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Monday 6th February Day Twenty-three
Is there much to do in Parque Ardales?
The journey to Antequera is a revelation. Extensive olive
groves as far as the eye can see across this huge dry basin with its light
creamy, dusty soils and rolling landscape. Regular linear and square patterns
viewed from above, long lines running up the breaks of slopes to the steep
hills. Little tractors running between
rows. A scene of bucolic agrarian tranquillity. We drove 70kms along the A92
and there were no breaks in these olive groves. Astonishing! This must be the
olive growing capital of Spain!
Our first petrol station where a forecourt person insisted
on filling up for us ... service with a smile and a ‘good morning’ in perfect English.
Such customer service soothes frayed nerves. The traffic out of Granada was
horrendous; cars overtaking on the inside, racing up behind you as you pull out
to overtake a slow lorry. Several cars even tried to squeeze between us and the
central reservation as we pulled out to overtake the slow-moving lorries going
up the hill. They see me 150 yards of them indicating to pull out and before I
can do so – bam – they’ve accelerated madly to almost touch the bike rack and
then try to slot down the ever-decreasing gap ahead. Bonkers. Utterly bonkers. Them
not me! I’m clearly going to have to toughen up and give no quarter!
We miss the turning for the supermarket in Antequera and
have to brave the narrow streets of the town centre. Not to be recommended in a
7m van! Second time round, we find a Carrefour and stock up for the next four
days.
The road to Parque Ardales is both beautiful and at times
scary. The landscape constantly changes, opening new panoramas of agricultural
valleys and steep pine-clad cliffs and rock faces. Take it easy on this road.
It is two lanes, but the bends are tight and barely two vans can pass in many
places. You pass through one or two villages where the streets are incredibly
narrow and parking restrictions completely ignored!
The road M 4401 to El Chorro, is twisty, steep, full of
double bends and narrow! The views of the gorges and HEP dams are breath taking
but keep your eye on the road because the Caminito Del Rey coaches that ferry
walkers back and forth are BIG! And they drive fast! And the road is twisty,
steep and NARROW! I swear blind I can
see ‘holes’ in Maggie’s arm rest where her clenched fingers have punctured the
fabric!
If we thought our trials and tribulations are over for the
day on arrival at Parques Ardales campsite, we are wrong!
OH MY GOD! I should
have researched the reviews more thoroughly than I did!
If you like wilderness and rough wild camping this is the
site for you!
The motorhome pitches are under a pine forest; on little
gravel terraces; on a long steep sided ridge and along very bumpy tracks. The
turn down to the pitches at the entrance is an interesting steep downward
manoeuvre!
Between pitches is SO tight. Our pitch 208 genuinely shocks
me, motorhome novice that I am. It's uneven.
No stop! That is an understatement!
All the ramps in the world will never level us up! That’s a
better assessment
And the exit? It is an almost impossible turn out. And if I
get it wrong? We plunge down the near vertical ridge side!
I'm not sure I'll get out of it. They put a larger camper
in front of us limiting my manoeuvring room . I am slightly traumatised. I
think I may well be doing something like a 120 point turn in two days time,
just to get onto the exit track, before then having to make several other
turns. Every other van I can see is a campervan type. Not a 4-tonne coach build
at 7.9m length! Barmy, absolutely barmy – the receptionist saw Bryony and
then gave us this pitch! This is a Spaniard with an interesting sense of
humour!
Facilities are clean but basic. I'm still looking for the
black waste point and I will not be filling up with freshwater; given the dirty
state of the grey water area immediately next to the freshwater hose. There are other tap areas scattered across the
pine forest so we can fill up the large water containers!
(The mystery of the black waste disposal point is solved –
wait for it – it goes down the grey waste drive over grid in the track –
seriously – I double checked with the receptionist – because when Maggie told
me that was where it went – I thought she was getting her revenge on me for
some past misdemeanour – she was so going to enjoy watching me be told off by affronted
German’s – but no – its down the grey waste grid!)
That mystery solved, we walk down the road a few miles to ‘El
Kiosk’ restaurant for a meal and to find out where the Caminito Del Rey starts,
for I am walking it tomorrow. Maggie bless her, is having a lazy day back on
the site. Apparently ‘she needs some space’ and I’m sensitive enough to know
that when your wife tells you that ….. its time to bog off somewhere and stay
out of her way for a bit!
The evening sunset paints the most extraordinary golden
glow over the sculpted limestone cliffs. Very beautiful, an unexpected bonus
end to the day.
So, is there much to do in Parque Ardales?
Not in winter time! Everything is closed down, even the
visitors centre! Other than the Caminito Del Rey, not much seems to be
happening! There is great walking in this area – huge steep, pine clad mountain
slopes with great wilderness like walking and mountain biking trails. In
summer, the place must be heaving. The lake becomes the main focal point for
boating, kayaking, swimming etc.
https://www.fincagrancerros.com/el-chorro-lakes/?v=79cba1185463
https://www.novo-monde.com/en/chorro-caminito-alternative-hikes/
Useful information:
Route: A92 – A45 – A343 – MA4401 – MA3401 – MA5403
Distance: 95 miles
Costs: fuel 64 euros; campsite fees two nights – 33
euros
Campsite: https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/marker.php?id=33844
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Hi, we always look forward to hearing your comments, tips and thoughts. Drop us a line or two below. Take care now. Steve and Maggie