Granada - Maps and Towns - Loja - Southern Spain

Loja and the Poniente
is formed by a series of villages situated in the Westernmost area of the beautiful and historic province of Granada. Mountain passes, Andalucían farmhouses and numerous paths cross the rolling scenery abundant with olive groves and more olive groves! The climate and countryside is perfect for outdoor pursuits, such as paragliding, cycling, horse riding and walking.

Jayena Rey called Chayyana by the Moors lies near the Bermejales reservoir and the north face of the Sierra Tejeda mountain range can be seen. The village is surrounded by the greenery of the vineyards and pine woods and in winter, the mountains are capped by a light blanket of snow. An earthquake destroyed the urban area in 1884, but thanks to the financial help given by the state, the town was quickly rebuilt in the late 19th century.

Alhama de Granada stands on top of a huge rocky spur and surrounded by an impressive gorge where the Río Alhama flows. It overlooks a magnificent landscape with wonderful views of the ancient town and of the river with its leafy greenery and old water mills along its banks. The town boasts a well-preserved old quarter with steep and narrow streets, numerous fountains and a thermal spa that dates back to Roman and Moorish times and the opportunity to bathe in mineral waters with temperatures of 47º.

Loja with its outstanding scenery and immensely historic town centre is also called surco intrabético as it bisects the Bética mountain range and lies in the high plateau linking Andalucía with the eastern part of Spain. This amazing landscape with heights ranging from 487 metres in the town area, to 1614 in the Sierra de Loja mountain range, offers ideal conditions for paragliding and hang gliding. The town is divided in two because it straddles the banks of the Río Genil and has thus inherited the name “ the Town of the Water”. It is largely a farming area with many hectares of olive groves.

Íllora lies sprawling at the foot of the Sierra Parapanda and was originally inhabited by Visigoths and Moors. A once a magnificent Moorish castle lies in ruins at the top of the gorge overlooking the village. Íllora is surrounded by olive groves, rolling hills and dense vegetation of forests full of brushwood and holm oaks, as with Montefrío, it is very popular for hill walking and the many paths pass the Peña de lo Gitanos. The Duke of Wellington is said to have owned a cortijo here.