Creative Arts Learning Vacations in Southern Spain

El Molino is located in Southern Spain less than an hour inland from Malaga airport and an hour from Granada.�This is the part of Spain known as Andalucia.

Andalucia is a land of stark contrasts. The sandy beaches of the Mediterranean to the south give way to the snow covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada to the north. The strong verticals of the spectacular mountain ranges and undulating hills are crisscrossed with the never-ending horizontals of ordered olive groves.

The Moorish occupation of Spain from 710 to 1492 has created a rich legacy, particularly in Andalucia where the Moors focused their settlement in the three great Andalucian cities of Cordoba, Seville and Granada. On some of our workshops and arts holidays we spend time in the city of Granada’s world famous heritage site, (the most visited site in Spain), the spectacular Moorish palaces and fortress, known as the Alhambra.

Anadalucia is sprinkled with towns and villages, the pueblos blancos (white villages), often clinging to the tops of large craggy rock outcrops or on hilltops. Many of our excursions for the arts holidays include a visit to the classical white village of Iznajar or the town of Ronda with its dramatic gorge.

Anadalucians enjoy over 300 days of sunshine every year which is why, since ancient times, this has been a major olive producing area for the world.�In more recent times they have harnessed this resource for many solar-powered projects in this area.

Spain's membership in the European Union has dramatically improved its standard of living without diminishing Spaniards' pride in their local culture, family life, and traditions. The Andalucians love their 'Ferias' and 'Fiestas' with music, dancing and processions.

El Molino is on the old route to Iznajar, on the road to Loja. A gentle 3 km walk through olive groves leads, in one direction, to the village of Villanueva de Tapia, and in the other (about 2 km away) to the hamlet of Fuente del Conde and Antonio's Bar. The main Seville-Granada and Malaga highways are about a 10-minute drive away.

April, May, June, September, and October are perfect months to be in Spain as the weather normally is not too hot, and the evenings are warm. Temperatures may get into the high twenties, but it feels a few degrees less as it is a dry heat. In October the days are wonderfully warm and clear, and the evenings start to get a faint chill to them and perhaps a shawl might come in handy. The pool is wonderful and enjoyed for all these months!