Facts
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Townhouse
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2 bedrooms
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Sleeps 4
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1 bathroom
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100 m² living area
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35 m² terrace area
Services
Our newly renovated townhouse is situated in the small mountain village Gualchos in Andalusia, Southern Spain.
The house has two bedrooms with a double/two single beds (+ air mattress/sofa bed for the option of additional sleeping), bathroom with shower and washing machine, kitchen with dining area and fully equipped with stove, new fridge/freezer, microwave oven, power boiler and toaster.
In addition, a small, cosy living room with fireplace and two sunny roof terraces with a wonderful view to the Mediterranean Sea (about 5 km to the beach) and the surrounding mountains.
Fans in both bedroom, gas-heater in living room and electrical heater in upper bedroom.
At the "old" plaza (square) in the centre of the village you find the small “supermercado” where you can by almost everything, a weekly fish market, a bar and the source where you can get clean drinking water. At the bar you can be by prior arrangement with the lady of the house, Carmen, order a "today’s dinner", which is good, plentiful and inexpensive. Do you not agree on today's dinner we recommend trying to order for a "ratione" tapas, which is an entirely meal consisting of various small dishes (tapas). During the summer months are also the ice bar at the Plaza open.
Fresh bread can be bought at the baker (panaderia) in Calle el Pan or bake the car running "honking" around the city every morning - and often about the church at 10:30 to 11:30 o'clock.
On the outskirts of Gualchos when you come up the road from Castell de Ferro, are situated on the left side "Barbacoa Miguel" - a lovely outdoor restaurant where food is cooked over an open fire. The restaurant is unfortunately only open in summer. On the opposite side of the road is a very steep road ("ramp") up to the "new" plaza where you finds "Aberos" a small bar where it sometimes also is possible to get something to eat.
At the opposite end of Gualchos approximately 100 meters up the road towards Motril / Lujar is a very good restaurant, "La Ventera". (Closed at Mondays).
If you want to check whether there is open and possible book a table call phone: 958 830 064. (They speak English).
The village also has a doctor's surgery and a small pharmacy.
TAXI Castell de Ferro and Gualchos
633 300 115
24 hours service
Fran, fco/ Javier Martin Rodriguez
Card payment
Business travel / long-haul travel.
Andalusia (Andalucía) is the southernmost and most exciting part of Spain with an area twice as large as Denmark and a 700 km coastline. Every summer many tourists are going to Andalusia, but outside the tourist areas are a unique world of lush valley, isolated villages and small fishing villages hidden. Moors were in Andalusia in 700 years and put their mark on the field and in Granada, Seville and Cordoba you can even today find their sovereign architecture of which Alhambra in Granada is considered one of Spains greatest attractions.
The small mountain village Gualchos is situated about 80 km in a straight line south of Granada and about 150 km from Malaga. The village lies at the foot of the Sierra Lújar at 400 meters above sealevel and just five kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. Gualchos consists of grouped, crooked, whitewashed houses separated by narrow streets.
Gualchos and environs - proposals for tours and excursions
Approximately six kilometres down the mountain from Gualchos you find the small fishing village, Castell de Ferro. Here are banks with automatic withdrawals, supermarkets, fishmonger, butcher, bakery, tobacco shop, clothes shops, internet cafe, pharmacy, petrol stations etc. Every Saturday morning there is a small market in the village. On the plaza opposite the beach are two good restaurants (with the Andalusian as the best) and a cafeteria. The hostel at the other end of the plaza also has a restaurant.
Beaches
One can easily swim from the beach at Castell de Ferro - the water is clean and clear, but the beach is rather stony. "Playa La Rijana" is a very beautiful beach situated in a small bay not far from Gualchos on the coast road from Castell de Ferro towards Malaga. Look for an exit on the right hand and park your car at the car park. Then follow the small road under the main road down to the beach. It is most locals who come here and in the summer there is a small beach bar on the ground. La Rijana offers excellent snorkelling and is also known from the movie “South from Granada”. Further along the road towards Malaga west of Castell are a number of small towns with fine sandy beaches - the first in Calahonda. Also in the small coastal towns east of Castell you’ll find some good beaches.
Hike to Jolújar along the old donkey path from Gualchos
The tiny village Jolújar is situated in the next, very green, valley and has a beautiful old spring where you can fill your water bottles for the trip back. In the village is also an old church and you can meet goats, mules and donkeys. Hiking trail begins at the old spring "La Mina" in Gualchos which you find by following the street behind the church. (Calle Felix / Phoenix). Walking is round 2-3 km and about an hour each way.
Eagle Mountain (Pico de Águila)
Is the mountain top you always see when you sit on the terrace looking over the mountains to the right. From Pico de Águila is a fantastic overlooking view to Gualchos and down the valley towards Castell. You get there by following the road from Gualchos towards Motril and turning left by the wooden sign pointing to the Pico de Águila.
Lújar
Is a small, largely unspoilt village a little further up the mountains. Go there by following the road from Gualchos towards Motril and turn right towards Lújar. The village has a small bar with an outdoor terrace with stunning views over the valley toward Gualchos and the sea. Lújar has recently built a large, public, outdoor swimming pool. The pool itself is open only in summer season, while the corresponding small bar and restaurant has open most of the year. The pool is open all week from 11 to 14 and 16 to 20, except Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon.
It should also be possible to walk along the old donkey paths from Lújar to Gualchos, as you can see farther down the hill.
Motril
Is the nearest large town with many shops and a large local market Tuesday and Friday (Saturday?). “Al Campo” just outside of town is the area's "hypermarket" where you can just buy almost everything within food and non-food. You can get to Motril via the main road towards Malaga, but a very beautiful and shorter route is the road over the mountain from Gualchos.
From Motril, you can also take the ferry to the tiny Spanish enclave of Melilla (duty-free zone) on the North African coast (sailing 4 hours).
Market in Almunecar is each Friday from morning to round 14. The market is large, but somewhat dominated by tourists. On the first Saturday of the month is "antique market" in the same place with sales of furniture and much more. Above the town is the castle “Castillo de San Miguel” with a small, tranquil botanical garden and an old Roman plant for salting of fish. Right beside is a park, where tropical birds can be heard from the entrance. In Almunecar there are also good restaurants and a fine sandy beach. Almunecar is situated on the main road to Malaga, about 45 kilometres from Gualchos.
Alpujarras valley
Buy a map at a petrol station and plan your own road trip in the beautiful and exciting valley.
Golf
In Motril, just a half hour drive from Gualchos, you find "Los Moriscos, Club de Golf" - a fantastic golf course with a very beautiful location along the beach in Motril.
Los Moriscos is open for everyone and the price is only 76 euros for two people (a couple) incl. trolley. If you arrive after 11:00 o'clock, it is not necessary to book in advance. The course has 18 holes over a distance of 5072 yards, the shortest hole being the 5th at 130 yards and the longest the 15th at 492 yards.
The course is generally quite flat although there are lots of man made hazards such as lakes and bunkers. By the big lake in the centre there is a spectacular back drop of the snow covered Sierra Nevada Mountains. The peaks have snow normally from November until May. Running alongside the Lake is the driving range / academy where you can practice and obtain some excellent advice. There is also a practice putting green and cafeteria. The club house at Los Moriscos has one of the finest restaurants in the area which employs excellent International standard chef's. There is also a substantial bar and terrace area which attracts the executive set from Motril at lunch times and is very popular with the Motril "evening set" after dark.
You can read more about "Los Moriscos, Club de Golf" at Los Moriscos website.
Skiing
A few hours drive from Gualchos is the Sierra Nevada, Spains highest mountains, where you can ski from October / November to March / April. In Gualchos is it a large part of the year possible on the same day swinmming from the beach and skiing in the mountains. Between the Sierra Nevada and Gualchos is the beautiful Alpujarra valley.