Gaucín area guide: at one with nature
As a base for exploring the 'pueblos blancos' of Andalucía, Gaucín is the whitewashed village to end all whitewashed villages. It has all the ingredients: the hilltop setting, the clusters of small houses clinging to the side of the mountain, the steep narrow streets, the courtyards and squares that empty during the midday sun, the surrounding semi-wilderness and the aura of a place that time forgot.
In amongst all this is a tight-knit community, proud of Gaucín's rich history, embodied by the village's majestic Castillo del Águila, which pre-dates the Arabian conquest of Andalucía and is a powerful symbol of Gaucín's strength and unity. With such a solid identity, Gaucín has managed to hold at bay the tides of tourism that have swept along the rest of the Costa del Sol.
Although not quite. The beautiful castle is a bona fide tourist attraction, as is the entire village of Gaucín itself. So much so, in fact, that expats have already arrived, anxious that their properties retain that authentic Ronda tiling and antiquated interiors of centuries ago, much to the puzzlement of locals who decided to chuck out the chintz and join the 21st century years ago. Relatively hard to reach, Gaucín is some 20 kilometres farther inland than Ronda, along a road that gets even windier, even hillier and even more rural the further you traverse it. Dense forests line the road, marching up and down the mountains and harbouring an abundance of wildlife. When you do finally happen upon Gaucín, it's an awe-inspiring sight - a tight, tangled tumult of buildings dropped in the middle of nowhere, yet perched high enough so as to be able to survey its surroundings. As such, there are jaw-dropping views down to the coast and Gibraltar, and the inherent peace and tranquillity that has enveloped the village remains; the silence broken intermittently by the thwack of a tennis ball, the stomp of a Flamenco dancer or the chink of an empty beer glass in the distance.
Saying 'there's not much to do in Gaucín' could be seen, by many, as the understatement of the year. Forget about all-day shopping sprees, cinemas, health clubs, fancy restaurants, garden centres or all the other things you currently fill your days with. There's none of that. The unimaginative and unadventurous will get very bored, very quickly here, which leaves Gaucín's true sights and attractions free to be enjoyed by those that will appreciate them.
The very notion of Gaucín's rurality will be enough for some: the chance to wander into the surrounding mountains, forests and plains, unburdened by traffic and uninterrupted by others, while those who fancy trying their hand at tennis, horse riding, bird watching or organised nature trekking can do so. There's also the wonderful climate-swimming pool combination, should the aforementioned activities sound too sweat-inducing.
Inside the village there are just six restaurants, although any more and the delicate balance of Gaucín would be compromised. A night out dining with family and friends is the preferred choice for locals and the newly arrived, although there are a couple of tapas bars dotted about should you fancy something a little livelier. If you would like to try your hand at salsa or Flamenco dancing, you can on occasion, while the famous ferias and carnivals of Gaucín are a chance for the locals to really let their hair down and celebrate their lovely village.
Other than that, you either have to adopt to the slower pace of nightlife here in Gaucín, or drive into Ronda, where 'nightlife' will resemble something more like that found along the Costa del Sol.