Guy Hunter Watts
Guy Hunter-Watts, walking expert and prolific author of walking guides who has led countless groups on walks through the breathtaking landscapes of Andalucia, has found his adopted home in Andalucia.
Born in Bristol, UK in 1959, he studied languages at the Universities of Santiago de Compostela and Salamanca. Guy explored South America, Nepal and Central Asia before settling in Montecorto, near Ronda, for 30 years.
His intimate knowledge of the Serrania de Ronda and villages of Andalucia, coupled with his engaging personality, made him a popular guide. He didn't just show people the way, he shared his passion for the region's hidden gems and rich history.
Guy wrote more than 26 books, mainly walking guides with a focus on Andalusia. His work, first published by Santana Books in Spain and later by Lake District specialists Cicerone Press, showcased the region's diverse landscapes. Well-known titles were Walking in Andalucía, Coastal Walks in Andalucía, Trekking the GR7, The Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema and The Andalucían Coast to Coast Walk. See his suggested walks.
His walks were practical, well-researched, circular routes wherever possible, with interesting names and features, and didn't include unnecessary detours such as climbing up and down hillsides to villages, as is the case when following official routes.
He also worked as a freelance hotel and travel writer for the likes of Alastair Sawday, i-escape and The Hotel Guru. His pros and cons lists were more instructive than most.
Guy was also a keen sailor and one trip took him from Turkey to the Maldives via Egypt, Eritrea and Yemen.
Guy restored the old tile factory in Montecorto and ran the successful El Tejar guesthouse for over a decade. This offered visitors a unique opportunity to experience the authentic charm of Andalucian village life.
Guy was a contributor to Andalucia.com and suggested that we publish some of his favourite walks in Andalucia for our readers to enjoy.
Sadly, Guy suffered a fatal accident on his ebike while descending the MA-8403 from Montejaque. No other vehicles were involved. His family, friends and most of the village of Montecorto attended his packed bilingual funeral service in the Virgen del Carmen church on 19 May.
School friend Andy Warner read the eulogy, followed by tributes from Tiki, Leyla, Seamus and Manfred.
Guy Hunter Watts ( 1959, Bristol, UK - 14th May 2023, Ronda)
Eulogy of Guy Hunter Watts
I first met Guy when we were 11 at the boarding school that we went to in 1969.
Even then he was a naughty boy, but ever so charming.
Later, when we had become firm friends, I realised that he had inherited his bohemian traits from his lovely mother, Maggie and his devastating charm from his father, John.
He was also incredibly intelligent, managing to do his essays and exams at school with no apparent effort; which was painfully galling to lesser mortals like myself.
He went to the University of Kent in Canterbury, to study English, but had to leave as his many friends kept coming to visit and wrecking the place.
So, then he travelled for a while, in Europe and Egypt, South America, Russia, Mongolia and in England – taking groups of tourists and acting as an organiser and tour guide. I joined him on several adventures in Germany, Greece and Israel.
Eventually he went back to university to study French and Spanish, spending time in Avignon and Salamanca and falling in love with Spain.
One new year he decided to find somewhere to live in and Andalucía – I remember trying to sleep in a freezing tent in what is now the bottom of the reservoir, with stray dogs sniffing around our camp.
But he just loved this part of the country, and its mountains. Eventually he found the old tile factory (el Tejar) at the top of the village of Montecorto, a place he could buy and work on using a modest legacy from his father.
And he continued to love the mountains and the village, became part of the community of Montecorto and later of El Gastor.
He campaigned (or complained) about the rubbish dump at the bottom of the village, until that problem was resolved making Montecorto a pearl of the sierras. Then he started his bed and breakfast and later rental business with the help of his beloved, trusted and hard working Paqui.
And he extended his castle on the hill with the help of Cristobal, Rafa, Miguel and many other men of the village.
And all the time he charmed the hoteliers and other citizens of Andalucía from Huelva to Almeria.
So, he wrote his hotel books and then his walking books (because he loved the mountains).
To great extent he loved the villages and the villages loved him back, and they all gave a great deal to him and I think that he gave something back to them, and then the mountain killed him. I loved him and we will never see his like again.