Monday, May 5 (Nerja & Frigiliana) - If I were home today, I would probably be celebrating one of the all-time best Americanized holidays: Cinco de Mayo! I mean really, what is better than a margarita and some guac? Well, partly because the day didn’t really cross my mind, and partly because it is obviously not celebrated in Spain, I spent the day doing the opposite of what I normally would. Instead of consuming a sick amount of calories on food and drink, I had one of my most active days yet!
My hosts in Malaga (and my mom) recommended visiting the picturesque town of Frigiliana one day while I’m in Nerja. Frigiliana is one of Andalucia’s most beautiful pueblos blancos (white villages). So to kick off my active day, two girls I met at the hostal and I decided to hike the hilly, backend route all the way to Frigiliana instead of taking a cab or bus. There were two ways to go: along the street (one hour) or through the mountain and along the river bed (around three hours). We chose the latter.
My hosts in Malaga (and my mom) recommended visiting the picturesque town of Frigiliana one day while I’m in Nerja. Frigiliana is one of Andalucia’s most beautiful pueblos blancos (white villages). So to kick off my active day, two girls I met at the hostal and I decided to hike the hilly, backend route all the way to Frigiliana instead of taking a cab or bus. There were two ways to go: along the street (one hour) or through the mountain and along the river bed (around three hours). We chose the latter.
My hiking buddies Silvia (Austria) and Anna (Finland)
Hiking to Frigiliana from Nerja
Beautiful flowers on the hike
The biggest dandelion I've ever seen - maybe it grants a bigger wish??
After a lot of guesswork, tasting a kumquat-sized orange fruit off the side of the road, and getting pointers (along with surprised looks) from the few people we saw driving by, we were well on our way. The trick to anyone attempting this: walk away from the beach until you come to a stream that runs parallel to the sea. Turn right and keep walking to the right until you come to an old-looking house with a blockade and sign that directs you to a natural preserve. Take that road to the left which will be your first of many steep hills, and then keep going to your right for the next hour or two. Finally you will arrive at a clearing where there is a tiny café where you can rest your feet and have a cold drink. Then you are a steep 1km from the picture-perfect Frigiliana!
View of Frigiliana from El Mirador Restaurante
Beauty in Frigiliana
Local home in Frigiliana
The second part of my active day was doing my favorite activity: horseback riding. I had (of course) done my research to find a place to ride while in Nerja, and I was able to join an hour-long trail ride with just one other guest. I was picked up and driven to the barn which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and really nothing more than a small stable and some paddocks. I was warned that my mare “Futch” hadn’t been out in a while and is only for experienced riders…. Ok… Long story short: the ride was more of me schooling the unbalanced horse than actually sitting back and enjoying the ride and the scenery. I’ve never ridden a horse that was so inconsistent with its gaits or felt so wobbly or unbalanced. So, while I enjoyed being on horseback and exploring some of the countryside, this was not one of my favorite rides.
Riding "Futch" in Nerja
RSS Feed