Walking Holiday Overview
We offer a variety of holidays from three day accompanied breaks to independant holidays organised to suit your requirements. Check out our packages below or contact us for a tailor made break.

The Genal Valley is a hidden gem, a paradise of nature with panoramic views. In spring the woods and mountains sides are covered with an abundance of wild flowers and the area is home to four kinds of eagles, Griffon vultures and dozens of other birds both resident and those on their migration passage between Africa and Europe.

During your visit you will walk a limestone mountain path at over one thousand two hundred metres. You accommodation is in a beautiful restored Spanish house of historical interest in the middle of a small traditional village, where you get the best of both worlds, a stunning environment and local character; off the beaten track, but not isolated. The village has great charm as well as excellent food in the local restaurants. In the evening it is possible to take a trip into historic Ronda as it is only 20mins drive.
Accompanied walking breaks. Available late September – early June.

On these breaks there will be a maximum of six people and your leader, Phil or Nicky (and probably Maya the dog). The price includes your guide, accommodation, breakfast, and a tapas or packed lunch on walking days. We live in this area all year round, it is our home and we are familiar with the local people, the ancient mule trails and respect the way of life. We will answer your questions where we can and introduce you to the local culture, watering holes and the best places for food. We also have a good collection of books about the flora and fauna and alternative walks in the wider area.

We specialise in offering these breaks to small groups of three to six persons and individuals and so we are able to tailor make the holidays to suit your needs.

The following is an example of some of the walks available:

• Walk one. Limestone mountain, chestnuts and cork oaks.
  Starting on an old mule trail we climb up into the mountain behind the village and follow a limestone path that finally descends through wild herbs into a white village for tapas at the local bar. We return to Alpandeire entering the village via an ancient mule trail.
• Walk two. Hidden gorge to Fuente del Espino
  This walk starts with olive and almond fincas that are still in cultivation and then descends through a dramatic gorge to an ancient spring. It is a linear walk with great views and an abundance of birdlife.
• Walk three. Cork oak forest and ancient olive oil mill
  Full days walking 5 to 6 hours through a large estate of cork and evergreen oak trees. Part of the walk is along ancient mule trails with fantastic views over the Genal valley. After a picnic lunch at the mill by the river we return to the village via a different trail.
• Walk four. White villages and old mule trails Atajate and Jimera de Libar
  After leaving the village we pass through Holm oaks, Cork oaks, Gall oaks and wild Olive trees. We explore an old tile workshop and an abandon village in a beautiful hidden valley After climbing the old mule trail we reach Atajate for tapas before moving onto the track leading to Jimera de Libar with views of the Guadiaro valley.

Did you know we also offer art holidays in Spain too?

Holiday	Prices in Euros
Three day break - for two people Weekends between Thursday and Monday	€650
Walking weeks 6 days - 1 person / 2 sharing	€545 / €870
Breakfast and lunch are included on walking days, with evening meals being at your own expense from the choice of local restaurants and tapas bars. Payment may be made by bank tranfer or credit / debit card online.

Accommodation
La Casa del Llanete is a beautiful restored Spanish house, with breathtaking mountain views, in the middle of a small traditional village, where you get the best of both worlds, a stunning environment and local character; off the beaten track, but not isolated. This is real Spain in the unspoilt, friendly small white village of Alpandeire in the Genal Valley, close to historic Ronda. The village has great charm as well as excellent food in the local restaurants.

Facilitators / Guides
Between them, Phil Burgess and Nicky Duirs run art holidays, walking and therapeutic breaks at Casa del Llanete. They have years of experience working in the arts and with arts and health organisations. They have also worked with many different groups of people and for organisations as diverse as community theatre companies, schools and colleges, local authorities and the NHS. Workshops at Casa del Llanete are run on a structured but relaxed, flexible and informal style, so that individuals get the most out of their break here.

Phil is trained in theatre skills and psychotherapy, specialising in Psychodrama techniques. He has run staff training programmes for a wide range of organisations. Phil uses action methods enabling people to make changes in their lives and to cope with change. He has worked with both groups and individuals in this way. He is also a trained massage therapist, he offers accompanied walks and also makes lovely lunches for people on creative arts breaks.

Nicky trained in visual arts at Manchester Metropolitan University. In her professional work she has taught many people to draw and paint with particular emphasis on exploring art materials and helping people to find and develop their own style. She has exhibited and sold her work in the UK, Spain and the Middle East. She has developed arts projects, run training programmes and supported emerging artist networks. Before leaving Manchester, she was the arts development co-ordinator for Europe´s largest single-site Cancer hospital.

Location
The Valle de Genal lies west of Malaga and north of Marbella. It is approximately two hours from Sevilla, one and a half from Malaga, two from Cadiz and three from Granada. The beautiful city of Ronda is no more than twenty minutes from the nearest villages of the valley. The Genal valley sits between two national parks, Los Alcornocales and Las Nieves.

The valley is divided into two sections, the alto or upper Genal and the bajo or lower Genal. Alpandeire is one of the seven villages of the Alto Genal that includes Farajan, Juzcar, Cartajima, Parauta, Igualeja and Pujerra. The Alto Genal is not on any main through route, like the Bajo Genal which is on the road from Algeciras to Ronda, but the upper valley winds its way between that road and the main route from San Pedro on the coast, to Ronda. Until very recent times isolation and the particularly bad roads (some still are) have kept this part of the valley out of the main tourist routes. Road improvements are now well under way and rural tourism is beginning to find its way into the valley.

The village of Alpandeire sits at the head of the Genal Valley with Chestnut forests below and Limestone crags behind. The Rio Genal flows through the valley and makes a refreshing place to take a dip on a hot day. In the Spring, the Limestone is covered in wild flowers and this area is on the main bird migration path. All year a colony of Griffen Vultures can be seen soaring above the crags.

How to Get to Us
We are 12 miles (17 Kilometres) from Ronda, approximately 1hr 45 mins from Malaga or Jerez airports. By prior arrangement we can arrange for an airport pick-up for you, or collect you from Ronda ourselves.