On Sunday morning we drove up the track through the pine forests above Loja to visit the Sierra de Loja for the first time. This limestone karst is at an altitude of about 1,400 metres. It is a true wilderness and home to the famous Lojeña sheep and awesome wind turbines which can be seen for miles around. There are a few shepherds’ cottages, for daytime use only, and the landscape looked very parched at the end of a long dry summer. Even the Charco del Negro (Black Pond) had almost dried out. This nature reserve must be beautiful in the spring when it is carpeted with wild flowers and even at this time of year, dotted about the shrivelled grass, we came upon some delicately pretty autumnal colchicums.
The panoramic views are stunning and you can see for miles across to the neighbouring provinces of Malaga, Cordoba and Jaen. On our descent, a shadow passed over the road in front of us, and looking up, we saw a pair of golden eagles wheeling above a craggy rockface.
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