The Outstanding Olive Oil of Andalusia, Spain

The Outstanding Olive Oil of Andalusia, Spain

Did you know that Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world? Accordingly to worldatlas.com, Spain produces 5,276,899 metric tons of olive annually and about 75% of the total olive production is concentrated around the Andalusian region. Yup. We have a lot of olive trees here, and the sight of their straight lines of twisted trunks marching across the golden hillsides of southern Spain have inspired many an artist. Van Gogh said that the "rustle of the olive grove has something very secret in it, and immensely old. It is too beautiful for us to dare to paint it or to be able to imagine it." A symbol of wisdom and peace, both beautiful and beneficial to health, the olive tree is an intrinsic ingredient of life in Andalucía.

Andalusian Cuisine: Summer & Winter Recipes to Get Your Taste Buds Tingling

Andalusian Cuisine: Summer & Winter Recipes to Get Your Taste Buds Tingling

The peppered history of Andalucía and its peoples has occasioned a fusion of ingredients and cooking methods. The arrival of the Moors from Arabia and North Africa proved the greatest influence on food, but they didn't only bring with them aromatic spices and herbs. They also introduced irrigation systems (the 'huertas') to the arid lands of the south. Andalusian cuisine remains fresh and simple, with leanings towards a peasant's diet due to historical periods of abject poverty in Spain. Staples were soups, paellas and rich stews cooked for great lengths of time on 'stove-tops', called poyos. The poyos and the poverty may be long gone, but the dishes remain, and these are a few you can sample during your visit to Andalucía:

5 white villages in Andalusia perfect for a slow tourism experience

5 white villages in Andalusia perfect for a slow tourism experience

Dazzling in the bright Andalusian sunshine, the pueblos blancos (white villages) perch precariously on the mountainsides of southern Spain and are a delight for the discerning traveller seeking an authentic experience of the region. Tourist towns they are not, and wandering peacefully through their narrow streets with splashes of brightly-coloured potted flowers is a salve for the soul in this age of instant gratification and constant stimulation. Relax. Take a seat alongside the older town caballeros admiring the view and discussing the weather, and immerse yourself, slow-tourism style. Sample our five favourite interesting and lesser-visited white villages in the Serranía de Ronda:

An update on our unicorn at La Cazalla

An update on our unicorn at La Cazalla

Last year we wrote that we had started to feed the lonely white horse living in the oak forest opposite the house and, of course, like any animal in need of rescuing, feeding him brought him to the house. The one thing that we really wanted to do for Oberon was find a companion for him. He's lived on his own for SO long and his loneliness made us feel sad. However, we are pleased to report that this weekend, we got him some friends. Just look at how happy he is, with his little victory run!

Our Top 10 Places To Visit During Your Stay in Ronda, Spain

Our Top 10 Places To Visit During Your Stay in Ronda, Spain

We feel that Ronda and the surrounding area has something for everyone. History, nature, adventure sports, music, art... and there's always something going on in this small city! Here are our recommendations for places to visit during your stay at La Cazalla de Ronda.

Top ten wineries to visit in Ronda, Spain

Top ten wineries to visit in Ronda, Spain

Ronda is growing in popularity as a destination for wine tourism, with organised tours available from a multitude of operators, so here our our top ten wineries you can easily visit within just a short distance from your base at our luxury villa La Cazalla.

Beautiful Blossoms at La Cazalla: our luxury private villa rental in Spain

Beautiful Blossoms at La Cazalla: our luxury private villa rental in Spain

The Serrania de Ronda is blooming with beautiful almond blossom at the moment. We are so lucky to have these perfectly pretty trees on our estate - not only for their gorgeous Spring display, but also for the nuts we harvest from them, which we share with our guests.

Our own personal unicorn

Our own personal unicorn

Since we came to live at La Cazalla, from time-to-time we have seen a wild white horse roaming in the ancient oak forest on the other side of the gorge. To us, this solo snowy stallion came to have a magical quality, and we started calling him 'our unicorn'.

Easter Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Ronda

Easter Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Ronda

Three cities in Andalucia are especially renowned for their Easter celebrations: Seville, Malaga, and our very-own little Ronda! The procession starts each year on Palm Sunday, with groups of people carrying heavy pasos adorned with Easter iconography. With everyone dressed in their finest dresses or robes for those carrying the icon, the spectacle is a feast for the eyes.

September Fiesta in Ronda

September Fiesta in Ronda

For anyone lucky enough to be in Ronda at the beginning of September, the annual Feria is a fantastic cultural event, and it doesn't have to be all about the bullfighting. The caballeros all over town and the carriage exhibition in the historic bull ring, are wonderful to see...not to mention a whole town intent on La Fiesta!!