My eye drifted lazily along the coastline of the lovely Costa del Sol, southwards towards Gibraltar, Morocco and the dramatic long white beaches of the Costa de la Luz near Tarifa and I slowly turned my head towards the mountains behind Nueva Andalucia, the route inland from Estepona through Cesares and Gaucin towards the famous region of Ronda. Whether you live in this part of Spain or you are perhaps on holiday here, whatever your age or your current state of physical ability, the possibilities for further exploration and discovery are endless, the temptation, like a gentle calling from the distance, is always there, inviting you to Go Beyond.
Dave Warden burst through the doorway with a sense of urgency, clutching a pile of maps, photographs and guide books, our conversation beginning even before our buns had hit the seats at our table in a roadside café just beyond the lovely Andalucian town of Alhaurin el Grande. It has often amazed me over the years how many travellers and holidaymakers return from abroad not even knowing the name of the places they have visited, the only information available for the excitement-starved and rigidly-bored office colleagues back home being a comparison of the local price of beer. Should you choose to go on a day’s excursion with Dave in his all new Land Rover Defender 110XS, either on one of his regular routes or a custom-designed journey to suit your own particular needs, this would most certainly not be the case.
Dave will pick you up from a hotel or guesthouse on the coast or from any number of points inland, the emphasis being entirely on your own convenience. Outlining one of his regular routes, which was originally designed as part of a contract he has with Thomson’s Holidays, he said: “Our first stop is usually for coffee near Alhaurin el Grande. I show people maps of the route we are going to take, a few photographs and perhaps some visual aids of things like rock formations we might see along the way. Part of the journey is off-road, which is exciting and can provide opportunities for bird watching, each of the guests being provided with a monocular. There are also various guidebooks in the Land Rover to help them identify anything they might see.”
Although the Land Rover is designed to take up to 8 people, Dave never takes more than 6, believing that comfort is an essential factor, each customer additionally being provided with their own water bottle and even a packet of tissues. Safety too is an essential factor, the company being Health and Safety Approved by the Federation of British Tour Operators. Dave has also undertaken a Lantra Offroad 4x4 driving course in the UK.
“People don’t like to sit in the vehicle all day,” he said, “so I incorporate the odd short walk, in this case at our next stop, the mountainside pueblo of Carratraca, where guests are provided with maps of the town so that they can wander at their leisure, also enjoying some time on their own. From there we move on to Ardales and the lakes,” he continued, pointing out that along the way he usually throws in information not only about the area but also about the history and geography of Spain.
There was no disputing Dave’s enthusiasm, his brilliant organization and the depth of his general knowledge. By the end of our conversation I knew more than I thought possible about the three stages of the Moorish invasion of Spain, the reasons for the three differing capitals of Seville, Cordoba and Granada and the vastness of cultural influence and heritage, even the glass I was drinking from being a result of their presence. I was told about architecture, geography, flora and fauna, eagerly absorbing every detail, all of which was delivered with humour, modesty and undeniable authority.
Perhaps the essence of it all is that Dave has a sense of adventure and exploration in his blood. It was no wonder that he appeared to be so confident and that he knew so much. Dave has been a traveller, explorer, instructor and guide all of his life. Mountain rescuer, first aid instructor, scuba diving instructor, Dave has made his way around the world, backpacking through India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. He spent a year giving diving lessons on the Barrier Reef in Australia, he has been to Fiji, America and he spent a year diving in Montego Bay in Jamaica. You can be sure that when you go exploring with Dave you are in the very capable hands of a born explorer.
Facing the car park from our table in the café, my attention was constantly drawn as we spoke to the chunky, shiny, white Land Rover parked just outside, a beautiful beast I had seen before, once parked in Carratraca during one of our own explorations and once whizzing past us, going beyond in the other direction near El Chorro. Apart from being the real mouth-watering McCoy, it was just so incredibly clean. Anyone who has spent more than half an hour in the campo or countryside will know that car cleanliness is simply a joke.
“I spend an hour and a half cleaning it every day,” Dave admitted. “Well, it has to be spotless for the customers, doesn’t it,” he said, adding that by the end of the day it was obviously a different matter, the vehicle being designed for ‘going beyond’.
But hang on a moment! As I glanced back over my notes a nagging question tapped me on the shoulder and demanded my attention.
“You’ve been all over the world, Dave,” I said, “you’ve seen so much. Why have you and your partner Jan chosen to live in Spain, why would you recommend Andalucia to others?”
“Well, Jan has business commitments here and she loves living in Spain. We met in Cyprus years ago and were often separated by our jobs. We wanted to be together. I love Spain too,” he continued, “the Spanish are very open minded and they are fully aware of the importance of tourism. They are also pro-Europe. In addition, Spain is only a short flight from the UK, it has everything you need, there are clean, safe beaches and you get good service. In Spain the service industry is a profession. I’ve lived in Mallorca, Ibiza and in Benidorm, but inland Andalucia is my favourite part of Spain.”
Dave looked out at the mountains through the windows of the café, managing to resist, I suspect with difficulty, a quick glance at the cherished LR. Momentarily lost for words, he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “The scenery, the landscape, the colours are wonderful, the joys of Andalucia are undeniable. Going on a trip inland is an excellent addition to a beach holiday and it can make an ideal option for people who are already staying inland, but fancy an exciting outing. Andalucia has such diversity in a small area. Every mountain range is different, it is the perfect place to explore.”
After their journey with Go Beyond, customers are invited to make written comments and they are also sent photographs as souvenirs of their trip, as well as a taster for much more that can be seen on http://www.flickr.com/photos/8001811@N07/
“And what sort of comments do customers make?” I asked.
“People are usually surprised and delighted by what they see out here in Andalusia,” said Dave, “and that is important to me. Actually, we get a lot of business from positive feedback.”
The testimonials I read were glowing, proving why Go Beyond was nominated for Thomson’s Award of Excellence for quality and service in 2006.
“It truly was a fantastic day out…”
“…a memorable tour.”
“We cannot speak too highly of your caring approach.”
“Thank you so much for a fantastic trip to the real Spain away from the coast.”
“Our journey with you was our favourite exploring day.”
“Pretty impressive stuff,” I said to Dave and he smiled with satisfaction.
“If people don’t say they have had one of the best days of their lives,” he said, “I know that I haven’t done my job properly”

See Go Beyond advertisement for details of 4x4 guided tours with Dave.