keeping cool
We don't normally go away in July - preferring to edge around the main season travelling in June and September. But not in 2023 - this time we chose the middle of July. After four years away from Spain (mainly due to Covid) we planned our return to Andalucía with ten days of travelling through the Pueblos Blancos, the white villages. Ending with a few days by the sea.
Of course our return coincided with a searing heatwave that had much of the country on red alert, the affects of which are covered in the blog 'Praying for Rain' and we had chosen an inland journey in the arid mountains! Here are some of the ways that we cooled down despite the absence of a sea breeze or the sand beneath our feet.
Our first stop was Antequera - there aren't many hotels in the centre but more by luck that judgement we had booked in to Hotel Infante Antequera which had a small pool on the roof. Now I don't know about you, but countless times I have booked a hotel with a pool only to not use it, so I don't normally prioritise this as a choice. But on this occasion what fortunate. It was perfect for an early evening dip to cool down. A bonus being that they provided pool towels - huge fluffy one's. Another bonus (but a little surprising) is that we had the pool to ourselves.
We were only there for one night but if you are travelling to Antequera and want to make sure you have somewhere to cool off I would highly recommend here.
Our next stop was Olvera - our first white town. As we were there for three nights we had booked a house with a patio for sunbathing.
We took a walk around the neighbourhood that evening and passed by a walled complex where we could hear lots of chatter and music. Sticking our head through the gates we happened on the outdoor municipal pool complex complete with a bar. It looked deliciously inviting but just about to close and we had no towels or swimwear so we agreed to go back the following evening.
The pool was large, and there was plenty of shade both natural and manmade surrounding the pool and it cost only six euro's for the two of us.
We had never thought of going to a municipal pool before - in fact we might have felt a little intimidated previously entering a local facility - but in this instance the heat was the stronger force and we were glad of it!
So if you are travelling a little inland and need a refreshing dip don't dismiss it - do a quick google search and see what you can find.
Continuing our journey through the white villages we moved on to Zahara de la Sierra. A beautiful town perched high above the huge manmade reservoir, which at the time of our visit was at an all time low due to the weather -but oh how inviting it still looked.
We wanted to continue our daily dip routine so we googled places to swim in the town. Now they do have a municipal pool - but something else came up the piqued our interest. A freshwater pool fed by a spring in the woods: La Playita de Arroyomolinos. Along with the pool there are other activities for children and a cafe.
Not going to lie the water was FREEZING on entry even though the weather was above 40 degree's but once you had done the obligatory diving in it felt divine.
There was plenty of places to relax under the tree's and I enjoyed watching the local families who had arrived with picnics and guitars.
No - we didn't take the plunge into wild swimming - we ran out of time as we moved on from the villages closer to the sea.
But it was definitely on my radar and something I would look to try if we were to return.
I wanted to include in this page though to show that a holiday does not have to be based on the seaside or an expensive hotel pool to enjoy a dip. There are far more creative, cheaper ways to keep cool and combat the heat of the day.
Of course I need to be responsible and add a warning around wild swimming to be cautious. All the other options come equipped with safety measures whereas wild swimming you are on your own so do your research, know your limits and enjoy.
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