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This blogpost will be of interest to lovers of: almonds, food anthropology, and etymology. The almonds are just out in the Alto Genal valley, their gentle white and pink flowers contrasting sharply with the wiry bare branches of the figtrees. Harbinger of spring, the almond is always the first to blossom and interestingly the last …

We are fortunate to have an EDEN in our backyard! Just a few kilometres down the road from Cartajima is the Sierra de las Nieves, the snowy peaks, which has been named a European Destination of Excellence. 100,000 hectares of wild land where forests of rare pines and oak thrive, where otters, eagles and mountain …

Many cans of “pitufo* azul” paint are emptied every day as Juzcar’s old walls are prepared for the big event on an unspecified day but rumoured (Sony aren’t saying anything) to be 16th June in advance of the launching of the new Smurf movie on 5th August. The Juzcareños  smile and laugh – they have …

Behind Cartajima lies a strange wonderland of extraordinary rock formations. Called Los Riscos, meaning crags, these limestone outcrops are a dangerous place to wander without a local guide. Many of my guests long to explore the area but we always advise against it. There are four ridges and, once you are over the first, it …

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about with Peter Jones. A day in the company of this (in)famous research biologist is entertaining and informative. If you are just a dabbler with birds, you will learn a lot. If you are a card-carrying twitcher, he can still teach you …

New insights into the rocks of Ronda Serrania! Not only are they aesthetically pleasing being of a delightful greenish hue which blends charmingly with the pine trees as one drives up from the coast (see Previous blog for details) but recent research reveals that they could play an important role in reducing climate change. Dr …

With a population of just over a hundred, Cartajima is a fraction of the town it was a hundred years ago when there were about 1000 residents. Young people leave now for lucrative jobs in tourism or construction on the Costa del Sol and return only for festivals when the population swells to probably 300. …

A walk with rocks in the Sierra de las Nieves With the help of Google Earth, we cobbled together a stunning hike in the nearby Parque Natural Sierra de las Nieves. It is a walk with much to offer from a griffon vulture perching place (clap your hands just after the sun is up and …

Yesterday was a most gorgeous day here in the Serrania de Ronda. It had snowed the night before and covered the distant peaks of the appropriately named Sierra de las Nieves. The sun shone brilliantly in our valley. A perfect almost-Spring day!