“La comarca de las Sierras Tejeda y Almijara es
una de las más agrestes de la península Ibérica, aunque es todavía desconocida
para mucha gente, incluso para muchos malagueños y granadinos que viven en sus
faldas o alrededor de ellas y que las contemplan cada día. Estas sierras no
cuentan, por supuesto, con picos emblemáticos por su altitud, pero tienen en
cambio cumbres entre 1800 y 2000 m a sólo 10 Km del mar y las grandes
pendientes que ello implica se traducen en profundos barrancos, escarpados
valles, afiladas crestas, y en estrechas sendas que fueron tradicionalmente el
vínculo de comunicación entre los núcleos de población y las vías de
explotación de los recursos agrícolas, ganaderos y mineros.
Alcanzar los picos más altos es el principal objetivo de muchos montañeros, pero en la mayoría de los casos los paisajes más bonitos, los rincones más atractivos, la inigualable flora y fauna que estas montañas encierran, en suma, todo aquello que hace que una zona llegue a ser declarada Parque Natural, no está siempre en las cumbres sino en los barrancos, prados, valles y quebradas de media altura que es donde el agua y las adecuadas condiciones climáticas permiten el establecimiento de una activa vida vegetal y animal.”
“Disfrutar caminando
por el Parque Natural de las Sierras Almijara y Tejeda”
The peaks of the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Mountains form the
natural frontier between the provinces of Malaga and Granada. The Tejeda and
Almijara Mountains are on the Malaga side, in the heart of the Axarquía region.
Alhama is in the westernmost part of the province of Granada. Tejeda Peak
reaches 2,065 above sea level and offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean
coast and adjacent mountain ranges. It is popular with
hikers and mountaineers.
White and grey tones predominate in the peaks and gullies of these
mountains, the result of an abundance of marble. The decomposition of
these rocks creates areas of sand where pine groves adapt and form the
most common ecosystems, with Aleppo, Austrian and even Corsican pines.
In the highest and most shady areas there are also Pyrenean oaks and
maple trees.
The name Tejeda ("tejo" = yew) comes from the abundance of these
trees once found here. Now there is just one yew copse, the furthest
south on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the best in Andalusia, located
on the way up to the Salto del Caballo Waterfall.
These areas of trees and rocky outcrops are home to large eagles
such as the golden and Bonelli's varieties. There is an interesting
population of mountain goats, a species endemic to the Iberian
Peninsula, and it is one of the largest in Spain.
Fast-flowing rivers and streams come down the mountainsides with
spectacular waterfalls such as Los Árboles Petrificados, where the
lime-rich water has mineralised old tree trunks. In other cases the
waters have carved out impressive canyons, locally known as "cahorros".
Other outstanding geological elements are Nerja Cave, which is a
designated Natural Monument, as well as La Maroma Cave.
Although various different cultures come together in this area, the
three mountain ranges are especially marked by their Moorish heritage,
with white villages dotted around valleys and mountains with difficult
access. The west of Granada province is home to the last bastions of the
Nasrid kingdom in Spain. Its fertile lands, such as Otívar, rich in
tropical fruit, are at the heart of local gastronomy. Mountain stews,
game, kid and goat¿s cheese are all traditional products. Meanwhile,
Alhama has an interesting ensemble of monuments and ethnographic
attractions - Roman, Moorish and "Morisco" (from the time of forced
Moorish-Christian converts), with whitewashed façades and narrow arches,
steps and towers.