Inland of Almuñécar and La Herradura, and to the west of the Rio Verde's fertile Tropical Valley, is an area of mostly unirrigated mountain scenery cut by the twisting valleys of the Rio Seco and Rio Jate.These two rivers start quite close to each other, high in the tall hills which form the northern and western municipal boundaries, but they reach the coast almost 6 km apart, the first in Almuñécar and the second in La Herradura.

Steep ridges separate the valleys and their numerous tributaries, and the whole area is scattered with farmhouses and a couple of vaguely defined aldeas, or hamlets, which are hard to distinguish as more than a handful of buildings closer together than the rest. Although the asphalt is creeping inland, there are still Interconnecting dirt tracks which can make travel slow and the use of 4x4 recommended, especially in wet weather.

The furthest hamlet is called El Rescate. It lies high upstream along the Rio Jate and about 5 or 6 km inland as the crow flies from La Herradura, a fair bit further by car. Its small collection of farmhouses and cottages are overshadowed by the dramatic Sierra de Almijara mountains to the north and west. Although already almost 500 m above sea level, Rescate is still dwarfed by the soaring rocky backdrop which rises to peaks of around 1000 m.

To the north and higher still into the hills, almost exactly between the sources of the Rio Jate and Rio Seco, lies the natural park of Peña Escrita, a municipal nature reserve and tourist venue offering areas to walk, somewhere to eat and log cabins to rent for the night. This is the furthest point from the coast within the municipality, most of which can be seen from the park in some absolutely stunning views. For more information and photos see Excursions/Peña Escrita

You can reach Rescate and Peña Escrita from either Almuñécar or La Herradura. There are various routes, some quite straightforward and others that would be suicidal in anything but the sturdiest vehicle, so we shall only mention the two most important (and simplest).

From Almuñécar, take the old road to Granada along the Tropical Valley and, after about 3 km, turn left up a smaller side road that's signed towards Peña Escrita. This is on a bend and quite easy to miss. It takes you over a small hill and into the Rio Seco valley. After a few kilometres you'll have an opportunity to cross the river or continue on the same side of the valley. Crossing the river will take you high up onto a ridge which eventually arrives at Peña Escrita. This is the best way to get to the park and the road is asphalt for most of the distance.

If you keep to the east of the valley, the road rises slowly through twisted canyons while the fruit orchards give way to unirrigated land. (The asphalt also gives way to a dirt track so now you're on your own.) You can turn right up into the hills that head back towards the Rio Verde valley but there's no easy route to make a round journey back to the coast. By continuing up the main valley into the Rio Seco Alto, however, you can eventually cross to the west and continue on to Peña Escrita and Rescate.

From La Herradura, the best route is along the Cuesta del Marchante, a long ridge that heads inland from behind Cerro Gordo. You can get to it from the main N340 road about 500 m after crossing the Rio Jate, heading west. This route follows the Rio Jate valley but from high above, eventually arriving at Rescate and then Peña Escrita. The route is surfaced as far as Rescate.

Apart from the wonderful views and clean air, there's one curious attraction that needs to be mentioned. Following the route a couple of kilometres to the north of Rescate, you'll see to the left a strange buttressed structure attached to a small farmhouse. This is called the Cortijo de la Bóveda and the ancient stone construction is thought to have been a Christian chapel built in the 7th century during the Visigothic era. At this point, travellers could rest and pray before starting the tough inland journey over the hills. Little more is known about the building which is likely to be declared a local monument and restored.

MORE CLOSEUPS

Almuñécar   Beaches   Cerro Gordo  La Herradura   Punta de la Mona   San Cristóbal  Taramay   Tropical Valley   Velilla