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Morocco

December 2023 - March 2024
A 87-day adventure by NattyE & Craig Read more
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  • Morocco
    Day 21

    Setenil de las Bodegas

    January 3 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Its municipal territory is located in the north-east of the province, in the extension of the Ronda Depression, and has a gently undulating landscape with cereal and olive groves, crossed by the Guadalporcún River.

    The village sits on a slope that slopes down from the castle to the river's edge. Its main curiosity is the beauty and originality of its urban layout: the semi-troglodyte houses take advantage of the shelter of the rocks of the ravine created by the river. Also worth mentioning are the fortified castle and the Church of La Encarnación.

    History
    Of Roman origin, although the first news of a stable settlement is from the Arab period. The Muslims built the fortress of Xatanil which was part of the Cora Takurunna, whose headquarters were in Ronda.

    After being conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1484, the town became part of the royal domain.

    In 1630, after numerous lawsuits, Setenil finally freed himself from the jurisdiction of Ronda.

    The town played an important role in the partisan struggle against the French army during the War of Independence.    Read more

  • Morocco
    Day 23

    Hike to Algotacin

    January 5 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Algatocín, located on the road that connects Ronda to the Campo de Gibraltar, has always captured the attention of the traveller: its particular urban structure, inherited from the Berber peoples who founded the village, has a staggered physiognomy that adapts to the slopes of the land, which creates an image of white volumes against a green background of chestnuts, holm oaks and cork oaks.

    The Parish Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, as an obvious mark of identity, rises above the white village, crowned by a brilliant cap of blue mosaics.

    The historical antecedents found in the municipality of Algatocín date back to the time of Roman rule: near the village, at a site called Cerrogordo, archaeological remains belonging to this era have been discovered.
    However, the origin of this village is related to the Arab presence in this territory. Its name seems to come from the Berber tribe of the Benu-Atus: Al-Atuiyin, although legend has it that its origin is linked to the daughter of the second Muslim king of Ronda, Algotisa, who chose this place to build her palace.    Read more

  • Morocco
    Day 25

    Cycle Ride to Estopona

    January 7 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The smallest corners of the village of Estepona, located in a privileged location, captivate visitors. Its renovated old town, one of the most beautiful in Andalusia, offers tourists the opportunity to enjoy a real urban garden, "The Garden of the Costa del Sol".

    Its interlacing of whitewashed streets, adorned with colourful flower pots, gives it its essence of an Andalusian coastal village. As for its customs and traditions, they coexist in total harmony with its more modern and touristic facet.

    History
    Its history is based on the presence of the Phoenician, Roman and Arab peoples.
    During the ninth and seventh centuries B.C. The Phoenicians arrived on our shores, established trading posts and cohabited with the native population.
    At the end of the third century B.C. During the wars between the Carthaginians and the Romans, the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula. The most important location from the Roman era is in the area of the Guadalmansa River where there are remains of baths that may have belonged to the Roman city of Salduba.
    The beginning of the eighth century marked the conquest by the Muslims. A fortress was built: the Castle of Nicio and later, in the time of the Caliph Abd Al-Rhamán III, a fortress called Estebbuna, a name that remains a great enigma since no one has yet been able to decipher its meaning.
    In 1456 the troops of the Castilian King Henry IV conquered Estepona. After the reconquest of Granada in 1492, the strategic position of Estepona prompted the Catholic Monarchs to take the decision to rebuild the old Muslim castle by strengthening its southern flank and adding an independent fortress called the Castle of St. Louis as well as various crenellated towers along the coast of Estepona.
    In the shelter of this castle, 30 families inhabited Estepona. The present town is a direct descendant of this castle; It first extended under the shelter of the walls and later, when these were no longer needed, it left the fortified perimeter and took advantage of the stones to build new houses.
    In 1729 a patent from King Philip V granted it the status of a city, thus freeing it from the jurisdiction of Marbella.    Read more

  • Morocco
    Day 30

    Meandering around the Rocks

    January 12 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
  • Morocco
    Day 32

    Birthday Ride to Gaucin

    January 14 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Gaucín is a town and municipality located in the mountains of Andalusia in the province of Málaga in southern Spain. It is inland from Marbella, Puerto Banús and Estepona and not far from Ronda.

    The village has a population of approximately 2,000. It lies about 600 metres above sea level in the Sierra del Hacho, dominated by the Castillo del Aguila (Eagle's Castle), originally a Roman stronghold, expanded by the Arabs.    Read more

  • Morocco
    Day 42

    Torreguardiaro

    January 24 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    When Joseph McMicking appeared on the scene with his plans to develop an exclusive community at Sotogrande, the coastal road, the N340 was a single-track tarmac road with dusty verges. The fishing village through which it passed had hardly grown, a collection of cottages housing the fishing families whose boats were drawn up in the sheltered bay at the eastern end of the village. The oldest part of the village surrounded the ruined tower that is now in the paseo the car park.

    Torreguadiaro is distinguished in that it has two towers. The first and oldest, Torre Quebrada de Guadiaro, was built in the 15th century. It was a lookout to warn the surrounding farming families of any approaching pirates from the Barbary coast on the opposite shore of North Africa and a refuge for shepherds. The Torres are a feature on the Mediterranean coast occupying headlands every few kilometres.

    In 1516 there is a report that the tower needed replacement due to it having been struck by lightning and split in two. A new tower, called, not surprisingly, Torre Nuevo de Guadiaro, was built on higher ground just south of the original tower. It is one of the most elaborate Torres on the coast with two floors, stairs, a chimney and an exterior door accessed by a rope ladder. The whole is roofed and is 14 metres in diameter and 16 metres tall. It can be seen next to the access road that leads from Torreguadiaro down to Sotogrande marina. In the late 18th century the Torre was equipped with a cannon and manned by a small company of soldiers who were housed in a small barracks building alongside. Later the building was used by the Guardia Civil. It was restored in 2015.    Read more

  • Morocco
    1
    Day 43

    Onwards to the Port of Algeciras

    January 25 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
  • Morocco
    1
    Day 45

    Asilah

    January 27 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Asilah (Arabic: أصيلة) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 31 km (19 mi) south of Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact.

    History

    The town's history dates back to 1500 B.C., when Phoenicians occupied a site called Silis, Zili, Zilis, or Zilil (Punic: 𐤀𐤔𐤋𐤉𐤕, ʾšlyt,[2] or Punic: 𐤔𐤋𐤉, šly)[3] which is being excavated at Dchar Jdid, some 12 km (7.5 mi) NE of present Asilah; that place was once considered to be the Roman stronghold Ad Mercuri, but is now accepted to be Zilil. The town of Asilah itself was originally constructed by the Idrisid dynasty and Umayyad caliph Al-Hakam II rebuilt the town in 966. The Portuguese conquered the city in 1471 and built its fortifications, but it was abandoned because of an economic debt crisis in 1549. In 1578, Sebastian of Portugal used Asilah as a base for his troops during a planned crusade that resulted in Sebastian's death, which in turn caused the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580. The Portuguese kept hold of the town but in 1589 the Moroccans briefly regained control of Asilah, but then lost it to the Spanish.

    In 1692, the town was again taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail. Asilah served then as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 1829, the Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy.    Read more

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