San Pablo de Buceite
Written by Geoff Forster
San Pablo de Buceite: We reached San Pablo de Buceite at around 2pm on a hot June afternoon. We had been told by a number of Spanish friends that San Pablo was 'the' place for plants. Our Spanish being pretty terrible meant that we didn't get precise instructions on where the shop/garden centre/nursery/??? was.
At the entrance to San Pablo de Buceite is one of the prettiest tiled plaque and flower arrangement we have seen so far on our adventures in Andalucia. 
We drove up the road into the pueblo. We parked in the shade outside the Casa de la Cultura. A lovely building with palm trees along the front. 
The temperature was climbing steadily, we could feel the sun burning through our clothes. The town was flat and had been laid out in a grid , it seemed to have been planned. A teenager was buzzing the streets on a noisy motorbike, ruining the atmosphere and everyone's siesta.
We stopped to watch the Swallows and House Martins flying in and out of their nests. Some older nests were being used by House Sparrows.
The motorcyclist buzzed passed us for about the fifth time in the short time we'd been here.
We spotted a butchers, bakers, pharmacy ... all the usual shops you find in every Spanish pueblo.
The houses were not typically Spanish nor pretty, but we found a small church that was.
The next shot is of a typical house here. The houses are either two storey flat roofed boxes or one storey with a sloping roof. The one photographed was about the prettiest we could find.
There wasn't a lot to photograph. We were looking for good shots and couldn't find many.
We didn't like San Pablo de Bucket too much, it is not as pretty as the Genal Valley pueblos and we never did find the garden centre.
(We have since found the nursery 'Viveros Salinas', it is just passed San Pablo near the gas station, look for 5/6 poly tunnels on the bend before the railway bridge. It is well stocked with plants and pots.)
We have just had an e-mail from the owner of the 'prettiest house' in San Pablo inviting us to call in if we are passing. Which is very kind.
Behind these doors there are 7 dogs, 14 cats, 1 one-legged canary, mangos, lemons, oranges, plums, grapefruit trees ... and a 25 metre pool!
sorry that you didnt like san pab. i have lived here for 8 years and love it. i agree it isnt a white mountain village it has never boasted of being one. it is a working village, the people here are friendly and open and the village has a music festival for peace every year bringing artists from all over the world. all concerts are free and are performed in the village centre. perhaps you should give it another chance…..
Hi Janet,
We’ve been back a few times. Jane likes market day there.
We had been to a lot of white mountain villages before visiting San Pablo and the style and build of the houses surprised us.
Nothing wrong with the place. A lovely lady in our village lived there until she was married. Good people.
Hi there,
I’m just wondering if someone could tell me how easy (or difficult!) it is to get to San Pablo de Buceite from Seville airport on public transport, bearig in mind that I have minimal Spanish…
Any help is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Nikki
Hi Nikki,
Quite tricky but possible.
By Bus ... Seville to Ronda.
Ronda – Algatocin – San Pablo.
Better if you could stay in Ronda overnight than try to do it in one day. (Not sure of the timings for connections) Might even be possible by train. Not sure if the Ronda-Algeciras train still stops at Estacion San Pablo?