Andalucia Diary – Seasonal Travel Notes

Drive north-east out of Malaga capital and you are soon within the tranquility of the Montes de Malaga Natural
Park. Within just 20 minutes from the noise of the city, you can be walking in the forest, enjoying views
that show you the city and the sea to the south and as far as the Sierra Bermeja mountains
in the west and up towards the Torcal near Antequera. The heat has gone and it
is certainly time to get out into the countryside again. I’m as chunky as ever
and need to start getting motivated about hiking which is one of the few forms
of exercise I enjoy. We checked out a few hotels for future
reference; this small park is served by the 4 star Hotel Cortijo la Reina (a
sprawling homestead with outlying lodges) and the more rustic 3 star Hotel
Humaina, tucked away in peaceful valley well within the park.
Malaga is
fortunate enough to have this natural park right in its own backyard – a small haven of pines, Holm
oaks, olive & almond trees providing a welcome respite from the heat and
noise of this maritime city. I’ve lived in Southern Spain for a few years now and each time
I’ve passed the Montes area on one of the numerous motorways that border the park I have found it
hard to believe it’s there. The areas either side of the motorways around Malaga are a definate
charm-free zone of ugly, ill-though development and retail parks and give little indication of what lies beyond.
Malaga Capital is becoming more and more a draw for me. Living on the coast is hard to beat at times,
but it undeniably lacks a real heart and soul. The Mediterranean and the mountains make almost
anywhere here seem seductive, but sometimes there is nothing better to be in a real
city.
Malaga’s in on the up and the
smart money is moving there. The once crumbling old town is now a mass of
renovation projects. Smart bars, boutique hotels, galleries and independent
shops rub shoulders in the bohemian and vibrant heart of the city. A recent client project for Luxury Andalucia
has taken me back to the city in search of a penthouse apartment and each time
I return, I grow more fond of the place. It has an unquestionable rough and
ready feel to it at times that you don’t see in the more refined cities like Seville,
yet it has a genuine soul. Not a bad place at all – and now I know it has a great back
yard to play in too.

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