Sierra Magina: Limestone mountains, olive groves, ancient history

Enjoying a glass of wine in the sun in Ubeda
Getting to Sierra Magina
As our flight to Spain descends into Malaga, we marvel at the stunning white villages and steep-sided hills awash with olive trees on the lower slopes of the Montes de Málaga – the mountain range to the north of this sprawling seaside city. It is then a 2 1/2 hour drive along the Costa del Sol, out of the overpopulated metropolis, and inland towards Granada.
Manfred at Velez de Benaudalla, Andalusia Spain

Beautiful salad at Velez de Benaudalla

Octopus and potato dish at Velez de Benaudalla

Map of Sierra Magina and where we stayed near Belmez de Moraleda

Our Cortijo from the road leading to it, near Balmez de Moraleda

Our farmhouse (Cortijo) Sierra Magina – Belmez de Moraleda
The perfect hideaway
Reaching our extraordinary little home for the next 5 days requires travelling by car up a narrow winding road to where it sits nestled under the 2,167m (7,100ft) peaks of the Sierra’s. The swimming pool looks out onto the mountain range of the Sierra Magina, with its pale grey stone walls shining above the olive groves and bushline. The most inviting blue water but, alas, it is still early summer and the water is icy cold. This does not stop Manfred and each day he swims a few lengths just because the scenery is too good to pass up the opportunity of enjoying these moments of bliss. Even on our last day, early in the morning, he enjoys the most amazing calmness of water, air, and scenery to take the plunge into the icy waters and make the most of this delicious place. I am content to sit by the pool, enjoy the sun and relax.
The swimming pool at our Cortijo

Our Cortijo near Belmez de Moraleda from the swimming pool area

Manfred sitting in the front of our Cortijo near Belmez de Moraleda,
A view to behold, of Cortijo’s and white villages
The view from our Cortija, ‘Alojamiento Garganton’ and on the walk around the Camino is superb, with olive trees as far as the eye can see. The hillsides, even high up above the valley on the opposite hill, are adorned with white houses and orange tiled roofs. The small village of Solera catches our imagination and thirst to explore. We become locals as we buy supplies from the supermarket in Belmez.
Manfred chatting to a local man in the village of Belmez de Moraleda

Morning misty view from our Cortijo

Above the Cortija towards the hills

Manfred cooking in our Cortijo kitchen
A walk on the wild side
On our 4km walk along the Camino through the olive groves from our Cortijo to Belmez, we follow a rough 4WD track towards the base of the grey stone hills and pass over the old stone bridge that crosses the Rio Garganton which flows down from the high mountains and passes far below. Abandoned old stone cortijos and well kept or restored homes dot the landscape beside the road and down in the valley.
Bridge over the Rio Garganton, on the Camino towards Belmez de Moraleda

Old abandoned Cortija on the Camino walk to Belmez de Moraleda

Beautiful wildflower of the Sierra Magina found on the Camino

A farmer working in the Olive grove poses for a photo

The olive grove under pruning time

On the Camino in the Olive grove
Superb view from the ancient fort
We take a drive just north of Belmez towards Los Cortijos de Bélmez and the 13th-century Arab fort high up on the hillside (1,010m/3,313ft). Castillo de Bélmez de la Moraleda stands in wrack and ruin; however, the people of Belmez are proud of its presence and respect the history and former protection of the region. The views are particularly stunning and although it takes but a short time to explore we linger to enjoy the expansive vista this hillock and ruin afford both the naked eye and the camera lens.
The ruins of Castillo de Belmez de Moraleda

Looking into and through the Castillo de Belmez

At the Castillo de Belmez de Moraleda with the expansive view of the olive groves of the Sierra Magina

Two small villages near the Castillo de Belmez, Solera on the far hill
Solera: A white village high on the mountainside across the valley

A panoramic view of Solera from the fort and castle

Potted colour in Solera

The coloured potted pathway towards the Castle and Fort in Solera

The Fort and Castle in Solera

Manfred in one of the tunnels to the castle and fort in Solera

From the fort and castle in Solera looking back towards Belmez de Moraleda and our Cortijo

Olive groves, Belmez de Moraleda, our Cortija away on the hill taken from Solera

Olive groves right to the very top of the hill near Solera
The other side of the mountain
Albanchez de Magina is one of the main tourist towns on the north-west side of the Sierra Magina National Parque and is the gateway to hiking and other adventure activities in the area. We make a quick visit to this village with its middle-aged Christian Castillo de Albanchez perched strategically above the town on a brown rocky outcrop. You can take the steps and walk up to it; however, on our visit here we did not have time.
Castle on the hill in Albanchez de Magina
Parque National Sierra Magina
A landscape dominated by the Spanish ibex this is also the home of wild boars, holm oaks, gall oaks, olive trees, and cherry trees. The Sierra Mágina Nature Reserve covers an area of almost 20,000 hectares and has a very rugged landscape due particularly to its limestone rocks.
Across the olive groves

From the Camino the view through the olive grove to the village of Solera on the far hill
A day in the city of Ubeda
An important regional settlement, Ubeda is a small city just to the north of the Sierra Magina ranges. It boasts a bunch of Renaissance 16th-century churches and palaces which offer open spaces in the ‘squares’ either within or outside the boundaries of these beautifully preserved buildings.
A Renaissance building and square in Ubeda

Renaissance tower on a church in Ubeda

A street in the city of Ubeda

Tito at his potters’ wheel in the museum shop in Ubeda

Hand-painted pottery in the Ubeda pottery shop and museum. New work drying in the sun

Hand painting at the pottery shop museum in Ubeda.
Time to leave
We pack our bags, hand over the keys, and chat to Paqui before carefully driving back down the long and winding road.
Manfred and Paqui talking outside the Cortijo just before we leave Belmez de Moraleda

About to leave our Cortijo at Sierra Magina

Buying fruit at a small rural town just out of the Sierra Magina area on the way to Capo de Gata
TeresaGlobalTravels Teresa Lynch
As a young adult, I wanted to travel and write – I now get to do both. In the interim, I became a registered nurse and gained a Masters in Health Science and bought up a family of 4 children – who live scattered around the world, providing me with destinations and stories. I also practice and teach Accunect, a holistic healing practice based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I practice meditation and enjoy my collective and extended family of Oneness and Buddhist friends. My husband loves to cook and we explore the food of the world, particularly Mediterranean cuisine. This myriad of experiences feeds and inspires my writing. We are always researching and planning the next trip.