Velez Blanco & Granada – December 24. & 25. 2019

Diary

24-12-2019

I picked up a rental camper at MC Rent in Alicante, did some shopping and picked up Konstanse at the airport. The small camper van I had rented was not available, so it was upgraded to a much larger one. This proofed to be less than ideal. The Sunlight felt crammed and even though the closets were big, but very unpractical. We quickly found out that such a vehicle is not what suited our needs. It was an important step on the learning curve.

From Alicante airport we headed off in the direction Granada. By 5 in the afternoon we decided to not drive all the way that day and decided to stay in Velez Blanco for the night.

We spent the night on the parking right below the Castello in Velez Blanco. We were the only ones there. The parking below the castle was perfectly flat.

Make sure to use the second exit to Velez Blanco and avoid maneuvering a camper through the small village.

25-12-2019

After a quick breakfast we explored Velez Blanco. The Castello was closed during the holidays so we only could hike around it. Still worth the trip. The views are stunning.

From Velez Blanco we drove to Granada. We took some side roads to see more of the country. In Orce we stopped for a coffee just across from the funny road-sign which was completely grown over by a tree.

On Christmas Day we visited Granada. The Alhambra was not on our agenda this time. We´ve saved that for a later time.

We left Granada around 5 in the afternoon and hunted for a place to spend the night. We found a good a good spot by the river Genil.

Images

© Thomas Züllich

Google and/or Wikipedia information *

Vélez-Blanco is a municipality of Almería province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. In 2018 the population was 1938. Its surface area is 441.31 km² and has a density of 4.39 inhabitants / km². Its geographical coordinates are 37 ° 41′N 2 ° 05′O. Elevation: 1,070 m

The Castillo-Palacio (Renaissance Castle) that crowns the centre of the town is the main attraction, one of the jewels of the Spanish Renaissance. Constructed on top of the old Arab castle in the 16th Century, under order from the first Marqués de Los Vélez, and declared a National Historical Monument, it rises up above a rock more than 1000 metres tall, offering the most spectacular view of the surrounding area. Unfortunately, only the exterior has been preserved to this day as the interior was sold at the beginning of the 20th Century and today is on show at the Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York, US. – http://www.andalucia.com/province/almeria/velezblanco/home.htm

Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens. Elevation: 738 m

Disclaimer – This blog is a personal diary without any commercial interest. Even though my mother tongue is German and my daily language Norwegian, it is written in English so many can understand it. If it helps planning your own adventures even the better. Feel free to leave comments or get in touch via email. Please respect the copyrights of my images. *Copyright for other linked pages and services (Google Maps, Wikipedia etc.) is in the ownership of the respective websites.