Summer 2015 Newsletter

We have had a great Spring season and have had many happy walkers. Our groups are becoming more diverse with more and more people coming from countries outside of the traditional UK and Ireland areas to experience the beautiful Andalucian mountains. From Spring 2016 we are going to be running an Andalucian Experience holiday with 3 days walking in the Sierra Nevada, 1 night in Granada and the Alhambra, 3 days walking in Grazalema and 1 night in Ronda. Also we are going to the Picos this Autumn so scout out possible self guided and guided holidays in the area - we will keep you informed. We are off to Iceland next week and will be sending out a trip report to everyone. We have several holidays running this autumn and to view them go here - Dates & Prices Autumn 2015 We look forward to seeing some of you in Autumn. Ibex Trex Walking Holidays Andalucia's Big Six ANDALUCIA boasts six UNESCO sites, including one of Spain’s only two natural sites, Donana National Park in Huelva. The vast nature reserve and wetland is a breeding site for thousands of migratory breeds, and also home to the endangered Iberian lynx. Elsewhere, Granada’s stunning Moorish palace, the Alhambra, has been awarded the accolade, as has Cordoba’s Mezquita, the city’s extraordinary cathedral built around a mosque. The Alcazar and Gardens in Sevilla has also made the list along with the beautiful renaissance cities of Ubeda and Baeza in Jaen province. Finally, 68 items of cave art in Almeria, Granada and Jaen have been recognised for their importance in depicting the way of life during a critical phase of human development.

Caminito Del Rey  The world's most dangerous walkway is now open for the first time in 14 years. Spain’s three kilometre-long cliff-side path, built 100 metres above the Desfiladero del los Gaitanes gorge, was closed in 2001 following five deaths in 1999 and 2000. Daredevil tourists continued to try their luck along it however, prompting local officials to launch a $3.36m (£2.23m) scheme ten years ago to renovate it. Now that a glass floor has been installed and the final planks laid, the walk will reopen to the public during Holy Week, which begins on March 29, according to Elías Bendodo, the president of the Diputación Provincial de Málaga. The 110-year-old walkway, set in the village of El Chorro, north west of Málaga, has been fixed with a new wooden pathway and equipped with safety lines and steel bolts for visitors, who will be required to wear a helmet to walk across it. Caminito del Rey (the 'Kings’s walkway') was completed in 1905 and was used by construction workers carrying goods to the Guadalhorce dam. Its royal association came when it was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1921. If you would like us to reserve some tickets for this walk please contact us.