Summer is over. The heat, the hustle and bustle and the crowds have given way to the tranquillity of autumn, the perfect time to take short trips in a camper van and enjoy the countryside and its late fruit, such as chestnuts, walnuts…
We suggest five weekends or long weekends in the provinces of Cádiz, Seville and Málaga, where you can enjoy the colours and flavours of autumn on board a camper van and have a great “camper van experience“.
1.-On foot in the Sierra de Grazalema.
The Sierra de Grazalema is just a stone’s throw from our motorhome rental base in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, and there are many hiking trails for all ages:
– Majaceite river.
One of the best known in the Natural Park, this is a 6 kilometre walk along the banks of the river Majaceite, with beautiful waterfalls and nooks and crannies. It runs between Benamahoma and El Bosque. You can either walk there and back, or do either route on foot and return by taxi.
Tip: El Bosque has an interesting botanical garden that is free to visit.
Where to sleep? We have an area for campers at the bullring in El Bosque.
–Llanos del Republicano.
A pleasant walk from the beautiful village of Villaluenga del Rosarío to the Llanos del Republicano (4 km), where you can see the gorge of the Republican, and if you want to go further you can reach the neighbouring Llanos de Líbar (6.5 km).
Tip: Take a stroll through Villaluega and buy some Payoyo cheese, delicious!
Where to sleep? We have a motorhome area at the end of the route in Villauenga, next to the municipal swimming pool.
–The Green Gorge.
This is perhaps one of the most charming and popular routes in the Sierra de Grazalema. In fact, you have to ask for permission to do it. The first part is short and difficult (2.5 kilometres), but spectacular, since it runs through a gorge carved out by the waters of the Bocaleones stream and ends at the Ermita cave. It is also possible to do the whole route, but this involves canyoning sections and it is necessary to hire an adventure company.
Tip: It is advisable to book in advance as it is not easy to find places.
https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/cupos-ciudadano
Where to sleep? You can get there from Zahara de la Sierra or from Grazalema, where there is a campsite and some parking. In Algodonales, very close by, there is also an AC area.
1- Ruta del Río Majaceite / 2- Llanos del Republicano / 3- La Garganta Verde
2) Caves in the Ronda mountains
In the province of Málaga, on the border with Cádiz and very close to Ronda, we find an area full of caves; well, actually it is a huge karstic system of interconnected cavities. It is located between the towns of Benaoján and Montejaque.
– Hundidero Cave.
Very close to Montejaque is this impressive cave, which is one of the entrances to this system. It can be accessed freely by going down a long flight of steps that lead to an impressive entrance in the form of a cut in the rock. The first few metres can be visited with appropriate footwear and a torch, until you reach a flooded area.
– Cueva del Gato.
A few kilometres away, in Benaoján, you will find, perhaps the most famous cave in the area due to its fame and as a reference point for speleologists. It can only be entered by duly accredited adventure companies, but it has a pool at the exit, which is undoubtedly the place to go if you want to take a dip in the cold water. It is the exit of the previous cave, the Hundidero cave.
– La Pileta cave.
A real underground treasure with a series of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as a large amount of prehistoric rock art, with Palaeolithic parietal art and Neolithic remains. You have to hire a guide (€10) and call to book, but it is well worth it.
Tip: bring a torch and good footwear, it’s slippery! Don’t forget to call the day before to reserve a place in the cave of the pool.
Where to sleep? There is no AC area as such, but there is space at the Benaojan station and in the car park of the Cueva del Gato you can spend the night, it costs 1 € and it is very quiet. In Ronda there is an area with all the services.
1- Cueva del Hundidero / 2- Cueva del Gato / 3- Cueva de la Pileta
3.-The magic of the Alcornocales Park
Another of the many natural treasures we have in the province of Cadiz is the Alcornocales National Park, one of the largest in Spain. Acres of cork oaks, gall oaks and wild olive trees populate these mountains, where small valleys of “canutos” are hidden, formed by streams with magical vegetation fed by fog and rain.
–Path of El Río de la Miel
Easily accessible from Algeciras, this 2.5 kilometre linear route follows the course of the River de la Miel. It is populated by the ruins of flour mills, already covered by the dense tropical vegetation that forms plant caves. At the end of the route there is a beautiful waterfall.
Tip: There is little sunshine, once you are in the river the trees and vegetation cover everything. Wear appropriate clothing.
Where to sleep? In the neighbouring town of Tarifa we have an area of AC and campsites to choose from.
–Montera del Torero and Valdeinfierno path.
We link these two destinations because of their proximity. The Valdeinfierno path is another example of a canuto with laurel forest vegetation, along a beautiful route that follows the stream of the same name (5 km circuit). Along the way you will come across the impressive rock known as the Montera del Torero. It is a strange mineral formation that is well worth a visit, which only takes a few minutes. All this is very close to the town of Los Barrios.
Tip: At the foot of the Montera there is a large recreational area with benches, tables and barbecues, very popular at certain times of the year.
Where to sleep? There is a municipal AC area in the nearby town of Castelar de la Frontera.
–La Sauceda.
The Valle de la Sauceda region, which includes the towns of Cortes and Jimena de la Frontera, offers several options, including a visit to the village of La Sauceda, where you can still see the huts and the hermitage. The cemetery, sadly famous as the burial place of the Republicans who were repressed there and in the Marrufo farmhouse.
This is where the path begins that leads to Pico del Aljibe, the highest point in the park at 1,091 metres, with breathtaking views (13 kilometres), or you can go as far as Laguna del Moral (6 kilometres).
Tip: You need a permit to climb Pico del Aljibe:
https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/cupos-ciudadano
Where to sleep? We have the Camping Alcornocales near Jimena de la Frontera and the AC Area in Ubrique.
1- Sendero del Río de la Miel / 2- Montera del Torero y Sendero de Valdeinfierno / 3- La Sauceda
4.-For chestnuts in the Genal Valley
Autumn is chestnut season, and if there is one thing that the Genal Valley in Málaga is famous for, it is its chestnut trees and the reddish colour of its forests at this time of year. So much so that they call it ‘El Bosque del Cobre’ (The Copper Forest) because of the intense ochre of its leaves. In these valleys we have many villages and areas to visit, we highlight three for different tastes and very accessible in camper.
– Footbridges of the Genal River.
A pleasant walk along the banks of the River Genal itself, which runs for about 4 kilometres from Venta San Juan to the Prado de la Escribana recreational area. There are sections where the path runs along raised walkways, hence the name. It is suitable for children.
Tip: If you suffer from vertigo, you will feel a tingling sensation, but it is not dangerous! :-).
Where to sleep? At the start of the route there are two campsites, Camping San Juan and Camping el Genal, closer to the start of the route.
–Village Museum of Genalguacil.
One of the most beautiful white villages in this part of Málaga, which has also become a museum of modern art thanks to the biennial Art Encounters organised by the village, from which it inherits its works and places them all over the municipality.
Tip: Walk around every corner looking for works of art, there are a thousand nooks and crannies!
Where to sleep? Very close to the previous campsites or we have an AC area in Benalauría, another village in the valley.
– The Enchanted Forest of Parauta.
A real sensation for the little ones. It is a walk suitable for all ages (4 km round trip) with sculptures of fairies, elves and dwarfs carved into the trees along a beautiful chestnut forest. If the walk is too short, you can continue on to the next village, Cartajima.
Tip: Be careful, the city gets very crowded at weekends. Better on weekdays or arrive very early. This is not an exaggeration, the road is blocked from the crossroads.
Where to sleep? In the village it is difficult, there are very few flat places. Nearby is the Las Conejeras campsite, a little higher up.
1- Pasarela del Río Genal / 2- Pueblo Museo de Genalguacil / 3- El Bosque Encantado de Parauta
5.- On safari to Castillo de las Guardas
The African savannah is far away, but very close to Seville we can go on a real safari without even getting out of our Camper van. It is a reserve with wild animals, lions, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses… in which we can drive around in our camper van and circulate among them as if we were in the Serengeti itself.
– The reserve has a route of about two hours to enjoy it quietly, we can feed the animals carrots that we can buy at the entrance. The children in the house will be amazed to see the animals so close. The giraffes are very curious and will look through the roof of our camper to see if we give them something to eat!
– The Castillo de las Guardas Reserve is 60km north of Seville and tickets cost between €17 and €23. They are open every day of the year from 10:30 to 18:30.
To complete the trip, we can visit the Rio Tinto Mines in Huelva, with its interesting mining park and amazing red river. It is only 30 kilometres from Castillo de las Guardas.
Tip: Arrive early or stay overnight so you can get in first and avoid the queue.
Where to sleep? You can stay in the reserve’s car park. There is also an AC area in the village of Castillo de las Guardas.
1- Castillo de Las Guardas / 2- Minas de Río Tinto
Which will you choose?
