Activities

Walking & Climbing

Our part of Andalucia is perfect for walking, running and cycling, whether on the road and on the thousands of tracks through the olive groves and farming country.  Several 
1:25000 scale maps are available at Casa Antonio which cover our recommended local walks below. For further afield, you could either use your own GPS or follow the link below for an interactive map of Spain.  Use the on-screen controls to centre the map and zoom in or out to get the level of detail you need. The controls can be fairly clunky, so be patient…

http://www.ign.es/iberpix2/html5/visor/index.html

These maps show the main olive grove tracks which are well maintained and are excellent way to access the more remote areas of the countryside.

Planned walks are available:

One hour circular walk from Casa Antonio on olive grove tracks with views back to the village of Mures and beyond to the castle at Alcala La Real

Two hour circular walk from Casa Antonio on olive grove tracks giving views to surrounding villages and the Sierra Nevada.

Two hour circular walk from Casa Antonio taking you into the countryside giving you the opportunity of discovering the many cortijos and pueblos surrounding Mures.

A two hour circular walk from a nearby beautiful pueblo, famous for its 14th century Moorish castle with views to nearby Atalayas (Watchtowers) and dramatic landscape.

Four hour circular walk from Casa Antonio on olive grove tracks leading to other small pueblos where refreshment is available and spectacular views to surrounding mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

Four hour circular walk starting and finishing at nearby pueblo, through a spectacular gorge leading to a reservoir with stunning views to the snow capped (November – June) Sierra Nevada mountains..

Six hour walk from Casa Antonio on olive grove tracks through spectacular scenery with sheer escarpments, passing through an abandoned village with ruined hermitage and a small monastery.

An easy, but varied, beautiful walk following narrow valleys of native woodland. Set at over 1100m the views are far reaching, over the tops of one mountain range to the next and beyond…..amazing, with spectacular views to Lake Colomera and the snow covered Sierra Nevada beyond, passing stunning escarpments along the way.

A lovely circular walk from Casa Antonio taking you into the countryside with sweeping views to the south to the mountains north of Granada and Moclin and to the west to La Mota at Alcala La Real.

Bird Watching

The garden at Casa Antonio and the surrounding area abound with birdlife, many of which will be unfamiliar to most British townies.

Depending on the time of year, you may well hear and/or see some of the following, which have all been spotted in the surrounding area by previous visitors to Casa Antonio.

Sue Bryan, an RSPB member, conducted a survey of the local and migratory bird population during a visit a few years ago and a list of her sightings is given below.  This has been updated to include sightings by another enthusiast a couple of years later.

1. Great Cormorant Granada 24/10/2006
2. Little Egret Salobrena 23/10/2006
3. Grey Heron Granada 24/10/2006
4. White Stork Cordoba 26/10/2006
5. Mallard Granada 22/10/2006
6. Eurasian Griffon-vulture Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
7. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Granada 22/10/2006
8. Booted Eagle Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
9. Common Kestrel Mures 25/10/2006
10. Red-legged Partridge Granada 24/10/2006
11. Common Sandpiper Granada 24/10/2006
12. Western Yellow-legged Gull Salobrena 23/10/2006
13. Black Tern Granada 22/10/2006
14. Eurasian Collared-dove Granada 22/10/2006
15. Common Kingfisher Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
16. Alpine Swift Mures August 2008
17. Pallid Swift Mures August 2008
18. Eurasian Hoopoe Mures 23/10/2006
19. Short-toed Lark Colomera 25/10/2006
20. Crested Lark Mures 22/10/2006
21. Wood Lark Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
22. Eurasian Crag-martin Salobrena 23/10/2006
23. Red-rumped Swallow Mures August 2008
24. Pied Wagtail Mures 22/10/2006
25. Grey Wagtail Mures 22/10/2006
26. Alpine Accentor Sierra Nevada 24/10/2006
27. European Robin Mures 22/10/2006
28. Nightingale Mures August 2008
29. Black Redstart Otivar 23/10/2006
30. Whinchat Colomera 27/10/2006
31. Common Stonechat Mures 22/10/2006
32. Black Wheatear Colomera 27/10/2006
33. Blue Rock-thrush Colomera 27/10/2006
34. Eurasian Blackbird Colomera 24/10/2006
35. Mistle Thrush Mures 27/10/2006
36. Cetti”s Warbler Mures 22/10/2006
37. Reed Warbler Mures August 2008
38. Melodious Warbler Mures August 2008
39. Blackcap Mures 22/10/2006
40. Sardinian Warbler Otivar 23/10/2006
41. Willow Warbler Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
42. Common Chiffchaff Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
43. Spotted Flycatcher Hornachuelos 26/10/2006
44. Long-tailed Tit Mures 22/10/2006
45. Great Tit Mures 25/10/2006
46. Blue Tit Granada 25/10/2006
47. Woodchat Shrike Mures August 2008
48. Great Grey Shrike Mures August 2008
49. Golden Oriole Mures August 2008
50. Eurasian Jay Colomera 25/10/2006
51. Azure-winged Magpie Mures 23/10/2006
52. Black-billed Magpie Mures 22/10/2006
53. Red-billed Chough Sierra Nevada 24/10/2006
54. Eurasian Jackdaw Mures 22/10/2006
55. Common Raven Cordoba 26/10/2006
56. Common Starling Mures 22/10/2006
57. Spotless Starling Mures 27/10/2006
58. House Sparrow Mures 22/10/2006
59. Rock Sparrow Colomera 24/10/2006
60. Chaffinch Granada 24/10/2006
61. European Serin Granada 22/10/2006
62. European Greenfinch Mures 22/10/2006
63. European Goldfinch Mures 22/10/2006
64. Eurasian Linnet Mures 22/10/2006
65. Cirl Bunting Colomera 27/10/2006
66. Rock Bunting Otivar 23/10/2006
67. Ortolan Bunting Mures 25/10/2006
68. Corn Bunting Mures 23/10/2006

Cycling

Spain is a cycling-mad country and you will typically see cyclists out training throughout the year. Click here for a website with details of Mountain Biking routes around Alcala La Real.

Beaches & Water Sports

Embalses (Reservoirs)

Fresh water reservoirs in Spain are widely used by locals for swimming and water sports, picnicking and relaxing during the summer months. There are several within an hour’s drive, notably at Colomera, Cubillas and Iznajar. Most offer equipment rental for pedalos and kayaking, and some have windsurfing classes available. All of those mentioned have “chiringuito” (open air) bar and restaurant facilities.

Costa Tropical

The Costa Tropical runs from Motril, south of Granada to Malaga. There are several good beaches, including those at Almuñecar, Salobreña and La Herradura.  Some have pebbles rather than sand, so good rubber slip-ons are a good idea to keep your feet protected.

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