I remember passing by Guadix (pronounce: wa-dis) on our cycling trip 4.5 years ago (together with my boyfriend at the time, aka Cyclingthglobe. All of a sudden I felt in a different country: landscapes that remind me of countries like Turkey. The red stone, the cave houses and the cactus everywhere. Back then it was just a quick passing through, but I knew I wanted to come back for some more exploring, and so I did. And though just 1.5 hours away from Salobreña, and even within the same province of Granada, it took me a little while to do so. So here it goes: What to do in and around Guadix Granada?
I actually took my bike in the back of my van and explored the area by bicycle. It is a little hilly here and there, so I recommend a mountain bike, or an e-bike if you´re up for it!
Just to make sure you´ll have Guadix area on your list for your next exploration around southern Spain, here some ideas:
Where to stay?
So, I went up in my van and found the most amazing spot. Though the road to it is quite tricky and I really, really recommend you do this with daylight. Also, don´t even try with a big camper van (sorry!). But once you get to the Mirador del Fin del Mundo (the ´end of the world´ viewpoint), in the morning you will see the sun come up over the plains and shine on the rocks, to make them all different tones of red, while the little towns of Beas de Guadix and Marchal are slowing waking up, against a background of the snowy Sierra Nevada!
If you don´t have a van or want to go for a real experience, the real thing to do in this area is to stay in a cave house!! Many of them are for rent (either through Airbnb, or just google cave house Guadix, or ´casa cueva´). This is an experience you do not want to miss! (of course, all accommodations, bars, tours and other sightseeings might be closed due to the current Corona situation).
Paulenca de Guadix
From my camping spot: the Mirador del Fin del Mundo I first took the dirt road to the very small town of Paulenca de Guadix (it might be difficult in the rainy season, depending on the car you have). The first houses of this tiny little village actually date back to Roman times, after which it became a Gothic, and then a Muslim domain. Noways, there really isn´t too much to do, but makes for a nice and off-the-beaten-track stop.
Guadix city
The main city of the area, Guadix is a jewel in itself. A city rarely visited by foreign tourists, it’s small enough to walk around, yet you can easily spend 3 hours here (or even make it the place to find your little daily lunch menu). Go have some tapas in la Bodeguilla: the oldest tapas bar of Guadix, and since 1904 it does not seem to have changed with plates of olives, hams of the ceiling, tiled bars and sherry straight from the barrel ;))
The main thing to do is the ´barrio de las cuevas´ (the cave neighborhood) and the old city center. The barrio de las cuevas is about 1.2km from the city center, which you can easily walk. There are about 2000 cave houses in this neighborhood, making it look like another world. There are the rocks, stumpy chimneys sticking out of the rocks, white walls and mostly blue doors. The oldest caves around have been inhabited since early Moorish times, though most date from the 15th or 16th centuries. There is a little interpretation center (Centro de Interpretación Cuevas de Guadix) which gives info on cave-house life.
You can visit this neighborhood on your own terms, or join a tour (for example this one), in which they give more information.
The old center is a nice place for a little cup of coffee and a visit to the Cathedral. An interesting mix between Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, and built on the site of the former main mosque. You can climb the tower for views.
Purullana, Marchal and Los Baños de Graena
From Guadix I continued to Purullana and Marchal. It is said that this little town is Purullena is the most representative examples of cave houses, though, for me, they are all kind of the same ;). It´s mostly to gaze around these tiny towns, enjoy the local life that slowly moves around and taking the little Mountainbike route from Marchal to los Baños de Graena.
When you make this little tour by bike, it´s about 22 km, with an altitude gain of around 450mts. If course, there are many, many other amazing routes around the rocks and mountains of Guadix! So many more to explore still!
Something else that probably most be amazing to do is taking a hot air balloon tour to see the landscapes from another perspective. This depends on your budget though.
So, here are the main ideas on what to do in and around Guadix Granada?
Also, when you´ve brought your bike already this way, make sure to check out some other cool routes as well!
