Our holiday programmes
for 2012...
Our holidays normally take place Sunday to Sunday. Our specialities include:
– walking and nature holidays in the most unspoiled parts of Andalusia, including the Serranía de Ronda (Genal Valley and Natural Parks of the Serranía walking, and Nature Rambles), and the Sierras Subbéticas and of Cazorla-Segura
– Moorish Kingdom of Granada, a walking holiday which include time in Granada city, with evening entertainment included
– walking programmes in Extremadura, New Castile & Aragon, Old Castile and Cantabria-Asturias
– programmes based on major festivals, including theatre and flamenco music and dance, with complementary daytime activities
– two week historical 'journeys' in western Spain, central Spain and Aragón
– a more relaxed type of week based in a single hotel, at Berlanga (Soria, Castilla-León), Zafra (Extremadura) and Almagro (La Mancha, with Toledo)
– Spanish/cooking/craft and Sevillanas courses at Jubrique
– holidays for families, friends, associations or groups, and self-guided walking.
NEW PROGRAMMES FOR 2012:
Flamenco: as well as a return to the ever-popular festivals of Jerez (March) and Seville (September) we now offer weeks at two festivals during the summer. In July, the Cordoba Guitar Festival features flamenco music, song and dance, as well as guitar concerts of other genres. In August at Granada, flamenco dance is on the agenda. Apart from some high quality spectacles, these holidays are the occasion to explore two marvellous cities and their surroundings in a relaxed way.
Candás and the Costa Verde, in summer and at New Year 2013, visits the wild and beautiful coast of Asturias. In our tour of this fascinating region we shall look at its many faces, from a coal mine to a pre-Romanesque palace... a literary ramble to a cider factory... a prehistoric Astur fortress to a windswept cape, all in the area near the beach and fishing port of Candás... not to mention some great sea-food and cheeses.
Mar y Sierra is a luxurious new spring and autumn walking holiday in western Andalusia, whose 9 days (Saturday-Sunday) include the beautiful scenery of the Costa de la Luz and of the sierras of Huelva, the cities of Seville, Cadiz and Jerez, and the ancient traditions of the area: fishing, sherry production, horse riding and flamenco.
Holidays in the Serranía de Ronda, starting from Jubrique
CHOICE OF PROGRAMMES We have walking and nature rambles in the Serranía de Ronda, with accommodation at Jubrique. These are guided holidays at fixed dates, with individual bookings forming an international group with a maximum of twelve participants. Find out about the fascination of Spain with the help of Benamonarda guides (we give explanations in English, French and Spanish). Or try our self-guided walking holidays.
FULL BOARD In Jubrique you stay with a host family (separate bathroom for up to 4 guests), giving you the unique chance to sample Andalusian mountain life and enjoy the warm welcome of village families. Your lunch will be at a restaurant or country 'venta', or sometimes a picnic, and in the evening all the group dines together at the 'Mesón La Pozuela' or the 'Bar Eladio'. Try some of the delicious specialities of the Serranía!
Also at Jubrique, we have Spanish, cooking, crafts, and Sevillanas courses. Ideal conditions for learning Spanish: individualized courses so that you progress rapidly; relaxed atmosphere and easy contact with the villagers. The courses in regional cuisine, local crafts and Sevillanas dance are also given in Spanish. Accommodation with a host family.
Who are we and where is Jubrique?
Guided programmes in Andalusia, Central and North Spain
Throughout the year, Benamonarda also takes you to more distant horizons, to discover new and unexpected mountain landscapes, on foot through the Natural Parks of Andalusia, or combining walking and cultural visits... unforgettable festivals... and fantastic historical sites, often in the most unexpected places! With Benamonarda there's always a sense of adventure in the air!
To see all our programmes by date, consult our index and calendar.
ACCOMMODATION With these holidays we stay in comfortable, friendly small hotels, in rooms with private bathrooms, and always try the most interesting regional dishes.
These holidays are in full board (with some, a few main meals a week are not included, so you can explore the local cuisine on your own), except some festival programmes in Andalusia (half board).
Note: all our programme pages (accessible by our index and calendar) have a miniature map of Spain, showing the approximate location of the holiday and the nearest main city/airport. This is the one for Jubrique:
Holiday index+calendar / How to book / e-mail us
for groups, families or friends / walking: Andalusia / walking: central Spain / northern Spain
nature rambles / relaxing weeks / festivals / historical journeys / Spanish and other courses
Benamonarda
experts in Andalusia
25 YEARS OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
We are a team of guides and teachers based in the mountain village of Jubrique, working for the direct benefit of the local economy. We invite you to discover a natural paradise: the idyllic Andalusian mountains and the little-known sierras of central and northern Spain. We offer a wide range of original holiday ideas: walking, nature, festival and historical programmes, Spanish, cooking, craft and Sevillanas courses — all aimed at the discovery of this unique cultural and natural region.
ADVANTAGES OF BENAMONARDA HOLIDAYS
1. We live in, and only organise holidays in, Spain:
– personal service from our team; possibility to stay with a village family in Jubrique
– unbeatable knowledge of cities, natural sites, hotels, food & drink, local customs, etc
– we offer you the best insight into Spanish nature, history and way of life, including parts of Spain not visited by other companies.
2. Our prices are all-inclusive (apart from your journey to Spain), including:
– all entrance fees and visits to monuments, all interior transport, all guiding
– all meals with most programmes (see individual descriptions); drinks with meals.
3. We use our own vehicles: transfer times minimized; no carrying bags from bus stops!
ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO SPAIN
Choose your means of transport: plane, bus, train. We shall collect you free of charge in Málaga or another pick-up city, depending on the programme (see index and our booking conditions). If you prefer to drive, ask us for a direct itinerary to Jubrique.
JUBRIQUE AND THE SERRANIA DE RONDA
Jubrique, where we have been welcoming guests from all over the world since 1987 and where several of our holidays are based, is one of the 'white villages' of the Serranía de Ronda, a rugged upland area of western Andalusia (western Málaga province and northeast Cádiz), known for its hospitality, natural beauty, and rich cultural heritage. Our picturesque little mountain village, with its whitewashed houses, curious chimneys, and maze of narrow alleys, lies in the uniquely luxuriant, wooded Genal valley, at the foot of the Sierra Bermeja. Jubrique is an ideal site, not only to relax amid splendid scenery and become familiar with the ancient mountain traditions, but also to learn about the new spirit of Andalusia today.
Jubrique (Málaga), not to be confused with the town of Ubrique (Cádiz), can be found on Michelin map 578 (Andalucía) and the Michelin road atlas Spain–Portugal.
The Genal Valley is situated between four marvellous Natural Parks. You will admire the beauty and variety of the landscapes, with verdant mountain plains, dark green forest, streams for bathing, terraces and orchards, and white limestone crests against an azure sky...
Benamonarda Guías S.C., c/ Algatocín 10, E-29492 Jubrique. Licence nº ES-J29567187
e-mail: benamonarda@avired.com or benamonarda@terra.es
internet: www.benamonarda.com
ring and we call you back: 0034 619 088 510
If you want to know the real Spain:
- on foot and by 4WD vehicle
- in comfort (though not luxury)
- the most interesting local cuisine
- history and traditions
- geography and nature
... and, above all, to know the parts of Spain others hardly touch
- then we're for you: Benamonarda Guías!
Holiday index+calendar / Introduction in English / How to book / for groups, families or friends
walking: Andalusia / walking: central Spain / northern Spain / nature rambles
relaxing weeks / festivals / historical journeys / Spanish and other courses