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Hot Air Balloon Rides in Guadix, Andalucia. The cathedral town of Guadix is well off the beaten path, in the eastern confines of the Province of Granada and is a large, bustling country town with a personality all of its own. Its history dates back to Phoenician and Roman times, and it played a major role in the Reconquest. The most interesting feature of the Guadix area is that almost half of the inhabitants live underground in what are known as cave houses. The jagged ochre terrain and the dazzling whitewashed chimneys and doors of the caves contrast dramatically with the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada, which loom above. Ever since the Moorish times, the Andalucians have been fond of living underground because it is the best way of escaping the summer heat waves, and most of today's cave-dwellings are well-appointed, like any other Spanish home.
In the centre of Guadix is the Cathedral, founded in 1594, and the Cave Museum - Plaza de la Ermita Nueva S/n.
The desert landscape around the village of Benalua de Guadix is especially impressive.
The fascinating Castle of the Calahorra in the village of La Calahorra lies just a few miles to the East. This impressive fort was awarded to a Christian knight for his role in the Reconquest, and fitted by him with a gracious Renaissance courtyard made of Italian marble and by Florentine craftsmen. There is a spectacular view of the round towers of the castle framed against the towering Sierra Nevada, which so often features in photographs and posters. See it all from 2000 meters up as you skim over the treetops and from up high, admire the varied landscape of this wonderful location. |