march-2013

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
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