Information on Velez de Benaudalla 

Vélez de Benaudalla contains a old castle and  a splendid example of a Spanish-Moorish garden in the style of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Moors to rule the kingdom of Granada. With its fountains, hidden waterfalls and an exuberance of vegetation.

The narrow streets and alleys of the upper quarter of Vélez de Benaudalla are a further attraction of this beautiful village, where water can be heard everywhere, the Tajo waterfall and the Paseo del Nacimiento (path to the source of the river) are particularly admired. There are supermarkets, health center, a few bars and a couple of restaurants. You are near the huge Rules Damn which is now completed and only awaiting the requisite piping to supply water to the villages and farming land to the south. Velez de Benaudalla will have its own junction from the Granada/Motril motorway due to be completed in 2008. Velez de Benaudalla is only 40 mins from the slopes of the Sierra Nevada for some fantastic skiing and 15 minutes from the beaches of Salobrena.

The gastronomy in Vélez is famed, but outstanding are the sweets and pastries still made in the Moorish style, such as pestińos (honey-coated pancakes) and roscos (ring cakes). The fifteenth-century castle, with an unusual heptagonal floor plan, is not just an illustrious monument from the past, but is also the site of a simulated battlefield between Christian and Turkish warriors, a ritual enacted every year on 13th June as part of the village fiestas.

Information on Los Guajeres

The term Los Guájares actually refers to three separate villages, all close neighbours within the area known as the Tropical Coast, and sharing a common name: Guájar Faragüit, Guájar Fondón and Guájar Alto. All three take us back to Andalusian villages of old, where there is still much to remind us of the Arab inheritance and where the fragrance of fruit trees sweetens the air. Fantastic mountain scenery as you are on the edge of the Lecrin Valley

An unhurried stroll through the whitewashed streets is the perfect antidote to the stress and rush of modern living, while no unwelcome noise will disturb the tranquility of your visit to El Castillejo, a fortified settlement dating from the Almohad-Nasrid era (14th century) in the highest part of the valley.

You will see irrigation canals, created to serve the flourishing production of subtropical fruits. Looking around the countryside, there are thickets and vegas (fertile lowland), olive and fruit trees, almond trees, craggy cliffs and pine woods. All three Guájares are surrounded by beautiful countryside, and all three offer succulent local cooking. Outstanding local dishes include tropical salad, migas and remojón, which is made with cod, tomato and oranges. The local speciality for dessert is fig bread.

Los Guajares has also benefited from the new motorway and its proximity to Granada, the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevadas.  Granada airport is only 45 minutes away and offers many new routes throughout Europe with low cost airlines. A new super cable car is being planned to ferry people up to the ski resorts in the Sierras thus allowing for more investment in the whole area.