Natura 2000 Network Genal Valley

MÁLAGA – An isolated and little known forest, a Mediterranean region full of rurality and biodiversity.

The Genal Valley connects Gibraltar and Ronda, used by smugglers and bandits as well as travelers and soldiers. It is surrounded by mountains, covered with ancient forests and dotted with 15 white villages perched on the slopes and populated by just 7,000 inhabitants. Here one breathes rurality and tradition… an authentic territory par excellence.

The steep river valley is surrounded by natural spaces all visible from natural viewpoints: to the southwest Strait of Gibraltarto the west Los Alcornocales, to the northwest Sierra de Grazalemato the north, the mountain ranges of the city of Ronda, to the northeast Sierra de Las Nievesto the east Sierra Bermejato the southeast Sierra Crestellina and to the south the Mediterranean Sea and already the coast of Africa, an incredible panorama that allows us to appreciate the Serrania de Ronda in all its splendor.

• The forest of forests
• White villages
• Autumn colors
• Dragonflies
• Karst

The most beautiful valley in Andalusia

The Genal River is one of the last wild rivers in Andalusia that was recently saved from a dam construction project thanks to the union of the inhabitants of the valley. The source of the Genal, located in the municipality of Igualeja, has been declared a Natural Monument. A modest river, short in length and shallow … but what a character! In winter, the rains and storms feed a stream that becomes an agitated river and a paradise for native fish. In the spring, the water flows merrily and welcomes populations of dragonflies and frogs. In summer, the stream withers and offers a pleasant refuge from the Mediterranean heat; it dries up towards its mouth and forms a small stony plain. In autumn, the first rains revive the river, fresh grass grows on its banks and the autumn fruits are the pretext for beautiful walks. The Genal dies the river Guadiaro in the place of Las Juntas del Rio.

The forest is dense and omnipresent throughout the valley. The Genal is a true “forest of forests”, mainly a cork oak grove(Quercus suber) with persistent foliage and a chestnut grove(Castanea sativa), with spectacular golden foliage in autumn (the “Copper Forest“). Other areas are alternatively occupied by resin pines(Pinus pinaster), holm oaks(Quercus rotundifolia) and gall oaks(Quercus faginea). On the other hand, the slopes of Sierra Bermeja are covered by forests of Spanish firs(Abies pinsapo) and resin pines . As for the banks of the Genal, they are bordered by a narrow riparian forest; and the lowlands are covered with wild olive trees. Not forgetting the cultivated plots of olive, almond, orange, cherry and other fruit trees, with staggered blooms and that offer us the best of nature. Few regions offer such a rich diversity of forests and fruit trees.

Our experiences in the Genal Valley

The valley is bordered by mountains, rocky ridges protrude on all sides along the road. The magnificent Jaraestepar ( 1 427 meters) is a bare ridge, covered with sparse grass and very stony that houses a splendid karst landscape in Los Riscos de Cartajima. If we look to the sky we are sure to be surprised by the griffon vultures(Gyps fulvus).

Colors of Genal: the different shades of green of its forests combined with the blue of the sky and the Mediterranean Sea, the white of the rocky peaks, the villages and the winter fogs, the red of Sierra Bermeja and the trunks of the cork oaks, offer us a very attractive chromatic palette.

The Genal Valley is above all a rural territory, populated by people of the land, who know the traditions, the agricultural culture, the trees and the small herds and who have favored the polyculture. The villages were built by the Berbers at the time of Al-Andalus and have stood the test of time. Their names betray their origin and sound like poetry. After the Christian conquest, life in the Moorish paradise became more difficult as rebellions arose, but in vain … the result was conversion or exile.