Alhama de Granada

About an hour and a bit drive from Nerja is a small town of Alhama de Granada and just 5 minutes further are the hot springs, really! in the middle of winter when snow is all around you can take a refreshing dip in the hot springs and then if you dare a splash in the freezing water of the river that the springs join. The kids will love it, there are ducks and fish to feed from the bridge that crosses the river.
Follow the signs off the A7 motorway to Velez Malaga continue past Velez and then you pick up the road signs for Alhama De Granada, carry on towards Venuela, past the lake and on to Alhama. The road really starts to climb here and there are great views. When you pass through Ventora de Zafaraya about 5 km later ther are two very large restaurant/hotels to stop for a coffee. The one on the right has the biggest fireplace ever and also the biggest wild boars heads! Carry on towards Alhama, the scenery changes so many times, it makes you dizzy, from mountains to a plateaux where lettuce, peppers, tomatoes are grown without the plastic greenhouses normally seen, then olive, almond and corn fields. Go sraight through Alhama for the hot springs (a left turn before the small bridge)
Alhama de Granada itself is in two parts, park up and walk across to the old town where behind the church you can look down to the gorge where there is an old ruined mill. The walk along the gorge takes about 45 minutes and you end up at the dam for the reservoir. Up the hill to the left there is a great hotel restaurant and viewing area for the reservoir.
July and August it is too hot to enjoy. We went in September but a visit in December or January is definitely on the cards.