Sol Classic Car Club

Classics, coffee and cameras in El Colmenar

The white village of El Colmenar nestles by the river Guardiaro in the valley behind Gaucin in the Serrania de Ronda. It is also known as Estacion de Gaucin since the railway from Algeciras to Ronda stops here (although it is actually a winding 13 kilometre below Gaucin itself). It's a pretty little town lying as it does just below the entrance to the cork oak forests and life is generally fairly quiet, apart from the departure and arrival of the trains. On the Saturday after Easter, however, the town was buzzing. It seemed that everyone - old and young - felt the need to promenade along the main street, accompanied by an assortment of small dogs.

They were eagerly awaiting the arrival of SOL Classic Car Club members! Coffee and tapas had been booked at Bar Espana opposite the station run by Boris and Isabel. Boris had obviously informed the whole village of the impending event, so that when the first cars started to arrive they were sure of a warm welcome. A long table with parasols had been laid across the terrace where normally the pensioners of the pueblo play cards and dominoes.

The 47 members and guests from SOL Classic Car Club had set off from the Venta Cozar on the road to Casares slightly nervous about the weather which had forecast clouds and showers. However, the fates were kind and the drive up to Gaucin and along the road down to El Colmenar, flanked by glowing yellow gorse bushes, was made even more dramatic by the parting clouds. By the time they arrived at the coffee stop the threat of rain had receded and they could relax outside to sample the freshly made tapas and drinks. Our classic cars were parked in a long line along the road.

Some of the older inhabitants could be seen peering through the windows and reverently stroking the paintwork of the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and Silver Spur while a trio of little boys, with an even littler dog, could hardly tear themselves away from the Porsche 911, using up all the battery on their mobile phones to photograph the interior!

Fortunately some of the local enthusiasts accompanied the cars out of the village and were able to point them in the right direction - fortunate since the road had been dug up to lay new drains since the original route had been planned! Drivers of the more stately cars were particularly challenged by some very tight corners before emerging into the cork oak forests. Here walkers and picnicers kept appearing to wave and cheer the cars as they wound through the deeply wooded areas, surprisingly green with ferns after the high rainfall this year.

Everyone finally ended up in Algatocin for lunch, some after a few detours around Cortes de la Fontera where the new one-way system gave several drivers a bit of a headache though, again, the locals were happy to help. Language is no barrier when it comes to a passion for classic cars - and members are getting quite used to dealing with the unexpected, we are after all in Spain. Of course, it helps if you follow the roadbook rather than follow the car in front - which may not be going the right way!

There was the odd flurry of rain during lunch at La Fuenticilla but hardly enough to warrant rushing out to cover the open cars and the views from the mirador were spectacular. This is a truly beautiful part of Andalucia, as this view of Algatocin will testify.