Local Shops:

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There is no bar or shop in Bayacas, but the BREAD comes twice in the morning and the men go through the village hooting, and park on the corner and then in the Square, everyday except Sunday between 12 and 12.30.  There is also a FISH man who comes on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10 and 10.30am. Then there’s the FRUIT AND VEG man anytime between 8.30 & 12 noon on a Monday and another one at 4pm on Sunday. The CALOR GAS man comes every alternate Tuesday at 2.00pm. 

 

Gas bottles can also be swapped by turning right at the bottom of the hill down to Orgiva, and going to the big modern petrol station on the right immediately after that junction. There are four bottles in total.  All shops in Orgiva are closed on Sunday and daily from 2-5pm

 

Orgiva Shops: Good iron-monger opposite good bookshop and photocopying place behind the café in the main square in Orgiva that is on the same side as the church and there’s an internet café next door as well. Sally’s sort of shop:  Nomadas 958 763 432. WIFI in the house is excellent. No password is needed, but, just in case, it is: ccbade2012.  Another internet café: Turn right opposite the tobacconist, above the café, next the dementing, and possibly demented, recorder player, down towards Camac the health food shop. Turn left instead of right and its 50 yards on the left. The Spanish for Internet is Internet and it’s written on the door.

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Interactive Visitor Maps - Activities / Beaches / Walks

 

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Guidebooks & Local Maps:

can sometimes be found in the bookshelves next the chimney breast and some maps are also kept in the Right Hand Dining Room Cupboard

 

There is also a Red “Things to do” File in the same cupboard which contains things to do.  Do feel free to add to this, or even subtract if you feel strongly.

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Pueblo Blancos selling local crafts

 

About 20 mins drive up the hill from Bayacas are the White Villages of  Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira and, further on, Trevelez (the highest inhabited village in Europe, it is claimed, along with numerous others no doubt).  Pampaneira has great shops for Spanish rugs and ceramics and some restaurants. Closer to hand Canar and Sorpitujar are less touristy and pretty.

 

Walking

 

The high ridge opposite that you see from the balcony is best walked from right to left as you look at it. When you get to the fenced seating area half way along it, you can either return by looping back round the cemetery and back down the wide track you came up on; or continue along the somewhat precarious path on the ridge and back between the fruit trees to the village. 

 

The GR 7 route (look for red and white  painted waymarks) runs downhill from Capileira through Bubion and Pampaneira and eventually to Lanjaron. Bus up the hill and walk back, dropping off the GR7 at Sorpitujar, through Carataunas and then the ruined village.  Pampeneira to home takes 3.5 hours.  Soportujar to Canar is mostly level but has severe drops near Canar. If vertigo stops you doing the ridge opposite the house, you probably won't be able to do this.  You can walk from Canar to Soportujar in 1.5 to 2 hours, eat lunch and walk back.

 

There is a lovely walk  from our house to Soportujar up through Carataunas. Then cross main road and continue up a steep footpath up the hill which leaves the main road on the left near a bus shelter. It takes about an hour and at least one of the restaurants is OK, if open. Walking along the Rio Chico from Bayacas to Orgiva is lovely. You can go down the track on the far side of the river (bed?) or down a path on this side. Go underneath the arch, left, then right immediately at that corner and then down between the two houses and right. There are a number of excellent guide books and once you get into them you may get hooked. One of our friends had an affair with the chap who wrote them. There are guided walks to the high Sierras and the highest mountain in Spain – Mulhacen. Check List below.

 

Extreme Sports

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Close at hand are High Mountain Excursions, Hiking, Mountain Bike Hire, Canyoning and multi-adventure, Snow Shoes, Climbing and Cross Country skiing.

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Beautiful riding country.

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There are riding stables in Bubion, Lanjarron and one in Bayacas (however we can not recommend the one in Bayacas personally and if you were going to use them, take your own helmet and insurance).

We went to Lanjarron for a two-hour ride and it was brilliant. Difficult to give directions so telephone the owner who will probably arrange an escort from the main road, just this side of the town. Web: https://www.caballoblancotrekking.com Telephone Number: +34 627794891

 

Our latest information is that the riding stables in Bubion are the best. Web: http://ridingandalucia.com/

 

There is also horse riding at Caballo Blanco. 1hr 25 euros; 2 hrs 35 euros, 3 hrs 45 euros. Sarah offers gentle scenic rides through the mountains, 1 to 3 hours. Beginners more than welcome. She will collect and drive you back for a small fee. Tel: (+34) 58 347 175/627 794 891

 

Massage

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If you fancy a relaxing massage while you are away contact Lesley Craig on 0034 642 739843. She is just outside the village, lives in our favourite house and does 2 hours for 70 Euros.

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Aljibe Hammam (Arabic Spa and Baths) - Granada

 

This is a gorgeous place to spend a few hours relaxing, bathing and receiving massage. Remember to take a swimming costume. San Miguel Alta, 41 9 joined to Calle Obispo Hurtado

Open Everyday, sessions every 2 hours from 10am to 10pm Tel: (+34) 958 522 867

 

Skiing

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Sierra Nevada:  The Sierra Nevada Ski resort is excellent for downhill skiing and also cross-country. 35 minutes drive from Granada, 80 minutes from Bayacas (attempting to do it in less than 68 would be unwise). Its 30 minutes to the motorway from us, 20 minutes further to the outskirts of Granada and then 30 minutes up the mountain. Energetic and Judicious driving over the first part, reprehensible over the second part and luck with the traffic over the third part, can instigate not insignificant time savings, especially on the way up.

 

 

When you get to the outskirts of Granada follow signs to Alhambra Palace and you will also see signs to Sierra Nevada Ski resort. A day skii pass is about €55 and a half-day, which starts at 1pm and lasts past the last lift at 5pm costs €28 in low season and €34 in high season and skiis and boots are about €50 per day. You pay an extra 3 euros deposit on the lift pass and then get them back at the end of the day by putting the ticket into a give-me-back-my-3-euros machine. Old age pensionsers such as us get a worthwhile reduction. Sorry, it’s an expensive resort because they haven’t got any competition, it’s the only one.

 

We have a friend who found an hotel which gave him and his family 3 nights of dinner bed and breakfast and lift passes for 3 days for 80 euros all in per person, which is incredibly cheap. This was called the Hotel El Guerra on the way up from Granada (Tel: 0034.958.484836). We were quoted 50 euros for a double room for a night mid week including ski pass (which would have cost 74 Euros, making the cost of the room -24 Euros; we’ve not yet confirmed this.

 

We find we are happy to ski by the day, particularly now we have bought ourselves second hand boots and skis and have never yet arrived in time to do more than half a day, which suits us and still requires departure from Bayacas soon after 10.30am if you’re going to lunch there.

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Culture & History

 

Granada (45 - 55 minutes drive):  Not only the famous Alhambra palace itself but also the Albaycin, the old district with its narrow cobbled streets, is charming. I read somewhere that Granada was regarded as the most beautiful place in Spain. There are great fish restaurants there. Also the Sacramento Caves, where the gypsies still live in caves (we are told) and do flamenco. Don’t take purses into the Cave area. Granada is full of beautiful buildings, museums, churches etc. Further afield beyond Granada are the Guadix caves where you can stay overnight but we havn’t done that yet. Here you are in Fredrico Garcia Lorca territory and there are museums and a park dedicated to him. Cordoba (which has an amazing cathedral, formerly a Mosque) is about 2.5 hours away and Sevilla is about 3.5 hours away. Marmelade enthusiasts, such as me, will be disappointed in Seville where no one seems to have heard of it.

 

Coast Towns & Pretty Beaches

 

https://www.alpujarraholidayhome.com/beaches - here is a link to the best beaches and includes an interactive map

 

Orgiva Shops: Market day is Thursday.

 

You can walk down the track on the other side of the river to Orgiva and it takes 35 minutes to get to the petrol station in Orgiva. I love walking down there cos it’s down hill all the way.

 

Supermarkets  (N.B. Shops close from 2-5 pm – siesta time). Supermarcado Alpujarra on the way into Orgiva from Bayacas past the petrol station (sells fresh milk), and Dia on the way out down the hill are the main ones. But there are two wholefood shops: Camac (parallel to main street) which has gluten free, rice milk and English people and the other is just down from the central traffic lights on the right. For Big Supermarkets see Appendix 3.B

Begonia’s Herbolario Health Foods sells local health and food snacks.

Tara sells hippy gifts and goods from India and is opposite Supermercado Alpujarra

Amira sells ethical clothes and gifts

Ecoloco, located in the indoor market has eco produce, fruit and veg, herbs, spices, superfoods.

 

Banks. Open 0900 – 14—9Mon to Fri. Closed afternoons and weekends. Cash points can be found on high street: La Caxia, Banco de Andalucia and Telebanco.

Tobacconists. Also sells stamps. Approx 60m past the church on a corner

Post Office: (Correos). Open 0900 – 1400 Mon to Fri 0900 – 1300 Sat

Farmacia: (Pharmacy). The main one is on the square end of the town. There is also an alternative one called La Parafarmacia. The knowlegable owner is also a licensed homeopath.

 

Restaurants WHICH WE CAN RECCOMEND:

Café Baraka  (lunchtime) near the market (yummy Moroccan, bit hippy and DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL), Restaurante El Limonero, Orgiva (958 785 157) has good fish; This has moved to being part of Hotel Mirasol next to the small petrol station on the Orgiva side of the brideg. Remarkably good Pizzas can be found over the first traffic lights at Pizzeria Almazara (closed on Mondays) and the second restaurant on the left. Galindo’s Café and Panaderia (bakery) is next the church.There are lots of  Spanish places to eat  too. There is a bar in the next village, Carataunas, where you can also eat and you can either drive or clamber up through the deserted village (a nice 30 minute walk). Start off by crossing the river bridge near The Square in Bayacas. The service wasn’t up to much and there are plenty of other places. Loads of nice places to eat in the little villages above Bayacas especially Soportujar, Canar, Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira which are more touristy. You can walk from Canar to Soportujar in 1.5 hours, eat lunch and walk back (we take 2 hours).

 

Restaurants WHICH ARE FURTHER AFIELD.

Capileira – El Corral del Castano,  Plaza del Calvario tel 958763414

Alqueria de Morayma near Cadia is a lovely setting.

Great Vegetarian Restaurant in Mecina  - you need to book with the French Cook/Maitre and turn up on time or he’ll get offended . L’ATELIER, Calle Alberca 21, 18414 Mecina Fondales, Granada, Spain. mecinilla@yahoo.com or 0034.958.85 75 01

 

Granada Restaurants

Are plentiful. The Alhambra is on the top of a hill, the bottom of which is Plaza Nueva and on the hill opposite the Alhambra is the Albeycin which is an ancient bit of Granada. In the little streets to the South West of this Plaza are our favourite restaurants which at the moment are Tavernas Salinas (which Sal says is good), on Calle Elvira Tel: 958 221411 just off the Plaza. If you like Moroccan food the other one is Arrayanes on 958 228401 but they won’t serve alcohol; this is a little way up the hill, but we don’t have the street name yet. The Cathedral is nearby and the streets leading South West from it are wonderful to wander around late at night. The architecture is breath taking.

 

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