Troglodyte for a night

I'VE HAD some funny experiences in Spain particularly when touring. A few years ago, in rural areas hotels were often few and far between but I was never tempted by the idea of ‘going underground’ for a night’s kip!

Today, there is no shortage of places to stay with numerous enterprising folk who have set up deluxe rustic B&Bs, ‘casas rurales’ and such in competition with the national Paradores chain.

It was only when rural hotels began to get with it that I began to feel a bit of nostalgia for the ‘rough and ready’ and decided to try out the idea of ‘bedding down’ troglodyte style.

There are places in the heart of Spain where this is possible and a couple of these are not far off the main arterial road between Alicante and Granada.

In fact, there are several places where life still goes on in ‘underground’ troglodyte fashion so I dug up details of a couple of established cave hotel enterprises.

Going underground is not one of my regular things these days but I have done a bit of it in the past. Fifty odd years ago I was a regular pot-holer in the Derbyshire Peak District.

I knew my way around a number of ‘forbidden’ caves plus Poole’s cavern and the Winnatt’s Blue John Mines.

Illuminated by ‘candle power’ I’ve even floated along an underground river in Castleton’s Speedwell cavern. I’ve been down a couple of coal mines too but that’s another story.

During the past few years

I have ducked under the earth's crust and explored troglodyte dwellings on the banks of the Loire and on the Cherbourg peninsular. I have even been entertained in the lava encrusted volcanic caves in Lanzarote.

Since then my ducking and diving has been dormant, until I discovered Galera and its unique rentable cave homes. Sleeping in a grotto was something I had never experienced so I decided to give it a go.

Overnight, I became a troglodyte; I slept in a cliff face cave overlooking Pueblo Galera and to describe this as an unusual experience would be the height of understatement.

Of course I was accused of departing off on another of my daft excursions but that’s the price I often have to pay.

There is no shortage of living cave dwellings in this part of Granada, an area which extends from Cullar to Guadix near the Sierra Nevada.

Having travelled this route quite often and photographed some of the ‘living’ caves, when I discovered that it was possible to 'rent a cave' with self-catering facilities and stay in a luxury cave hotel there was no holding me back! Despite the fact that I wanted to be an ‘all-mod-cons’ caveman, I opted for individuality and rented a ‘private’ cave rather than a hotel orientated one. And my ‘prehistoric’ style cave was barely two hour’s drive from the glittering lights of the Costa Blanca.

Leaving the main road at Cullar, where I had first spotted cave ‘casitas,’ I headed inland towards a verdant valley surrounded by hills punctuated by white chimneys jutting from rocks and a landscape chequered with pristine-white painted cave facades.

‘Casas Cueva', Galera’s ‘underground’ accommodation specialists had their reception centre in the bar of Meson 'La Zalona', a restaurant in the village.

Having registered I was ushered to my ‘hole in the ground’ by a chap driving a 4WD. We circumnavigated the pueblo before tackling a tortuous and precipitous ascent up the bare rugged hillside.

We halted in a tiny plaza flanked by half-a-dozen cottage-fronted caves. ‘Reception’ and accommodation were about a couple of kilometres apart. The lane we had gingerly negotiated, actual went right over the top of the cave I had rented.

There was nothing at all around to indicate that this was part of a rental complex and this was borne out by the fact that several local incumbent 'residents' watched with some interest as we arrived. That we had come 'on wheels' took away some of the magic. One of the facilities offered to guests is the offer of transport by donkey. I had demurred.

Our guide ceremoniously led my companion and I into our cave residence. Although door-holes were ‘duck or grouse’ size, the cavern interior itself was spacious and airy. We stepped into a grotto vestibule off which there were several 'low ceiling' rooms. To the left was the master bedroom with a colourfully heavily blanketed double bed.

Ahead was a kitchen and to the right, a pleasant lounge with cane chairs, a table and couch. The decor was comfortably rustic. Through the lounge was a further double bedroom and a bathroom.

I immediately amended my ideas about subterranean dwellings. If this was how folk lived in caves it could hardly be a claustrophobic experience... even for a family.

Outside the temperature was hitting the high 30’s; inside it was a chilling 17 degrees. The need for heaps of bed blankets and eiderdowns became instantly apparent and they were supplied in abundance. I was told that the 'in cave' temperature, was unvarying; feeling pleasantly warm in winter and refreshingly cool in summer. Local folk continue to live in this environment because of the ambience and the fact that their cave homes are totally damp proof.

Having settled in, we gingerly drove back down to 'reception' to sample the local gastronomic specialities and the 'homemade' wine for which ‘La Zalona’ is quite noted. I should add that a major part of any of my voyages of discovery is gastronomic. At Galera's 'Meson' I was not disappointed. We tackled a selection of local specialities beginning with spinach with almonds and chilled, peeled roasted red peppers reminiscent of 'espencat.'

The locally produced wine was claret style in appearance but rather more potent. In Galera, wine is produced by rustic methods; it is bare foot 'trodden' and matured in earthenware jars rather than barrels.

We had roast quail and suckling pig chops for main course but also available was freshwater lobster, gypsy stew, rabbit with ‘setas’ or the local ‘Lata al horno de pierna de cordero,' a tasty, herb enhanced lamb and potato dish.

Afterwards we might have rounded off with wine and butter buns or wine biscuits but we were sated and anxious to retire to our warren whilst I was capable of finding it.

Going for a cave holiday at Galera is more than just a burrowing experience. The surrounding area abounds with historic ruins and relics dating back to Roman times. It’s within a short drive of wonderfully forested mountains which even boast the only stand of sequoia trees (giant redwoods) this side of California. For short distance sightseeing, bikes can be hired and there are donkey treks organised over a variety of different routes.

Galera is a great holiday base for people who enjoy the quiet pleasures of rustic living with a difference... that difference being the experience of cave dwelling.

In the short time I was there, I was entranced. I slept extremely well in my 'all mod con' grotto, I enjoyed the food and was delighted by the open friendliness of all the local folk.

However, getting back to expat shenanigans on the Costa, my exploits are hardly typical and often considered Quixotic but I have my reasons.

There are times when the resident ‘moaners’ who get their kicks penning, faxing or emailing complaining letters to the editors of the various international papers rile me so much that I flee; I take to the road and explore.

Like any other ‘Costa’ resident, I could spend time griping about the lazy (is he?) postman, the telefónica charges, dogs fouling the pavements, electricity cuts and the rest but I don’t.

I have sufficient memory of my formative years in the UK to remember that the same problems were rife in England… with the addition of over-taxation and far worse medical services!

Life in general here is easy going and pleasant even for those who – unlike me – don’t grab it by the throat. British Costa expats should be thankful that on these shores they are not beleaguered by a repressive government and the likes of Tony Blair, John Prescott and Gordon Brown! The first two of whom act as though their exalted positions allow them to live like gods and the other one’s sole maxim seems to be ‘If it lives, breathes or even dies... TAX IT.

Politics aside, a last word about my 'cave hotel' - I'll go for it every time in preference to a concrete beach palace!