El Pato Loco and Alhama

FTR Pato 02 roadLast month in her article on El Pantano de Bermejales, Louise Powell described the pronounced change in landscape that takes place as you travel up from the coast, on your way to this picturesque reservoir near Jayena. Well, this month, we are going to take you even further afield along that route, where you will find landscape right out of southern France or even Southern Britain.
Although you can reach your destination and return in one day, easily, you will find plenty of things to keep you there overnight in order to take in more sites the next morning. For that reason, we have somewhere for you to eat, bathe and pass the night, if you choose to.
Just about every little corner that I have come across over the years has been on a motorbike of varying degrees of reliability, legality and cubic centimetres and El Restaurante Asador, Piscina Pato Loco is no exception. I found this great restaurant with its large swimming pool, right in the middle of nowhere, when after following the road around El Patano de los Bermejales I took a right instead of a left that would take me home. The road sign said Játar and I thought, ‘bugger it!’ and set off. When I got to the village I had a look around and headed back to the Játar T-junction where again I was seduced by a road sign, but this time, muttering in a challenging manner, Alhama de Granada, less than a dozen kilometres away. I though, ‘bugger it,” again and set off for Alhama.
The landscape was fantastic. A long straight road, little wider than a lane, running through golden cornfields, dotted with evergreen oaks. Most of the road had roadside, natural hedges and I felt suddenly back in England.
All of a sudden I came across the large parking area for a restaurant on the right, with ample parking on the other side of the road too, amongst the trees. On the side of the road where the trees were is a large pond, which is an aquatic fowl sanctuary, by the way.
Anyway, when I entered the Pato Loco, I was greeted by two things: a huge, high-roofed dinning room, with large (real) wooden beams crossing the ceiling and through the window, an equally huge swimming pool. I couldn’t believe my luck.
A flurry of waiters sped between the tables, whilst the open wood-fired grill kept the waiters ‘loaded,’ and mutiny at the tables in check. I thought that it would be horribly expensive but that was certainly not the case. The last three times that María and I have eaten there it came to around 37 euros for the both of us.
The swimming pool has an entrance fee of 3.5 euros per adult on weekdays and 4 euros on weekends. You don’t have to use the restaurant to be able to use the pool, although they belong to the same complex.
Now, if you want to walk off your dinner, instead of sinking to the bottom of the pool, then you have a delightful walk awaiting you because about one hundred metres from the restaurant there are Los Tajos de Alhama de Granada. A footpath takes you through the steep-sided canyon and brings to the centre of Alhama de Granada. It only takes about half an hour, if I remember correctly. The Town of Alhama is well worth a visit, also, for its architecture and your camera will work itself to death.
I’ve got to tell you about the thermal springs and God knows how many other things, but that will have to be another month.
How to get there: Same route as to the reservoir. Take the Otívar road, go right up onto the plains, take the only turning left along the way, which is marked ‘Jayena.’ Drop down into the valley (approx. 10 km) and you pass through Jayena, going past the town hall, you come out the other side. There are gas stations before and after Jayena, by the way.
Carry on past the Arenas de Rey turning and at the top of a hill you will see a sign for Los Bermejales on the left. Take it.
This takes you down past a camping site as you run along the lakeshore. The road come to a cross road, which is where you turn left and drive along the top of the dam. You come to a junction where you turn left. This road takes you along the other side of the lake. This is a great, shady lane with plenty of views, too.
Finally, you pass through a village (Arenas del Rey) and come to a T-junction. Turn right and follow the signs for Játar. After a few kilometres of bends you come to another T-junction, where you have Játar indicated to the left and your destination to the right. Turn right.
Enjoy the road and landscape until you screech to a halt at the restaurant where the road curves round to the right.
How to get home: you can either retrace your steps back along the way that you came, (wimp), or you can carry on, passing the weir on your left and up to a T-junction where Ventas de Zafarrayas is indicated to your left and Granada to your right. Go right.
This road takes you past Alhama de Granada without entering it and getting lost there. At the bottom of the hill before you start to climb again, take note that there is a bridge with a turning to the left, which takes you to the thermal springs. Don’t take it! Follow the Granada signs until you come to a junction where Embalse de Bermejales is indicated.
Eventually you will come to the dam again and from there you will know where you are,
That’s it – the article is far too long, but at least you have directions to follow. Enjoy your day out and food if you decide to eat at the Pato Loco – you would be insane not to! Oh, quickly, El Pato Loco doesn’t have rooms, but the place next to it does. Ask Javier at the El Pato Loco and he will show you where. [nggallery id=22]

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