They say, and rightly so, that the best thing to do when planning a trip is to think it through, prepare it, and have a mental vision of the future route, of the main stopping and contemplation points…
This is what happened to me with Grazalema, a formidable natural space in the province of Cadiz, at 812 metres above sea level, admired for two main reasons. First, for being a pole of rainfall in Spain, snow and water, above 2,000 litres/m2 per year. Yes, yes, more than Santiago de Compostela, in some years when it reaches 4,000.
This is the most alpine part of Andalusia, covered with holm oaks, cork oaks and forests of other species. Among them, precisely the second reason why Grazalema is so well known: its Sierra de “abies pinsapus”, or Spanish fir. A splendid conifer, which can reach more than 30 metres in height, remember the specimens in front of the Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. A species that also grows in neighbouring Ronda (Sierra de las Nieves), and which also lives on the other side of the Alboran Sea, in the Rif, in the beautiful forests of Ketama; exploited for so many years in the Spanish protectorate for Renfe sleepers.
We made the trip from Seville, passing through Cabezas de San Juan, the place where Riego rose up against Fernando VII, promoting the validity for three years of the Constitution of Cádiz of 1812. Then we passed through Arcos de la Frontera, a beautiful city with sensational gardens and parks, a castle and palaces, and where the narrowness of some streets puts some drivers to the test.
And then straight away, along the 372 highway, to Grazalema and Ronda. Don’t miss it: fifty kilometres of splendid natural beauty that deserve to be in the repertoire of any nature lover. For me, what was a dream for many years was finally realized.
Many thanks to Christian, José Luis, Lorenzo, Navasqués and Gabilondo, companions on an unforgettable trip to the beauty of Grazalema.