Exploring Antequera

What a full day today! We had a quick breakfast in a bar around the corner from the hotel then set off on the bikes, south, into the mountains, to the El Torcal Natural Park. This is a heavily eroded limestone area with weird shaped rocks and a flourishing fauna and flora. apart from the rocks, the wildflowers were most obvious with large numbers of different flowers alongside the paths. Of the animals , we heard lots of birds and saw lots of little ones fluttering in the bushes though they were difficult to identify. we think we saw and eagle and also an ibex though it could have been a goat. there was a nice circular path that took us about an hour and then we headed off to the Laguna Salida of Fuente de Piedra.

The lakes here hold the second largest colony of flamingoes in europe. The information centre was closed when we arrived early afternoon ( siesta time!) so we walked around the nearest part of the lake where there were flamingoes, avocet, ringed plovers, coots and another wader we didn't recognised. I was disappointed we didn't see any nests or young. I suspect we were at the wrong part of the lake but it was too big to walk all the way around to explore more. It was fantastic to see wild flamingoes flying and swimming as well as wading and feeding.

Leaving the lake we set off back to Antequera. On the outskirts of the town are two megalithic tombs, dating from about 3,000 BC. They are simple tunnels ending in a small chamber but built with massive blocks of stone lining the walls and ceiling. They still retain their overlying tumuli unlike many of the British cromlechs where only a few stones remain.

After a very late meal by British standards we got back to our room at 11.00 to listen to election news prior to sleep. Tomorrow we head north again

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone