed to congregate in the square for a chat which is lovely to see and everyone seemed to have dressed up for the occasion, not a lot of English was spoken here and every single bar/restaurant seemed to have exactly the same menu on offer - tapas, we eventually managed to find one on our second night that had Lasagna on the menu.
Both nights we were here we had quite heavy thunderstorms and got caught in one on our 2nd night, luckily we had just finished our meal when the heavens opened so decided to drive back to our accommodation before it got much worse, unfortunately we timed it just wrong and on the short drive back the car was struck by hailstones the size of golf balls, we were lucky to get back without at the very least a cracked windscreen, quite a scary experience. The temperature here in the mountains was quite a bit cooler than we had experienced over the last few days and was a pleasant change.
There is quite a lot to do in this area, walking, swimming, fishing etc but our time here was to wind down, not really to go exploring which we managed to do.
Derek s input: The breakfast as Tracy says was hilarious. He called it a small buffet....lol, 4 rounds of toast and he was making sure you didn´t get greedy and go for more. The plate was removed and not returned until someone else arrived. Food must be short here. In the entire town, you eat when they decided you eat, not when you are hungry.
Next stop - HOME - Benidorm 379km
Summary
This was probably one of the best holidays we have had, every time you move on its like starting a whole new holiday, nothing was really planned apart from the 1st three nights and I thought I may find that stressful not knowing where we would be staying as I normally have everything meticulously planned, but towards the end of the holiday it was myself saying "don´t worry we will book somewhere in the morning, it may be cheaper" so a leopard can change its spots.
By not taking any toll roads and setting the Sat-Nav to an eco route, we saw some amazing things on our journey that we would otherwise have missed.
Distance driven - 1,912km
Average price of a room for the night - 55.50€
Parking - 67€
Price of petrol - 253€
Overall best accommodation - Hotel Spa Galatea 2 Star hotel, Ossa de Montiel
Favourite place visited - This has to be Seville and we will be returning for a longer stay.
Most disappointing - Granada
Best surprise along the way - Almodóvar Castle
Food - Although we generally like to embrace Spanish culture, the choice of food on menus in most places was very limited and repetitive, the one thing that surprised me was the lack of chicken on any of the menus.
Living in Benidorm tends to spoil you for anywhere else and you tend to take things for granted, ie the ability to do what you want, when you want to do it ie EAT, even at 4am, this is just not the case in other places, if your hungry between the hours of 4 - 8pm forget it even in the large cities such as Seville, things still shut.....English breakfasts and Sunday lunches again, don´t even bother looking, although food prices were not that much more expensive than in Benidorm you won´t find a pint at 1.50€..... and you will not find any where else in Europe like Benidorm for entertainment.
We also have some stunning areas of our own ie Altea, Alicante itself, Jalon Valley, Guadalest, Algar Falls the list goes on, so if you are here on holiday try and explore some of our own surrounding areas.
Would we do this again - A big fat YES and already looking forward to next years Road Trip.
Unfortunately like most working people we are tied to when we can take this sort of time off and August is probably not the best time of year to do this sort of thing as even with air con in the car that tends to struggle when the temperatures hits the mid 30´s, but we struggled on.
If you have enjoyed this page then please comment below, if not also feel free to comment (constructive criticism is welcome) and if you have any suggestions for our next trip again comment below.
Adios x
Derek s input: I fancy America next time, but not sure when can get the time off as that would need more than 10 days.
And we did it all again in 2019. The next year
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