Seaside Gazette » Excursions

El Pato Loco and Alhama

Editor — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:14:02 +0000

Last month in her article on El Pantano de Bermejales, Louise Powell described the pronounced change in landscape that takes place as you travel up from the coast, on your way to this picturesque reservoir near Jayena. Well, this month, we are going to take you even further afield along that route, where you will find landscape right out of southern France or even Southern Britain.
Although you can reach your destination and return in one day, easily, you will find plenty of things to keep you there overnight in order to take in more sites the next morning. For that reason, we have somewhere for you to eat, bathe and pass the night, if you choose to.
Just about every little corner that I have come across over the years has been on a motorbike of varying degrees of reliability, legality and cubic centimetres and El Restaurante Asador, Piscina Pato Loco is no exception. I found this great restaurant with its large swimming pool, right in the middle of nowhere, when after following the road around El Patano de los Bermejales I took a right instead of a left that would take me home. The road sign said Játar and I thought, ‘bugger it!’ and set off. When I got to the village I had a look around and headed back to the Játar T-junction where again I was seduced by a road sign, but this time, muttering in a challenging manner, Alhama de Granada, less than a dozen kilometres away. I though, ‘bugger it,” again and set off for Alhama.
The landscape was fantastic. A long straight road, little wider than a lane, running through golden cornfields, dotted with evergreen oaks. Most of the road had roadside, natural hedges and I felt suddenly back in England.
All of a sudden I came across the large parking area for a restaurant on the right, with ample parking on the other side of the road too, amongst the trees. On the side of the road where the trees were is a large pond, which is an aquatic fowl sanctuary, by the way.
Anyway, when I entered the Pato Loco, I was greeted by two things: a huge, high-roofed dinning room, with large (real) wooden beams crossing the ceiling and through the window, an equally huge swimming pool. I couldn’t believe my luck.
A flurry of waiters sped between the tables, whilst the open wood-fired grill kept the waiters ‘loaded,’ and mutiny at the tables in check. I thought that it would be horribly expensive but that was certainly not the case. The last three times that María and I have eaten there it came to around 37 euros for the both of us.
The swimming pool has an entrance fee of 3.5 euros per adult on weekdays and 4 euros on weekends. You don’t have to use the restaurant to be able to use the pool, although they belong to the same complex.
Now, if you want to walk off your dinner, instead of sinking to the bottom of the pool, then you have a delightful walk awaiting you because about one hundred metres from the restaurant there are Los Tajos de Alhama de Granada. A footpath takes you through the steep-sided canyon and brings to the centre of Alhama de Granada. It only takes about half an hour, if I remember correctly. The Town of Alhama is well worth a visit, also, for its architecture and your camera will work itself to death.
I’ve got to tell you about the thermal springs and God knows how many other things, but that will have to be another month.
How to get there: Same route as to the reservoir. Take the Otívar road, go right up onto the plains, take the only turning left along the way, which is marked ‘Jayena.’ Drop down into the valley (approx. 10 km) and you pass through Jayena, going past the town hall, you come out the other side. There are gas stations before and after Jayena, by the way.
Carry on past the Arenas de Rey turning and at the top of a hill you will see a sign for Los Bermejales on the left. Take it.
This takes you down past a camping site as you run along the lakeshore. The road come to a cross road, which is where you turn left and drive along the top of the dam. You come to a junction where you turn left. This road takes you along the other side of the lake. This is a great, shady lane with plenty of views, too.
Finally, you pass through a village (Arenas del Rey) and come to a T-junction. Turn right and follow the signs for Játar. After a few kilometres of bends you come to another T-junction, where you have Játar indicated to the left and your destination to the right. Turn right.
Enjoy the road and landscape until you screech to a halt at the restaurant where the road curves round to the right.
How to get home: you can either retrace your steps back along the way that you came, (wimp), or you can carry on, passing the weir on your left and up to a T-junction where Ventas de Zafarrayas is indicated to your left and Granada to your right. Go right.
This road takes you past Alhama de Granada without entering it and getting lost there. At the bottom of the hill before you start to climb again, take note that there is a bridge with a turning to the left, which takes you to the thermal springs. Don’t take it! Follow the Granada signs until you come to a junction where Embalse de Bermejales is indicated.
Eventually you will come to the dam again and from there you will know where you are,
That’s it – the article is far too long, but at least you have directions to follow. Enjoy your day out and food if you decide to eat at the Pato Loco – you would be insane not to! Oh, quickly, El Pato Loco doesn’t have rooms, but the place next to it does. Ask Javier at the El Pato Loco and he will show you where.

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Vélez Benaudalla

Editor — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:05:10 +0000

The first time that I ever ventured up to Vélez Benaudalla was in 1982, when the main road through the canyon had only been open for six years. Until then, to reach Granada from Motril, you took the old N-323 from the north of Motril up through Vélez Benaudalla. On that occasion, I went up on a borrowed moped.
Since then, the village has grown, but not horrendously. In fact, from the Órgiva junction to the other end of the village, the main thoroughfare takes you past large houses with gardens above the road, where a spot of envy kicks in, and then onto the centre of the village, with its 18th century church, village fountain and long, straight main street.
When you reach the other end, after passing a few old-style café/bars, you either wind down to the canyon road or take the leisurely Gogoracha road to the top end of Motril. I recommend the second, because despite the dizzy junction with the new autovía, the road soon recovers its relaxing composure, gliding you past the cottages before the tunnel, which are a delight. Once you emerge from the tunnel on the Motril side, the views of the coast are great and the road itself is a time warp back to the 70’s.
Vélez Benaudalla’s two most important historical points are the tower, which was rebuilt by the Catholic Monarchs after the Reconqista (early 1500’s) and the Nazari Gardens that go back even further, to the times of Muslim Spain.
One of the most cherished assets of Spain for the Muslims was the abundance of water, so fountains and running water was a central theme for any garden or palace. It is no wonder that Benaudalla, with its abundance of water and command over a then-navigable river should attract their eye. Anybody who has travelled through the canyon route will have seen water cascading down from the village, just about any time of year.
El Jardín Nazari is considered by many as the second Generalife. Whereas that might be an exaggeration to compare it with the extensive gardens of Alhambra, it is the only other Jardín Nazari in Andalucía that is open to the public. The Jardín Nazarí is really divided into four different features: the garden in itself, the old mill, built in 1815, the ancient irrigation channels and the old manor house. Unfortunately, at the moment, this tourist attraction is being restored but if you are intending to visit it in the future, it is best to contact the Town Hall, asking for Conchi, who is in charge of Tourism, on 958 658 011.
The old town has the typically Andalusian, narrow, almost cascading streets, refreshingly decorated by geraniums and plant pots in general. Also worth a visit is the Nacimiento (spring), or the principle source of the village’s ample water supply.
Finally, the Arab tower/keep holds the Centro de Interpretación del Patrimonio de Vélez de Benaudalla, or in other words, a small heritage information office.

All photos courtesy of: Guadalinfo, Vélez de Benaudalla

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El Pantano de los Bermejales

Louise Powell — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:01:15 +0000

Found on the other side of the coastal mountains is the stunning Bermejales Reservoir. Now you’ll definitely need transport to get to this one, as its located 77 km inland from Almuñécar, but the impressive drive is well worth the effort.
I made the journey last month perched precariously on the back of Ed’s bike and was completely blown away by the contrasting landscapes that passed us by. As you rise out of the Río Verde valley stark calcium and shale rock faces soar overhead and the colours change almost instantly from lush greens to arid whites and greys.
Here we startled a group of leisurely mountain deer and were guided onwards by a pair of majestic eagles circling above. At this point look out for the ghostly abandoned petrol station and you’re on the right track. It’s amazing to think that this windy, mountainous route is a well-used, alternative road to Granada and the coast, especially as we didn’t encounter a single vehicle!
After rounding the ridge and dropping onto the Granada plateau, the landscape changes dramatically; once again and pine forests litter the sides of the roads. You’ll come to a fairly isolated restaurant called Los Prados, named after the surrounding meadows, and it’s a good place to stop and enjoy the views and the peace and quiet. This area behind was once kept alive by the charcoal-making and resin-collecting industry and abandoned cottages where the old resin collectors used to live can be found if you travel down a track to the left of the Restaurant.
These days the old resin factory (La Resinera)is used as the headquarters for the fire-fighters, Infoca. Anyway, the Los Prados restaurant is a good place to stop for a coffee or refreshments, or just get out and stretch your legs, on your way to the reservoir.
The road continues on and soon the landscape changes dramatically once again giving a feeling of being transported to South of France, with sweeping yellow cornfields on either side and picturesque little cottages planted in-between. Upon reaching the first and only crossroads, hang a left following the signs for Jayena and, if your lucky enough to be on a small-cylinder bike, cut the engine and enjoy freewheeling through the leas. You should really notice the rise in temperature as you descend into Jayena, because the crossroad stand at 1,400 metres above sea level, so the fresh mountainous breeze turns into warm heat waves from the baked fields the by the time that you reach Jayena, ten kilometres on.
Going through the pleasant little town of Jayena you should pass the town hall on your right and keep following the road out. Here the tell tale signs of greenery and fresher air will let you know that your approaching water again, and be a welcome relief.
The beautiful blue waters and open space of the reservoir soon come into sight making a lasting impact, so far removed from the bustle of the coast. The narrow dam-top road curves out to the rectangular arches that stand equidistant between the two end of he dam. The quaint little watchtower is tremendously stunning, be sure to take it all in from various angles if you decide to follow the leafy lane that circles the reservoir.
Now its quite possible at this point that you may not want to leave, so I would highly recommend a stop over in Vicente’s timeless Bar-Restaurante, El Cruce (The Crossroads), where you can rent a room for the night. El Cruce is located in the centre of the hamlet, known simply as El Pueblo del Pantano. Even if you don’t decide to stay over and enjoy a two-day visit, at the very least, you’ll want to stop here and sample some of his wife Maria’s home cooking, at only eight euros for the menu of the day you can’t go wrong. Take a quick look at the impressive photos on the walls here of the reservoir at its fullest with water gushing out of the huge overflow at full throttle.
The village, as most small inland villages do, has its own special little ambience and charm and mostly everyone you encounter will be happy to swap a tale or two.
The layout of the dam installations has a regimented military feel to it – indeed there are even air-raid shelters! It’s well worth a little wander around to see the pretty (garrison) church and the relief concrete map of the area (looks like an old pond). The air here is cool, the beer somehow tastes better and the peace is astounding. Enjoy!
What to bring: Camera, transport and swimming costumes.
Cost: Petrol money, 154km round trip from Almuñécar.

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Junta de los Ríos

Louise Powell — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:59:36 +0000

First up the paradisal waterfalls, one of our best kept local secrets. I’m almost loath to tell you all about this heavenly place for fear that you’ll all rush out and I’ll have to share my newly discovered corner of paradise. But, being the caring sharing kind of girl that I am, I shall continue. Tucked away just beyond Otívar, the turn off for the windy road that takes you down to the cascading waters is marked by stoic, bright yellow gate posts on your left, near kilometre marker 43 and although the waterfalls are public, the road crosses private land so you have to pay a small admission fee (or brave a short-cut cross country if you’re feeling particularly adventurous).
It’s a bit of a bumpy ride but I should expect you’ll be too busy feeling at one with nature to notice too much, especially as you pass over the bridge and through the breathtaking rocky canyon. As you reach the end of the track there’s plenty of space to leave the car (and not a blue zone in sight) as you’ll have to walk up on foot to reach the first of many crystalline paddling pools.
As you traverse the river bed track on your right (there are two, hence the Junta de los Ríos) you’ll find beautiful blue waters surrounded by lush green vegetation of the Chorrera. Bliss! But don’t stop there, the funs only just started. At this point I recommend a combination of paddling upstream, wading through the water as you go, and climbing up the rocky overhangs.
If you’d prefer to walk rather that swim however there are alternate paths running alongside the river joined at various intervals by Indiana Jones style footbridges. (Note, apparently these are incredibly scary for our four legged friends and some time may be spent coaxing the little ones across).
About a hours journey upstream you will eventually come to the rather impressive ‘Y-waterfall’ the point where you can go no further. The birth place of the Río Verde is not far above – about 3 km.
This waterfall is a perfect place to take a breather before making your way back down. Skinny dipping optional mind, as you may well be surprised by groups of abseilers taking the slightly riskier route down, descending over the rock face above you. If you fancied joining them however there are many companies that offer organised trips that start off at the top of the valley and involve some pretty adventurous canyoning trips down the rapids of the Chorrera.
What to bring: Swimming costumes, towel, picnic, sunscreen and footwear that you don’t mind getting wet!
Cost: 5 euros per vehicle and remember, the gates close at seven!

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The Canyon Route

Editor — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:37:40 +0000

Anybody that has travelled up to Granada cannot have failed to be impressed by the gorge or canyon of the Azud de Vélez, which is just below, Vélez Benaudalla. Yet, until the opening of the A-44, it would have been dangerous to distract your attention from the hitherto, dangerously busy road to look at the scenery. Well, now’s your chance.
Now, I always take the N-340 instead of the autovía because there is ample opportunity to stop and admire the sheer verticality of those cliffs, but you needn’t limit yourself to purely that, because in these days when the beaches are heaving with beach-goers, there is a very close-to-hand alternative – and I don’t mean a chlorine-laden public swimming pool, but a beautiful, shaded river area, complete with picnic area and ample parking. I’m talking about the ‘playa de Vélez Benaudalla.’
It’s not difficult to find the access to this area, which the main road passes right by: continue until you come to a bar called El Frenazo, just before the bridge before the dam. You’ll find it on the right and running behind the bar is the lane, which passes under the main road and onto the track, which runs back the way you came, but on the other side of the river. About a couple of hundred yards down this track, which is in very good condition, and you will come to the parking area on your left, right next to the picnic area.
The picnic area is spacious with stone tables and benches – there is even a little bar there, which opens up for village-fête occasions. The riverbank gives very easy access to the river, which is neither deep nor has anything more than a walking-pace current. But we are talking about a paddling area where in some places you can stand up to your waist. You might imagine a muddy affair, but nothing could be farther from the truth as the Vélez Town Hall has provided wide stone ramps, and even shallow steps to access the water, both having hand rails. The whole area is shaded as it stands amongst tall, leafy trees.
The tajos del la garganta, or cliffs of the gorge, soar up just over 200 metres, before giving way into hillside, slopping up steeply to 600 metres. To put that into perspective, the deepest point of Englands’ Cheddar Gorge is just over half that, at 113 metres. I walked up there once, with Stewarts’ son, Sam, clambering up the hillside round the back and that was very hard going. We bumped into a wild boar, by the way, which was obviously unaccustomed to finding humans up there – sane or otherwise. The view, looking over the edge of the cliff, was fantastic and the cars hammering along below did look like Dinky Toys. Anyway, I’m not suggest that you do the same, much less try what I have seen some people doing, ‘free climbing’ the cliff face – arghhhh!
At the other end of the Azud de Vélez, you have the turning up to Las Alpujarras, just before Rules Dam, which is another place to visit. The amount of water gushing out is impressive – it is released because there is still no way of transferring it anywhere further down the coast owing to the huge evacuation pipes for the irrigation system still not being completed.
So, after admiring the cliffs, swimming in the river and viewing the dam, you must be getting hungry, but this is certainly not a problem. To do this feature I enlisted the backing of two great eating establishments at either end of the Azud de Vélez: El Puente, which is just before the dam at the northern end, and El Surtidor, which is first restaurant at the southern end, complete with a gasoline station, hence its name (the petrol pump). Before I give you details of these two highly recommended restaurants, I mustn’t forget to give you a little bit of info behind topographical names: azud is a name of Arabic origin which means irrigation dam or water wheel, and Benaudalla comes from Guadi Beni Abdallah, meaning ‘The Son of the Valley of the Serf (Servant) of God.’ Great stuff, eh? Now back to grub!
El Surtidor is spacious and there is plenty of parking, because when this was the main route for traffic heading to and from Granada, it was a favourite stop for coaches and buses. It’s got three spacious dinning rooms – one just for smokers – a small kiddies’ park around the back and even rooms to pass the night. And of course, the gasoline station is right next door so everybody; even your car, gets to have a refreshing drink.
The food is great and not expensive. In fact, the menu del día will only set you back nine euros a head and for that you get a choice of ten first courses and ten main courses! As for eating times, the kitchen is open until midnight, straight through from early morning! The restaurant specialises in grilled meat but offers a wide variety of other dishes. It’s also worth noting that they cater for communions and large parties in general.
El Surtidor also offers a collection of small gifts for travellers, both comestible and ornamental. More info: see advert on this spread.
At the other end of the Azud de Vélez, just as you cross over the bridge and on the right, you have El Restaurante El Puente, which you can’t miss, not only because it is virtually at the foot of the stone road bridge, but is also a stand-alone building with a large Coca-Cola sign on it, which is clearly visible even from the N-323.
The main attraction of this well-established restaurant/mesón is its ivy-covered eating patio, which is spacious and beautifully shaded by the ‘chambao.’ Furthermore, the noise of running water, just below in the river, reinforces the sense of a cool and tranquil setting. El Puente specialises in Carne a la Brasa (Grilled Meats) as well, but also offers much more.
For me – a hearty carnivore – I love their roast leg of lamb. In fact, even María does, and she is not a fan of lamb at the best of times. The presentation is well cared for, right down to the little ‘duck,’ made out of tomato, an olive, a gherkin, a toothpick and a small endive leaf.
El Puente also has an excellent interior dinning room with some very interesting photos and antique objects.

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