Nature Rambles - Serranía de Ronda
Nature holiday — small international group — Serranía de Ronda

Springtime in the Serranía de Ronda is marvellous! Millions of flowers from over a thousand plant species, with endemics including Abies pinsapo the Ronda fir and many others. Raptors sail lazily overhead. As well as the flora and fauna, you will enjoy the beauty and variety of the landscapes: the curious karst formations, the peridotite 'rockeries', the wooded vales and the superb Atlantic coast.

ONE WEEK Activities: 5 rambles of 3-5 hours on foot with visits of natural and historical interest; a day excursion. Rambles on (sometimes steep) footpaths, a few 'off path' sections. Group 12 maximum. The activities may vary slightly according to the season, weather conditions, etc.

FULL BOARD 7 nights in twin rooms with a host family at Jubrique.

PRICE 589 euros per person; single room supplement 50 euros.

OPTION: 8H individual Spanish course; supplement 95 euros. Reserve on booking.

DATES (Sunday-Sunday)
2011 20-27 March, 17-24 April†, 1-8 May*.
†Holy Week: the Pasos in Ronda, where the statues of Christ and the richly-dressed Virgin float above the crowd on flower- and candle-bedecked plinths carried by dozens of brotherhood stalwarts and followed by a procession of hooded penitents, to the sound of a melancholy 'saeta' sung from a nearby balcony. *Las Máscaras: Jubrique Spring Carnival.

RENDEZVOUS & DISPERSAL Málaga (airport, station or city centre).

Location of this programme:

DAY-TO-DAY
SUNDAY: Transfer from Málaga to Jubrique.

MONDAY: The strange 'Llanos' (poljes): fertile plains at an altitude of 1,000 metres, flanked by limestone cliffs — rich birdlife and vegetation (asphodels, linarias, geraniums, paeonies, saxifrages, ancient holm & Lusitanian oaks...).

TUESDAY: The Peñón de Benadalid: vultures, superb views and a wide variety of plants.

WEDNESDAY: The fantastic Riscos de Cartajima sculpted by wind erosion into a myriad of micro-environments. Lunch, free afternoon in Ronda with our special historical topo-guide

THURSDAY: Excursion (not during Holy week) to the Campo de Gibraltar and the Cádiz coast to observe storks, raptors, waders... the Tarifa migration zone, the umbrella pinewoods and the relic Laurisilva. Visit to the ruins of the Roman fishing port of Baelo Claudia.

FRIDAY: In the Genal and Monarda valleys: terrapins, Mediterranean forest, cork oaks, colourful matorral and the carnivorous plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum.

SATURDAY: On the marvellous peridotite rockeries of the Sierra Bermeja, with a unique flora including a wood of pinsapos.

SUNDAY: Transfer from Jubrique to Málaga.

Discover a wide variety of flora, fauna and landscapes of southern Spain by choosing two following 'rambles' holidays: Serranía de Ronda, 'Caliphs & Knights: Córdoba & Segura', 'Moorish Kingdom of Granada' or 'Relaxing Almagro. Reduction for 2 consecutive programmes, 80 euros; for 3, 120 ¤.

Caliphs & Knights: Córdoba & Segura / Moorish Kingdom of Granada
relaxing Almagro / walking from Jubrique / walking: central Spain / northern Spain
relaxing weeks / festivals / historical journeys / Spanish and other courses
for families or friends / Holiday index+calendar / Introduction in English / How to book / e-mail us

For holidays of Nature interest in other parts of Spain, see:
Sierras of Extremadura+Sierra de Guadalupe / M&C Cuenca-Teruel+El Alto Maestrazgo
Aragón-Ebro / relaxing Zafra / relaxing Berlanga / Natural Parks of Old Castile / Picos de Europa