Last Minute offers Andalusia

We hereby inform you that some of our houses have reduced prices for bookings in May and June.

In the Mountains of Sierra Nevada:
Casa Launa in Granada Province, Alpujarras 330 € week all-in, 4 people
Casa de la Luz, Bubión, Granada Province, Alpujarras 350€ week all in, 4 people

Still available in July are:

With Pool:
Finca Rio Chico in Granada Province, Orgiva
Casa la Piedra in Granada Province, Orgiva

Near Ronda in Grazalema natural park:
Casa el Municipal in Villaluenga del Rosario
Casas las Fuentes in El Bosque with pool

Please for further information e-mail or phone us!

pool Villaluenga del Rosario

Mail: info@lechienandalus.com and phone: 0034-958763900

The Madraza, un unknown jewel of Granada city

La Madraza was the first university in Granada. This islamic university where maths, medicine and law were taught was built in the XIV century by Yusuf I the seventh king Nazari of Granada.

The location is in front of the cathedral. The outside of the building is made in a baroque style

Entrance to la Madraza

but the oratory room is decorated like the Alhambra palaces and what's more: the original colours of the painting on the stucco have been preserved all these years, since they have been hidden behind wooden panels for centuries.

The oratory room of the Madraza Granada

Ater the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Kings  the building was used as town hall.
Then, in the old bedrooms of the students the meeting room of the 24 knights was built. In this room you can appreciate the lovely wooden ceiling made by mudejar artisans and painted by christians. It took them 20 years to finsh this work.

Ceiling of the room of the 24 knights

The Madraza is property of the Granada University and was reopened in 2011.

The entrance fee is 2 € per person and the guides will tell you about the history of this building in full detail.

More information:www.andalucia.org

The Royal Horseriding School of Jerez de la Frontera

The Real Escuela is located in a nice area, an about 15 minutes walk from the centre of Jerez de la frontera. The property is beautiful, very clean and surrounded of a park. There is a beautiful baroque style palace-like building.

Royal Horseriding School Jerez de la Frontera

The exhibition "Cómo bailan los caballos andaluzes" was for sure the most interesting part of the visit. They show dressage, horses doing pirouettes or caprioles. All this is accompanied by spanish music and the riders wear traditional costumes of the 18th century. One part of the show is dedicated to carriage riding, in another one the horses are led by hand without saddles. Between each part there is a short description in spanish of what is coming next. Sometimes it really looks as if the horses are dancing - and overall it is a fascinating spectacle.

Horse and horseride Escuela Ecuestre de Jerez

A visit to the show costs 27 EUR (row 1-2) or 21 EUR.
The show takes place from 1-3 times (depending on season) a week at noon - please check their website for details.
I also would reccomend to buy your tickets in advance.

Even if you decide not to visit the show "Cómo bailan los caballos andaluzes", you can watch their training in the morning. Of course there is no music then and the riders wear green or blue polo shirts instead of uniforms.

More information:  Real Escuela de Arte Ecuestre

Houses of Le Chien Andalous nearby:

Casas Las Fuentes: in English, Français, Deutsch, Nederlands
Finca El Olivar: in English, Français, Deutsch, Nederlands
Casa el Municipal: in English, Français, Deutsch, Nederlands

Birdwatching Andalucia

The Strait of Gibraltar is perhaps the most famous place for birdwatching in Andalucia, because  it provides the perfect short sea crossing for migrants to and from Africa.
The numbers of raptors, storks and smaller migrating bird make it an attraction for birders from all across the world.

Migration Strait of Gibraltar

The wetlands of the Coto Doñana offer many birdspecies! Magpies, Ibis, Purple, Black-crowned Night and Squacco Heron, Cattle and Little Egret. Raptors also attract attention and in particular the elusive Spanish Imperial Eagle. It is also possible to find odd breeding pairs of local water birds such as White-headed Duck, Marbled Teal and Crested Coot.

Sierra de Grazalema and the Serranía de Ronda will not only provide a range of typical mountain birds, but scenically it is an area of outstanding natural beauty with the fauna and flora of particular interest. Here Bonelli’s Eagle has one of its highest densities in the world and in summer you can see also Booted and Short-toed Eagle. The resident Golden Eagle are increasing in this part of Andalucia and vie for breeding sites with Bonelli’s. Also different vultures are to be seen, such as the Griffon Vulture,and sometimes the Black and Egyptian Vulture or Rüppell's Vulture. Also the Long-legged Buzzard is to be seen.

The terrain near the village of Fuente de Piedra near Antequera is an area dotted by lagoons. This agricultural area has olive and cerals production. In the cultivated areas we can still find Montagu’s Harrier, Little Bustard and lark species such as Calandra Lark. A small lagoon, the Laguna Dulce, is always worth a visit, but the real star site of this region is Fuente de Piedra with the largest breeding colony of Greater Flamingo in Europe, in spring normally in excess of 30,000 individuals. Different species of Terns have breeding colones here. Waders also use this lagoon during periods of migration and often rarities are reported.

Fuente de Piedra

Sierra Nevada, has the highest mountain peak (3,482 metres) in all of mainland Spain. The higher areas of the province Granada have many Alpine Accentor and within the Sierra we can find Ortolan Bunting and Citril Finch and Kestrels. Even the Lammergeier one of the biggest vultures which were reintroduced some years ago are sometimes to be spotted.
On the plains Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Little Bustard make a journey here worthwhile, with Dupont’s Lark still remaining as a resident bird.
See for more details also: Birdwatching in the Alpujarras 

Lammergeier

The areas Parque Natural de la Sierra de Andújar and the Sierra de Cazorla in Jaen province are very noteworthy for their birdlife,

You can see many spectacular birds such as Black Vulture, Spanish Imperial and Golden Eagle,  Black-winged Kite, Goshawk and Lammergeier.

The province Almeria and specially the Natural Park Cabo de Gata offer birds typical for desert areas likee the Trumpeter Finch  and in the wetlands species like Greater Flamingo. The coastal site and inlets of Gabo de Gata can be good areas to spot Slender-billed Gull and wader and duck species.
Inland mountain ranges are good for Great-spotted Cuckoo and on the higher and more sparsely vegetated areas Tawny Pipit and Northern Wheatear are common. Bonelli’s Eagle is frequent in the area and the recent breeding attempts by Cream-coloured Courser just add to the attraction of the region.

A visit to the wonderfully colourful region of Andalucia will really be gratifying for birdwatchers!
This article is based on information of Peter Jones,

Le Chien Andalous offers many holiday rentals near the the afore mentioned birdwatching spots. Please check out our website www.lechienandalus.com.

Further information can you find on the following websites:
www.andaluciabirdsociety.org
A lovely blog for birding is Peter Jones's
In Spanish for the Malaga area, the new blog: www.birdingmalaga.com
and in Cadiz: www.birdcadiz.com
In Spain in general: www.avesibericas.es/index.htm

Paco de Lucia, we will miss you!

Andalucia Recipes 2: Salmorejo from Cordoba

This recipe is very popular in the hot summer in Cordoba, it's a cold soup like gazpacho, but less liquid. For 4 to 6 portions:

Ingredients:
- red, ripe tomatoes: 1 kg
- bread crumbs.: 200 gr (from an old baguette).
- garlic cloves: 2 or 3
- red vinegar, olive oil (between 1 and 1,5 dl) and salt to taste
Decoration:
1 boiled egg and 100 gr. serrano ham (prosciutto)

Preparation: 20 minutes

Mixer

You boil the tomatoes for one minute and peel them and cut them into pieces. You mix them with garlic, salt and a little vinegar and you add the bread and the olive oil and you let it rest for a few minutes.
Then you put all into the mixer and blend it all.

You put this in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Serve the salmorejo with boiled egg and serrano ham cut into small pieces, add a little of olive oil on top.
Enjoy your salmorejo!

Salmorejo from Cordoba

See also Andalusian Recipes 1: Dogfish with potatoes

Sierra Subbetica Natural Park Cordoba

For mountain and geology enthusiasts the Sierras Subbéticas have a great deal to offer. This limestone area has a succession of peaks, crags, ravines and a host of karst formations, all dotted with vegetation dominated by extensive olive groves and some endemic species.

Water plays a vital role in this environment. There are many springs such as Zambra which go on to form streams to sweeten the landscape. Rivers mould the rock forming deep canyons such as the one at El Bailón. Traditional art has transformed some of these springs, with decorative fountains that supply the local population such as Fuente del Río, in Cabra, and the impressive Fuente del Rey in Priego, which has more than one hundred spouts.

Fuente del Rey, Priego de Córdoba, photo Antonio Sepulveda

Strolling on its tracks and trails you will skirt around complicated karst terrain such as Lapiaz de los Lanchares, a trail which then heads up towards Picacho de la Virgen de la Sierra, the site of a traditional pilgrimage. Here there is a wonderful viewpoint where you can look out over Poljé de la Nava and, on a clear day, you can see as far as the peaks of Sierra Nevada.

Mountain walkers and climbers can get up to La Tiñosa, the highest peak in the province of Cordoba, with views of a beautiful landscape dotted with villages. The rock is grey and ochre and contrasts with the green of the vegetation. This includes holm oaks and scrub with mastic and kermes oak, which in turn give way to hawthorn, purple phlomis and peony in sunny areas.

Santa Rita Visitor Centre, on the A339 between Cabra and Priego de Córdoba

At the botanical trail at the Santa Rita Visitor Centre you can see examples of the 1,200+ species of flora present in the Nature Park.



Visitors to this region will be surprised by the many caves to be found. Special mention should be made of Cabra Cave, ideal for speleology, and of course its most famous cave, Los Murciélagos, a designated Natural Monument. This archaeological gem is home to numerous species of the unusual mammal that gives it its name ("murciélago" = bat), as well as Neolithic remains - this is a major Neolithic site in Andalusia. This region has a long tradition and history, and there are vestiges here dating back from the Palaeolithic period, the Bronze Age and even Iberian statues. Its Roman remains include a milestone, considered to be the world's earliest road sign.

Fauna
Especially outstanding amongst the wildlife are mammals such as the wild cat, wild boar, common fox, European hedgehog, and most unusual the 'Cabrera shrew', which, in this area is to be found in one of the most southerly locations of the continent.
Birds have a strong presence with the black wheatear, the cuckoo, the red partridge, the Lapland

Peregrine Falcon

bunting, and on the flower-covered limestone rocks the royal eagle, the black vulture the short-toed eagle as well as the peregrine falcon are notable, the latter is the emblem of the Natural Park of the Subbetica Mountains. Other birds of prey are the common kestrel, the royal eagle owl, the owl, and the common little owl.


A walk around the maze of narrow white streets in Zuheros, with its castle and viewpoints, is a good way to discover its important Moorish history. Here you can also see baroque art in the churches and squares of the region's towns and villages. You can sample the exquisite local gastronomy, washed down with regional wines and the internationally renowned anisette from Rute.

Mapa Subbética

 More information about the Sierra Subbetica Natural Park you can find:
On the website: La Subbetica
On the website of the Junta de Andalucia

Houses near the Sierra Subbetica Natural Park:
Casa Zagrilla in Zagrilla Alta : In English, in French, in German and in Dutch
Casas Castil in Castil de Campos: In English, in French, in German and in Dutch

Other articles about Natural & National Parks in Andalucia
See Cabo de Gata Natural Park,
Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park,
Sierra Nevada National Park