All PostsSeptember and October are, quietly, the best months to visit.
The heat that arrives in June and peaks through August begins to soften. The trails that had been too exposed in the midday sun become walkable again from morning through evening. The horses, who spend the hottest days in the shade, start to come back to life.
Here is what you get in autumn that you do not get in any other season.
The temperature is human again
July and August here can reach 38 degrees. This is spectacular, if you are in the pool, but limits what you can do comfortably between 11am and 5pm. By September, 25 to 30 degrees in the afternoon, and nights that cool down enough to eat outside without a fan. October brings proper walking weather.
The trails are at their best
The Sierra Gordo in October is different from the Sierra Gordo in August. There is more green. The wildflowers that bloom in spring have seeded themselves for next year. The path to Los Cien Canos, the waterfall at the source of the Guadalhorce, is at its most dramatic after the first autumn rains.
The pool is still open
The pool is heated from April to mid-November. In October you can hike in the morning, return to the pool in the afternoon, and sit outside for dinner in the evening. This is a good day.
Riding is at its best
The horses enjoy the cooler weather. We do not ride in the hottest part of the day in summer, which limits the morning window. In autumn, we can ride later, explore more, and the horses move more freely.
El Torcal is extraordinary
The limestone formations at El Torcal de Antequera, forty-five minutes by car, are extraordinary at any time of year. In autumn, with lower light and the occasional cloud passing through, the rock formations take on a different character. Worth at least half a day.
The flamingos at Fuente Piedra
The flamingo lake at Fuente Piedra is migrating in September and October. This is not something you plan to see and feel nothing about. It is genuinely strange and beautiful.
Fewer people
The summer season ends, the crowds thin, and the region's restaurants and villages return to something close to their normal pace. The roads are clearer. The Caminito del Rey is more enjoyable. The cave at Nerja is more accessible.
The light
In autumn, the light in the late afternoon is amber and horizontal. The olive groves glow. The mountains turn from bleached summer gold to something greener, darker, richer. You will take photographs you did not expect to take.
Autumn availability goes quickly. We are a small property with three cottages and we do not have the capacity to keep dates open for long.
If autumn appeals, now is the time to get in touch.