Archez - a lovely village in the Axarquia

The Caminos are great places to walk.  From Santander you can walk all across the north coast to La Coruna, and down the coast to Malaga, and from there along the coast of the Mediterranean. Walking in the north of Spain is great in the summer, as it is cooler than in the south, and with the climate in Spain changing rapidly, we have to adapt with it, and ensure that we have the right equipment and be well prepared.

Asturias is green and beautiful, La Coruna can be quite busy, but full of history and there is a lot to see. The Caminos are a network of routes. They all have their own particular charm and identity, and well worth a visit. 

It is March, and a glorious time to be out walking in Spain before the weather gets too hot.  However, the recent deluge of rain may put people off in some areas.  The weather is changing in Spain and of course, all over the world.  We remember when we could sit outside the finca on Christmas Day eating our paella in glorious sunshine.  On my last trip to Spain in November 2024, it rained and rained and rained, which left a lot to be desired.  However, there are many nice events you can go to.

Spain has been generating its own solar power for years, and of course it has the climate to do so. They were also generating wind in the windiest part of Spain, Tarifa, in the 1990s.  It is old technology now, and we wonder whether it has been decommissioned and how.  We are investigating this in the Causewaymire Windfarm in Scotland, with whom Spain has great heritage links, and will report in due course.

Meanwhile, the tourism sector in Scotland is already getting busy, and it is only March.  Some parts of Spain are suffering from overtourism, but the sector continues to grow. There is still an appetite for beach holidays in Spain.  Scotland is seen to be too cold for beach holidays, but in the summer the hotspots such as a Dunnet, the area is packed with local people enjoying the pristine environment of the north.

There are many marine installations around the coasts of Spain, bringing community benefit and energy to the remote villages.  These are not only windfarms, but tidal and wave energy units. Of course, solar and wind are used in Spain, such as the old site at Tarifa, and it is easier to have solar energy in Spain.  However, as we start to look at marine energy in the United Kingdom, we can see that once again, the Spanish are ahead in their thinking.  It is very interesting to see this.  There is another blog about on Eye on Spain this here.

Art and nature are very much in our minds. Where better to practice your art than in the beautiful village of Competa in the foothills of the Sierras Almijaras.  We have been going there for over 40 years, and enjoyed walking in the mountains, chatting to the local people and even did some drawing of our own.

The peace and tranquillity of the hills around Competa is a haven for artists and writers. 

We are thinking of energy again. As prices continue to rise, as well as fuel at the pumps, we wonder where it will all end.  Electricity prices have been steadily rising since we reported in 2021 and in Scotland, especially in the far north, we are strapped for cash as the renewable energy takes over.  Is this a transition, or a permanent state.  People should be thinking of going off grid. Orkney has heritage links with Spain and is also being affected, as are the Shetland Isles, including the Fair Isle, where Spanish sailors were ship wrecked in the Spanish Armada.

This article is a mix of old and new, heritage, energy and getting out and about and enjoying the wonderful environment Spain has to offer.

Haggis hunting is very popular in Scotland in January, to remember the Bard, Robbie Burns.  Spanish people love Scotland, and vice versa, so we are sure they will enjoy this.  Firstly, though, one has to catch their haggis, which is not easy when they have, it is said, only three legs, and can run fast round hills.  There is also such a thing as a haggis whistle.

We have been researching the weather and climate change in Scotland for quite a while, and following the climatic patterns in Spain as well.  In the 1990s, the weather was always good enough to sit out side and have Christmas lunch, and also at New Year.  Nowadays, the weather is not as predictable.  2024 was the hottest on record in Spain, so we continue this theme in 2025. 

The 1980s were a great time for solar energy, and many people were off grid. Competa, just up the road from Archez is a great walk, passing some lovely restaurants and bars.  The energy was supplied by two solar panels and a 12v battery, and that's it.

Now, all these years later, solar has developed exponentially and we have wind as well, both offshore and on shore. However, there is of course plenty of scope for living off grid, in both Scotland and southern Spain.

Walking, horse riding and mountain biking are just three of the activities you can enjoy in the beautiful village of Archez in the interests of sustainable travel. It is a blank canvas... there are no defined trails, marked trails, which makes it a nature lover's paradise, really off the beaten track.  Views down to the coast are second to none. 

Archez is  "the Crown Jewel of the 17th Century", and a delightful village, tucked away in what the Irish would call a "glen" the weather has extremes. At 430 metres above sea level, it can get very cold, and the summers are short, warm, arid, and mostly clear and the winters are long, cold, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 3°C to 30°C and is rarely below -1°C or above 33°C. the town is located at the meeting point of the Sierra Tejeda and the Sierra Almijara.The  Arabic heritage is apparent, and  has a big influence on the centre of the village.  The walk of the three white villages, Canillas de Albaida, Competa and Archez, is very popular with the locals, even though some of the roads we used to walk back in the 1980s are now tarmacked.  The scenery has not changed though. It is on the "Ruta Mudejar" (the towns of the route all have a similar architectural style). Five villages make up the Ruta Mudejar - are Salares, Sedella, Canillas de Aceituno, Arenas and Árchez.

For lovers of shopping, there is a busy market, once a week, in the Plaza de Andalucía. The local craftsmen produce objects made from wood and wicker. They also make wine that is sold in bulk by some bars.

The typical dish is guiso de hinojos con arroz (fennel stew with rice). Other delicacies on offer are ajoblanco (chilled almond soup served with peeled grapes), migas (fried breadcrumbs with herring or sardines), chivo (goat with garlic), potaje de garbanzos con bacalao (cod and chickpea stew) and tortas de bacalao con miel de caña (cod and honey cakes). For dessert there's roscos de vino (small, round pastries made with sweet wine), uvas al vino (grapes in wine) and pasas moscatel (Muscatel raisins).  There are excellent local restaurants.

Ecology and heritage combined... a haven of peace and tranquility.