Christmas and New Year have barely passed and yet Mother Nature has generously sprinkled magic over the Torrox countryside and have made the almond trees blossom in white and pink.

This is a glorious time for good long walks in the mountains. The days are warm, but not too warm to walk, however the nights are still chilly and a good crackling fire indoors feels just right in the evenings.

This is the time of year where it's normally warmer outside the house in the middle of the day than on the inside of the thick Spanish stone walls.

Whoever said that they could never live in Spain because they would miss the change of seasons, haven’t really paid attention! The year in Andalusia has many changes. Just like today when the almond trees are promising that from now on, we are moving towards summer and that those beautiful warm evenings, where there is no difference between the air and your body temperature, will be here in 4 - 5 month.

If you are thinking of going to Torrox for walking, trekking etc. -  the right time is from October to May. The rest of the year it's simply to hot!

If you want to plan a spring break or your summer holiday in a villa with pool in the countryside around Torrox, Frigiliana or Nerja you can make a really good deal right now with James Villas.  When you book from now on and till Monday 4 February 2013 (inclusive) you get free car hire, travel insurance & a start package with your holiday home. 

It's worth chekking out!

The place is Andalucia - the deep south of Spain. In the mountains between Competa and Frigiliana, in the National Park "Sierra de Tejeda", an unsurfaced mountainroad leads into the valley,  where an atmospheric white washed village is surrounded by pine trees.

This is the "Lost Village", the "Abandoned Village" or "Pueblo el Fantasma” among Spaniards - The Ghost Village.

Just a few years ago the village was extinct - and had been since 1949. There many stories about Acebuchal. The story most often told is that Acebuchal was where the resistance - who fought against Franco, hid, and that those who survived, was chased out of town by Franco's men.
Others say that the city was abandoned because the residents simply wanted more comfort and a better life.
Fact is that the village consisted of ruins only until 1998 when Antonio "El Zumbo" returned with his wife; Virtudes, to make a lifelong dream of rebuilding Acebuchal come true.

Living just in the next valley between Torrox and Compèta I went on a quest to find the truth about El Acebuchal.
In the local bar I meet Antonio Garcia Sanchez, behind the bar. It was his parents, Virtudes and Antonio, who came back in 1998 to realize the dream of rebuilding Acebuchal.
The young Antonio is only 30 years, but he can tell the story of Acebuchal.

- The village has always been a part of my family's life, he says - they have never abandoned their dream of returning. My grandfather was born here and my mother took me along numerous times through my childhood and told me what house my grandfather was born in, etc.
I ask which one of the rumors about Acebuchal I should believe.
- People call the village many different names, says Antonio, - Spaniards call Acebuchal “Pueblo el Fantasmas” – The Village of Ghosts, because it has been deserted and abandoned for nearly 50 years.

The citizens left the village in 1949 because of Franco, who introduced the law that the villagers could stay in the village during the day, but had to leave before it turned dark ... in other words, they had to obtain another place to live at night ... No one had cars back then, so the residents had to walk from Frigiliana, Torrox or Competa and all the way to Acebuchal every morning and back again in the evening ... because they still had all their livestock and their vegetables to look after in the village.

When asked whether the occupants were resistance fighters or supported the resistance, Antonio answered; - They were just very, very poor farmers. If they had been active against Franco, or had supported the resistance movement, they would have been killed.

The reason that Franco forbade them to stay there at night, was that there was constant fighting between the Guardia Civil and the resistance movement, who hid in the mountains, and the Guardia Civil wanted to obtain a full strategic control of the area.

The constant conflicts and restrictions that were imposed on residents of Acebuchal finally forced them to leave their village.
- But all took a small piece of Acebuchal with them in their hearts, says Antonio - and all continued to dream of returning to the place that used to be their home.

In 1998 the first house was renovated, in 2003 the town had electricity and in 2005 the village streets was completely renovated and the same year, on June 25,  Acebuchal was re-inaugurated.

It was Antonio el Zumbo and his family who took the initiative and most of the houses have been very carefully renovated in the traditional rustic style. The white village houses are placed close together in the winding cobbled streets. There has been paid the utmost attention to the smallest details to create atmosphere, and everywhere there are flowers and fertile green succulents.

Antonio and his family owns half of the village houses, which now can be rented as holiday homes. The new Acebuchal has several small pools, so holidaymakers can enjoy a cool swim.
The area is idyllic, peaceful and perfect for those who just want to escape from the crowded coast and the sophistication of life, but any visitors must be satisfied with being self-sufficient both in terms of procurement and activities because the city has only one bar and nothing else. No restaurants, shops or other forms of infrastructure.

The area is ideal for hikers, nature lovers, writers, painters and those who just love to sit outdoors year round and enjoy the scenic surroundings.
On the other hand, it only takes a 15 minutes scenic drive to reach the charming village of Frigiliana with restaurants, bars and shops.

El Acebuchal was originally built in the mid-1700s, but archaeological finds from the Iberian culture and Roman and Arab coins indicates that there was a settlement where Acebuchal is now, long before that time.

The every day life in Acebuchal before the Spanish Civil War rotated roughly about the production of charcoal and limestone and husbandry. Moreover, Acebuchal was a meeting point for traveling merchants from the nearby villages; Torrox, Frigiliana and Nerja.  
They loaded their mules up with fish, vegetables and fruit, which they carried over the mountains to the villages of Fornes & Jallena near Granada. Here they  sold or exchanged their products, bringing the flour and other products back.
Acebuchal was the place where the men let the mules rest, while they themselves got a piece of bread and a drink... and of course, exchanged travel experiences.

Acebuchal Today
Almost 50 years passed before somebody returned for anything else but a short visit and a heavy nostalgic feeling at the sight of the abandoned village which had once been their home.
Acebuchal is a microscopically small village, or rather a collection of houses situated in a very peaceful, beautiful valley inside the National Park  surrounded by fragrant pine trees, thyme and rose marin.
The village is no longer abandoned, it has been resumed and occupied.

Are you searching for a holiday spot with a relaxed pace of life, a laid back ambiance and a genuine Spanish feel? You can still find a piece of Costa del Sol, east of Malaga, which is not destroyed by tall buildings and souvenir shops.

The coast & countryside east of Malaga has a chain of white villages; Nerja, Torrox & Frigiliana & further inland the villages of Sayalonga, Comares, Canillas de Aceituno, Archez & Competa. As the new motorway has been inaugurated it only takes a little less than an hour to drive from Malaga airport to the eastern part of the Costa del Sol.

The back-country stretches all the way up to Sierra Almijara and the large Natural Parks where wild boar and mountain goats live alongside enormous birds such as golden eagles & black vulture.

Benefit from the lack of trying noises from the bulk tourism. Well you might possibly have to suffer the sound of an excavated moped, locally referred to as “the plague of Andalucia”, which the eastern Costa del Sol share with the rest of Andalucia.

Indulge in the smell and taste of smoked sardines from the beach establishments between Nerja & Torrox and if you head out there on a Sunday afternoon you will realize how Spanish families spend their Sundays. Commonly they will be three generations together sharing their meal at a beach restaurant and there will be a good deal of unbridled laughter, yelling & shouting.

The Torrox area is favored with the most excellent climate in Europe. Well defended from the cool winds from the north by the mountain ranges of Sierra Nevada, Almijara and Tejeda. As a result of its south-facing slopes are sheltered this area is the only region in Europe, that are suitable to grow tropical crops like mangoes, avocados and bananas on profitable basis.

Torrox is divided into 4 areas. You have Torrox Pueblo, the old Moorish part, Torrox Costa by the sea, Torrox Park between the village and the sea and at last Torrox Campo, in the surrounding mountains, where you will be staying if you choose  a holiday home in Torrox.

Frigiliana is a very scenic village. It has won several awards for being one of the most beautifully renovated villages in Spain. It is probably not by chance that you will find flocking of international artists, musicians and writers residing in Frigiliana.

The Spanish word “Tranquilo” may have its cradle somewhere in this locality, because if it is a quiet rhythm of life, inspiration & a sense of inner peace you try to find, then this is the spot to look for it.

Enjoy chatter about love & the meaning of life under covering tree on the village square, as you get acquainted with the local tapas and wine.

Watch an old man move past with his mule loaded with bulging baskets of crops from the piece of land he has outside the village. A holiday in Frigiliana is time off from your common life.

Nerja is based right by the beach. Originally it out as a small fishing village but now it has grown into an international town. Choosinga holiday in Nerja means safekeeping your options. You will find wonderful beaches, choice of international food, the offer of boisterous nightlife at Tutti-Frutti Square & only short drive to the peace and quiet of the Andalucian outback.

A landscape of mountains and valleys covered with dust-green olive trees and an abundance of beautiful beaches are waiting to be found.

When you go on holiday to Nerja or Torrox in Andalusia, Spain, you have made a conscious decision of choosing a laid back, authentic Spanish town or village placed in a gorgeous landscape between the mountains and the sea.

This means you want an out of the ordinary holiday, without thousands of tourist shops, loud nightclubs roaring out techno music till the sun gets out of bed and McDonalds on every street corner.

Instead you can stroll to the local bar and get a café solo, a drink and a few tapas, while you contemplate what you want to do next.

One of the things I can recommend is to see the amazing Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens placed beautifully in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Granada. This is only an hour’s drive from Nerja and Torrox and you will never forget having spent a day in this UNESCO World heritage site and the finest examples of Moorish architecture in Spain.


The Royal Alhambra Palace is divided into three sections; the Mexuar (for government, business and palace administration), the Serrallo (where the sultan held court) and the Harem. You will be dazzled by the sophisticated geometric patterns made in marble, alabaster and glazed tiles with incredible skills.

After visiting the Alhambra Palace you can enjoy the poetic sound of water in the Generalife Gardens, which is said to have been inspired by the description of Paradise. It’s a very peaceful experience to stroll among flower scents and water sounds – almost aspiring to a walking meditation.

Alhambra Palace is Spain’s number one attraction, and as there is only a limited amount of tickets available per day, you are well advised to book good time in advance.

If you don’t want to drive yourself you can book a day trip to Alhambra Palace from Nerja which is only a 10 minutes drive from Torrox.