I’ve recently returned from the Treasures of Andalusia trip and can’t recommend it enough.
I won’t go through the day to day itinerary as it was as it appears on the website - and it was great, but it was so worth doing the ‘extras’ too . Highlights included the caves in Gibraltar and the Alhambra Palace - which is a tiring day but it really is worth it.
We were lucky enough to see a parade in Ronda, ladies and gents in traditional dress on horseback and in carriages, a sight to behold.
Even more spectacular was the ‘Vergen de la Peña’ parade in Mijas, it was breathtaking and we were so lucky to witness it so close up.
The hotel was great, a traditional Spanish style, good sized rooms with balcony or terrace, plenty of hanging space and drawers, fridge, kettle and air con, so I had all that I needed! The safe costs €3 per day plus a returnable deposit, its the first time I’ve had to pay for a safe but wasn’t a problem as I was aware of that in advance. Only the first couple of tea bags. Coffee and milk sachets are free, you then either have to buy a refill or, as I did, go to the supermarket that is only a few yards away and buy your own.
It is a bit of a strange layout as it’s built on a hillside and extensions have been added over time making it a bit of a rabbit warren. There were some beautiful lounges that we never discovered until the last day, SO do explore!! You enter on level 1 to reception, then go down in the lift to levels 2 to 5 for bedrooms, pool etc. you quickly get used to it. There is no lift access to the dining room, you have to go down a flight of stairs to get there, so the hotel isn’t suitable for anyone unable to climb stairs.
Talking of the dining room, the only slight drawback was that the food wasn’t great, there was plenty of it and I never went hungry, but it was all buffet style and not always as hot as I like it. There was always a good selection at breakfast of both hot and cold foods and a great salad bar in the evenings, but the ‘mains’ left a bit to be desired.
We ate out at a local restaurant one evening (included in the trip) and that was lovely, it would be nice if JY perhaps considered adding another meal out on the last evening for variety.
The hotel is just on the edge of the town and, when there are events on, the noise can carry, so I suggest ear plugs. These are also useful if you’re a light sleeper as the walls are a bit thin and you may hear your neighbours TV, water running etc. There was a street fair whilst we were there, some people had their sleep disturbed but with my trusty “Alpine” ear plugs I didn’t hear a thing.
Hotel staff are friendly and helpful and our TM Andy was just the best, always ‘on call’ always smiling and helpful. He knew just how much talking to do on our days out, we were never bored and neither did we lack information. He always made sure we knew where and what time to meet and was very patient with anyone who got lost! His advice in that case was to stop walking ‘as you’re probably going the wrong way’ and to ring him. Several people did this and he was always happy to direct them to where they should be, or tell them to wait there and he would go and collect them. He should be the blueprint for TMs.
I was with a truly lovely group of people and I can honestly say that this holiday ranks was one of the best I’ve been on…………and I’ve been on quite a lot!
Please ask if you have any questions as there’s so much more I could write about this holiday but don’t want to bore you!!
Rose
