Paragliding
Algodonales, just a few kilometres west of Montecorto, is home to a number of paragliding schools and has recently staged the World Championship. Courses can be arranged for beginners as well as tandem flights.
Flamenco & Other music
There is a strong flamenco tradition in the area. The nearest traditional peña (flamenco club) is in Ronda and there are also shows of song and dance in the old town. During the summer months all of our local ferias have flamenco concerts as part of the celebrations. Ronda has regular concerts of classical music as well as occasional operatic events in the Plaza de Toros.
Horse riding
Horse trekking into the high sierra can be arranged at stables just a ten minute drive from the house.
Cycling
Bike hire can be easily arranged in Ronda and guided tours can be arranged departing from El Tejar.There are excellent cycle ways in the area including the Via Verde which runs along an abandoned railway line. And there are plenty of more challenging tracks for mountain biking.
Ballooning
There is no more thrilling a way of viewing the Ronda mountains than from a balloon. End your once-in-a-lifetime flight with a champagne breakfast overlooking Ronda’s old town.
Bird Watching
The area around Grazalema and Ronda is a great place for orinithology, especially for spotting the big raptors. There are binoculars and guide books at El Tejar and guided trips can be arranged with an excellent English-speaking ornithologist.
Sailing & Canoeing
Just a ten minute drive from El Tejar is the Zahara reservoir where different water sports are on offer. Swimming is also possible at a number of secluded coves along the lakeside.
Walking
El Tejar, at the northern edge of the beautiful Grazalema Natural Park and close to the Sierra de las Nieves park, could be a great base for a walking holiday.
El Tejar’s owner leads guided walks in the area. He has written his own walking guide 'Walking in Andalucía' which has become a trusted companion for hundreds of walkers. The book is now in its fifth edition and describes walks in Andalusia's most beautiful National Parks, including six walks close to El Tejar. There will be a copy of the book in the house.
'Walking in Andalucía' by Guy Hunter-Watts (Santana: ISBN 84-89954-55-0) can be ordered from the publisher's website: www.santanabooks.com There are also copies available at El Tejar as well as copies of Guy's 'Small Hotels & Inns of Andalucía' (Santana: ISBN 84-89954-30-5) which can also be ordered from www.santanabooks.com The book lists his 125 favourite places to stay in Southern Spain.
The Walk of the Roman Mines. This walk is taken from ‘Walking in Andalucía’. It begins and ends in Montecorto.
Starting point: El Tejar
Difficulty: Medium/Difficult
Distance: 13 km (14.5 if you visit El Gastor)
Timings: Allow: 6/7 hours.
Actual walking time: Approx. 4 hours and 20 minutes.
This full day hike heads straight out from El Tejar. For the first hour you climb steadily upwards and as you reach the top of the first ridge you are rewarded with beautiful views to the west, out across the reservoir to Zahara and its Moorish castle. After dipping in, then out of, a forgotten valley you again descend, cross the Angostura stream, then climb steeply up to the top of a third ridge. From here you can either drop down once again to visit the pretty village of El Gastor or begin the loop back to El Tejar. You have one long climb on this leg, out of the Angostura valley to a broad farm track. From here the rest of the walk is plain sailing as you contour round the side of the Malaver mountain (1122m) through a beautiful stand of oak trees. Views once again open out to the west. Eventually the track runs in to meet with the one that you followed earlier in the day and leads you back to Montecorto and El Tejar.
Click here for recent updates to Guy’s book Walking in Andalucía