Convento de Canos Santos, Alcala del Valle, Cadiz
Whilst out driving one day in the direction of Jerez, we spotted a huge abandoned ruin majestically perched on a hill in the distance. Our curiosity was stirred so we decied to try and get to it. There were no signposts or obvious roads leading in its direction so we headed for what appeared to be the only village in the area. Surely someone would be able to tell us what it was and how it could be reached.
We followed a narrow, climbing road that eventually lead onto a plateau and we could see the village of Alcala del Valle in the distance. Suddenly, to the left, we spotted a small, broken wooden ‘arrow’ with the word ‘Convento’ etched on it. So we followed it. As the road turned into a track (and a steep one at that ) we abandoned the car and decided to continue on foot. The silence was deafening and the views that opened before us had been panoramically super-sized. This was going to be a special find. As we turned a corner, we were both stopped in our tracks. The HUGE dilapidated convent was a masterpiece in stone. There was nobody there but we saw a government notice that said that grants had been obtained and renovation was imminent. We explored and marvelled at the beauty-in-waiting.
That first visit was 4yrs ago. We have since watched the transformation and only last week, called the local town hall to ask what was to become of the almost completed project. It’s to be a 35 bedroom hotel with conference and banqueting facilities. Trust me when I say, this will be a venue like no other. I look forward to posting up-to-date shots, sometime soon.
Hidden Gems in Andalucia 
