Moorish Andalucia

Arrive in Malaga, one of the main port cities in Andalucia. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Malaga at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), which is around 25 minutes' drive from our hotel. The Tour Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for a welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. Should you miss the meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day there is plenty to see in the attractive downtown of Malaga, much of which is pedestrianised. The hotel is located a 20 minute walk or 5 minute taxi or bus ride from the historic centre (the bus leaves every 10 minutes from outside of CaixaBank on Alamdeda de Capuchinos, opposite the taxi rank - the tour leader can direct you). The Picasso museum is worth a visit, the collection represents his entire life's work and is housed in the 16th-century Buenavista Palace.

After breakfast we'll check out of our hotel and travel (2 hours) to Ronda by train. The historic town of Ronda is often described as one of Spain's most attractive and it is dramatically perched high above El Tajo gorge. The bridge that spans the gorge often features in photos and separates the 15th century new town from its old town with Moorish roots. After checking in to our hotel we will spend the afternoon exploring Ronda on foot followed by the option of making our way down into the gorge for dramatic views from below. This involves stairs and a steep trail down in to and out of the gorge and depending on people's interest and ability can be between 2 to 5 miles return with up to 300 metres descent and ascent. In your free time later this afternoon you may like to visit the Arabic baths or the bull ring. Ronda played a key role in the development of modern bullfighting and it's bullring is Spain's oldest and most beautiful.

Today we explore the rugged and beautiful limestone scenery of Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park on an easy and rewarding hike. We first travel by bus to the pretty mountain village of Grazalema, picturesquely nestled in the foothills of the Sierra del Pinar Mountains and overlooked by Penon Grande peak. We drive on to Puerto del Boyar to start our walk back to Grazalema. Our walking route takes us through holm oak and Spanish fir forests and open rocky terrain with typical Mediterranean vegetation, passing occasional cortijos or traditional ranches. Keep an eye out for griffon vultures as Europe's largest colony nest in the park. After some time to explore Grazalema village we travel back to Ronda where the rest of the afternoon is free. The walk is approximately 6.5 km with about 180 metres ascent and 400 m descent, and will take around three hours to complete. If you prefer not to walk you can spend the morning in Grazalema until the walkers arrive or the whole day at leisure in Ronda.