This Andalucia holiday was as usual based at Finca el Cerrillo in Andalucia, after flights to Malaga, then a taxi transfer.

Everyone had arrived in good time and Christine served the usual welcoming meal to much acclaim and it was warm enough to eat outside on the terrace.

Later we moved indoors - into the beautifully decorated hotel lounge.

We set off for the mule track to the Cajula River and along the valley.

We passed an old farm where two wild boars are kept and followed the track round to Canillas to visit Santa Ana, the lovely hill top hermitage.

We then wove down through Canillas village and to have a welcome drink, then on to the village of Archez.

It was a short but steep walk back up to the hotel and the waiting swimming pool.

We were driven to Competa's football ground at 750 metres in order to climb up to the fire observation hut on Cerro Gavilan, with wonderful views over the Almijara Mountains.

From there an old silk route used to run all the way to Granada.

We started along it, passing old "ventas", ruined inns where traders once stopped for provisions, and saw one of the lovely old stone threshing circles or "eras".

There was also an old lime kiln to be investigated on the way up to the Blanquillo Pass at 1200m.

From here we descended into the Cuevas de Melero valley.

Along the valley were cork oak, chestnut and walnut trees, an old beekeepers cave... and finally we arrived at the farm with a cave where goats are kept.

At one point we stopped to cool our feet in a mountain stream.

A short step further down the valley we arrived at La Fabrica, the old disused water powered power station for a waiting taxi.

Today walked from the hotel through olive groves towards Fogarate with expansive views back down the valley.

We passed a deserted house full of bats.

Walking down the river valley of Rio Salares, we reached Salares village.

Here we wandered looking at old building and bridges, the lovely cemetary, then stopped at the village bar.

In the evening we went out to eat out in Competa at the Pilon restaurant.

Today we went to see the Alhambra in Granada - which defies description. The bus journey took us along the coast and up through the Alpujarras with views of the Sierra Nevada.

We had booked several weeks in advance to be sure of getting in to the Alhambra at this peak season.

Once admitted to the Alhambra you first see the Nazrid Palaces - equisitely, constructed and decorated with stucco like stalactites.

A lot of it dates from the 15th century. The tiles are beautiful and the use of water and light in the courtyards is stunning.

Archways and windows frame fantastic views across Granada to the Sacromonte, where people still live in the caves.

The gardens were magnificent and full of colour. Finally you walk through an oleandar walkway to reach the exit. The Alhambra is one of the world's great unmissable wonders.

There was also time to wander through Granada and see some of the many other sights of the city before we travelled back to La Finca.

Today, we had a wonderful mountain day, climbing to the top of two peaks, Cerro Verde, covered in asphodels and Cerro Atalaya, a wonderful limestone rocky-topped pinnacle.

Walking from La Fabrica, we retraced our steps up the Cueras de Melero valley, turning off into a side valley, and scrambling over limestone rocks and past caves...

The ascent of the two peaks was rocky and exciting.

From the summit of Cerro Verde we descended a short way then continued on up onto Atalaya - the second peak. This involved a little scramble.

That evening we enjoyed another delicious meal back at La Finca - well satisfied with our day!

We took a taxi to Sedella, a lovely village with a beautiful mountain backdrop of Maroma, the highest in the region.

After exploring the village a little, we made our way to the old Roman bridge and up hill past the ruins of a farm to a slope covered in cistus and lavender.

We continued up to join the "acequia" or irrigation channel.

We stopped for lunch under eucalyptus trees on the way to Fogarate.

From Fogarate we took a different path back to the head fo the Cajula Valley, and back down the valley past a wild boar farm to the hotel.

In the evening we went out to eat in Competa again - a lovely last evening.

Sadly today was the end of the holiday, and it was time to return to Malaga.

Before leaving we looked up in the flower book some of the flowers we had seen and counted over 40 species!