Información sobre turismo rural en Poniente Granadino

Geographic area located in western area of Granada, between the cities of Jaen, Cordoba and Malaga. Situated between two different geographical areas: quiet down lands in the Guadalquivir valley, and the mountains in the eastern side. Although its landscape is determinate by : the Subbetic cordobesa to the north; Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara to the south; la vega de Granada to the east; and the line intrabetic in the valleys of Archidona and Antequera to the west. Mountains, valleys, make of it a great landscape. This area is compound by 16 villages: Algarinejo, Alhama de Granada, Arenas del Rey, Cacin, Huetor Tajar, Jayena, Illora, Loja, Moclin, Montefrio, Moraleda de Zafayona, Salar, Santa Cruz del Comercio, Villanueva de Mesia, Zafarraya, and Zagra. The area have 79.000 inhabitants, being Loja the main one with 21.000 people y Santa Cruz del Comercio the less one with 555 people.

Restaurantes

This area enjoys a diverse and rich gastronomy, mainly because of its geographical situation, valleys and mountains with its antiques receipts that came from the mussels and jadish. We can point out their delicious puchero, la olla de San Anton, el potaje de bolones, la sopa de calabacines con fideos, las gachas, las habas con esparragos en Huetor-Tajar, el ajo blanco, chivo al ajillo, el cordero caba?es, etc. Overall we have to talk about their rich embutidos and the artesana cheese de cabra de Montefrio and Jatar. But the best of all is eating the spectaculars truchas and esturion of Riofrio. Refering its bakery the Monjas en Loja or the Hermanas Clarisas de Alhama de Granada, for exampe the typical roscos de vino, el bienmesabe, rosquetes, el pi?onate or the borrachuelos.

Sitios de interes

This land was frontier of El Reino de Castilla and Granada, belonging to several cultures, Cristian and Arabic, since prehistorically time by Zafarraya, where the "Hombre de Zafarraya", was found, form the ages of Neanderthal and Dolmenes de Pe?a de los Gitanos. Some lands were very important in the Arabic times this can be seeing in the architecture of the buildings castles , Alcazabas and torres vigia pointed out in Montefrio that were the defensive frontier of the nazari reino. Form the monumental pint of view we can talk about Loja, Alhama de Granada or Montefrio because of its churches and civil buildings.The nature has been generous with this western area of Granada. It landscape is define by its diferents lands and variety of natural spaces; from its vega del Genil to the mountains of Sierra Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. Pine forests resineros, alcornoques y melojos which offers their h¿bitat to the famous mountain goat, to the aguila real, halcon peregrino and azor. A inque natural area where we would be able to visit plenty of Natural parks as the Infierno de Loja, la Pe?a de los Gitanos, El Boquete de Zafarraya, los Tajos de Alhama or la Gran Garganta del rio Cacin and enjoy the relaxing Arabic baths of Alhama de Granada. As well as being able to do trekking, mountain routes climbing and canoeing. Refering the festivities all of them enjoy a common mean which are Fiestas Patronales y romerias and al of them are celebrated of the saints of la Candelaria, San Marcos, San Juan, San Anton, San Isidro o Semana Santa. On the topof this there are Festivales or carnavales. Among all of them it is famous the Semana Santa de Loja, el Festival Internacional Parapanda Folk en Illora and festivales de flamenco en Loja, Montefrio or Alhama de Granada.