Raidillon, always limited to 55 original masterpieces. Galerie de la Reine, 32 - 1000 Brussels www.raidillon.com
Our car also features the same touchscreen sat-nav available in other Renault models, which comes in handy for negotiating the route out of Malaga. It isn’t long before the industrial buildings and forests of highrises fall away, revealing longer, quieter roads, flanked by old farmhouses, vineyards and wooded hillsides. Just 40km into the drive, the town of Álora is an impressive sight, a typical Spanish pueblo with shady cobbled streets and white-washed buildings scattered around a large hill, with a castle resting imperiously on top. Accelerating strongly, the Sandero has no problem getting up to the historic town, and is just as comfortable as it has been on the flat. But then this is the turbo-charged petrol engine version. In the centre of town is Los Correos, a three-room tapas bar built into what was once the old post office. This is a great spot to sample the fresh produce of these valleys – beginning with a bowl of fresh olives, followed by a slab of tortilla and a plate of local ham and cheese. We finish with some crunchy, wickedly good churros (long strips of sugary, deep-fried doughnut batter). Dipped in chocolate, of course. We bid goodbye to Álora, driving north towards the vast lake of Conde de Guadalhorce which stretches out in every direction and is surrounded by lush green hills. We flit over a huge dam holding back the water – covering an expanse of 271km2 – the reflection of the Dacia’s Sargasso Blue metallic paint glinting in the waters below. At Campillos we head west towards our final stop, Antequera. Located between the Guadalhorce River in the north and the Sierra de Torcal mountain range to the south – home to two huge nature reserves – the landscape becomes more varied, but the Sandero handles it with ease. Yet another castle dominates the landscape at Antequera, rising above a huddle of handsome historic buildings. For a touch of tradition, we make our way to the Plaza del Toros, the city’s bullring, built in 1848. Inside is a small museum and a restaurant, located beneath the public seating. Here you can sit under wooden beams, surrounded by old photos, and sample pig’s cheek with mushroom and raisins, rich h duck confit or the local speciality porra – a thicker version of gazpacho, o, made from tomatoes, peppers and dried bread. As we end our journey we reflect on the beautiful old towns and nd traditional cuisine encountered on the trip. The terrain is ruggedly ly spectacular and it’s a pleasant surprise to find that getting to the e heart of the Spanish countryside, away from the tourism hotspots, doesn’t esn’t have to cost much either. The Sandero is perfect for such a journey. ney. FLY TO malaga daily. brusselsairlines.com SPEC Dacia Sandero Lauréate Performance Better than you might expect, accelerating cleanly with a comfortable ride Engine Turbo-charged 900cc threecylinder, with 1.2-litre and turbo diesel also available Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 11.1 secs Top speed 175 km/h Price From €7,000 Your car is waiting, so you don’t have to. www.avispreferred.eu Join Avis Preferred now for free!