The streets of Alajar village high in the Aracena Hills near Seville
Our new Foodie holiday in Andalucia starts in the pretty village of Alajar in the Sierra de Aracena. The village has a population of less than 500 but incredibly there is of choice of has seven restaurants within the village.
Lucy & Angel, the owners of the hotel where you stay in the village, will talk you through each restaurant – this place is great for jamon, this one has the best paella, that sort of thing.
I visited with a friend and we wanted a long leisurely lunch – very Andalucian! Angel recommended a restaurant that he said had everything – great service, food, wine and ambience. It was Saturday afternoon around 15:00 so it was a late lunch even by Spanish standards.
We wandered down the narrow cobbled streets and commented on how quiet the village was. There were a few dogs wandering around but no other sign of life as all of the shops had closed for the afternoon siesta.
We got to the street where Angel had told us to go but couldn’t see any restaurant – it’s a tiny street in a tiny village so a bit surprising. After checking the address I walked back along the street and noticed a small restaurant sign next to a big wooden door. Aha. I opened the big door and was initially shocked by the noise and life behind it.
It was quite surreal to go from the silence of the empty village streets to the noise of big Spanish families all enjoying weekend lunch. There was certainly life behind those doors.
There were no tables free so we sat in the bar area for half an hour or so just soaking up the atmosphere. We ordered some bellota ham and sherry – yes sherry.
My friend was very dubious about having sherry and I know she was suddenly thrown back to the 80s with visions of her granny sipping a glass of Harvey’s, but sherry in this part of the world is something completely different.
A chilled glass of fino or manzanilla is a perfect accompaniment to the jamon. My friend quickly agreed and now sees sherry in a whole new light. We sat at the bar while the owner of the restaurant carefully and slowly carved the belotta for us. We quickly polished it off.
We then moved into the main restaurant area. Angel had recommended, almost insisted, that we go for the pork steak. It is not something I would usually choose as I find pork quite tasteless at times but I went along with the recommendation.
I was asked how I wanted it cooked – rare, medium - which was a surprise as I didn’t know pork came as anything but ‘done’ – but that is possibly because I very rarely, if ever, order pork off a menu.
Anyway, the meat came and I have to say I had no idea pork could taste like that. It was wonderfully tender, surprisingly succulent and was just served as it was without any need for sauces. It was simply delicious. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
After lunch we went back into the main bar area to pay and the owner insisted on giving us a ‘chupito’ which is basically a post-meal short drink. Not wanting to offend I dutifully drank it but it kept getting re-filled. It took me a while to realise that it would keep on being filled as long as I kept finishing it … so be warned!
We finally left the restaurant around 18:00 so it was indeed a very long leisurely lunch which the Andalucians would be proud of.
If you would like to enjoy a meal at El Padrino as part of our Andalucía Foodie walking holiday or on our Andalucía Inn to Inn walking holiday then call us on 01273 676 712.
Stay in small, sustainable lodgings
We are very excited about our new walking holiday in Andalucia.
It’s a sort of laid back inn to inn with great food. You only move on every other day so the pace is slow and lets you really get the most from the great places you stay.
The accommodation offered on this holiday is all comfortable, not luxurious but charming, characterful and each in a very different but striking location.
Over the course of the holiday you stay in a village, on a farm and out in the countryside on a hill. Each place reflects a different aspect of what makes this area special. Culture, people, food and landscape.
In addition to this, the owners of each place are passionate about protecting the environment.
In Alájar, Lucy & Angel have built the hotel from scratch. The whole hotel is insulated by lamb’s wool and cork. Heating during the winter months and air conditioning during the summer months is all generated by ground source energy.
On the farm the concern for the environment focuses on low-impact living and being as self sufficient as possible. The owners live off their land as much as they can – milk, eggs and cheese come from their own chickens and goats. They also have their own organic allotment.
The final lodge is a complete eco-build. Everything from design through to completion has used processes that are both sustainable and responsible. The vision of the owners was to create maximum comfort using natural and renewable sources. All of the electricity on site is generated by solar power and the property is heated in the winter months by burning ground up olive stones.
All three of the places you stay have their own food sources and are followers of the Slow Food Movement which aims to ensure that food should be as local as possible and prepared in a way that respects the environment, human health, animal welfare and that producers are paid a fair price for their food.
The result is delicious home cooking.
Find out more about our walking holidays in Spain
or about this Andalucia walking holiday.
Rural Andalucia at its finest
I have been to Andalucia many times - over the last 10 years I have probably taken a holiday there 8 times.
People often ask me why I always choose to go there as I don’t feel Spain, particularly southern Spain, has quite managed to shrug off its sun and sangria image. Of course there are pockets of Andalucia that I avoid but the vast majority is simply stunning. If you then also consider the short flight from the UK – or train journey – and pretty-much guaranteed good weather between March and October then for me personally it is hard to beat.
Firstly there is the walking – our walking holiday in western Andalucia covers a quiet and beautiful corner of the region. Walk through meadows, forests, olive groves, and untouched villages that have not changed in centuries. You are unlikley to come across other walkers on the route – the area is still very much untouched. Unusually for the mediterranean there are four definite seasons here too . If you go in the spring (March – May) the area is awash with colour from wild flowers in bloom. In autumn everything changes again and the hillsides are dazzling in reds and golden colours. The summer months are hot but I have to admit I quite enjoy going during these months as it gives me the perfect excuse to do nothing but sleep and eat.
That brings me nicely on to the food … another highlight. I am a fan of locally produced food as it simply has more taste. In Andalucia I am absolutely spoilt for choice – olives, fish, salads, oils, honey, nuts and a huge vairety of fruit that I simply don’t bother with at home. Most food is just served as it is, on its own without the need for sauces to add flavour. You can stop in the simplest-looking tapas bar and enjoy the most delicious food. And I still stand by the fact that I have never had a bad coffee in Spain – OK I know coffee is not exactly local to Spain, they just know how to make it .
Then there are the villages. There are literally hundreds of white villages or pueblo blanco scattered around Andalucia. Most of them are perched high up on hilltops as they were built as fortresses to defend the ever-changing frontier between the Moorish and Christian lands. Today the villages are mostly still as they were back in the 12th century – narrow winding cobbled streets of white-washed houses with traditional tiled porches lead to the main village square where you usually have a Moorish castle and a Christian church – an insight into the history of the region. Between the afternoon siesta hours of 2 – 5 these villages are like ghost towns but in the morning and evenings they are bustling with locals shopping , chatting, eating and drinking. These villages have an incredible number of local fiestas – there are over 3,000 each year in Andalucia alone – so it shouldn’t be too difficult to time your visit to tie in with one of them.
Andalucia also has great variety. You can easily combine a walking holiday with time in the cities of Seville, Cordoba or Granada where you can really soak up the Moorish history and achitecture. You can add on beach time and enjoy the wild, mostly empty beaches of Costa de la Luz – the least developed of the Spanish costas. Or you can explore Jerez – home of flamenco and sherry – try not to think of Harvey’s Bristol Cream at this stage – vino de Jerez is delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the local jamon. If you want to explore the other side of Andalucia, the Alpujarra mountains near Granada and the remote desert of Almeria province are both easily accessible. All in all the possibilities for combining different experiences is endless.
Lastly, and for me possibly the main reason I love Andalucia, is the way of life. I find it impossible not to relax in Andalucia. The trick is to follow the locals and live as they do. When I first arrive I am usually irritated the first day by the complete lack of urgency applied to everything and the fact that all the shops bars and restaurants are closed when I want them to be open. But switch off your UK clock and you soon realise that the locals have it right. Then you just need to sit back and enjoy everything the area has to offer.
Find out more about our inn to inn walking holiday in Andalucia or any of our walking holidays in Spain or just call us on +44 (0)1273 676 712 to talk to one of our experts.