The Surroundings

Location

Although officially part of the municipality of Algarinejo, the nearest village, 2.5 km away, is Zagra with shops, banks, bars, restaurants, swimming pool and castle. Both Zagra and Algarinejo embody the charm of Spain as it has been for decades, where friendly, easygoing people welcome you into their lives.

The area is known as El Poniente Granadino (West of Granada) and is rich in traces of Andalusia's Moorish past with castles and watchtowers (atalayas) always present on the horizon.

Hiking and other activities

There is a wide variety of activities available in the area around the mill and as this is a developing holiday area, prices, where applicable, are often considerably lower than what you would pay near the coast.

Hiking

Molino la Ratonera is situated in the rolling olive groves on a network of paths. This makes it an ideal starting point for exploring the area through a number of walks which you can plan yourself and which are all of a low to medium difficulty. We provide detailed instructions with distance, duration, historical information and maps to enable you to fully enjoy this beautiful area on foot. Click for our short walks and long walks to download our walking guides. Our town hall has also created instructions for a series of walks that will take you further afield. Click here to download their guide. Some of these routes can be joined together to make long circular walks.

There are also a number of fixed-route walks around Loja. Ask us for more information.

Further afield is the Sierra Subbética, a mountainous area in the south of the province of Cordoba, with many well-marked walks, 8 of which are circular walks suitable for a day hike. Visit the website for more information.

Cycling

The network of rural paths on which the mill is situated is ideal for exploring by bike. We have a number of mountain bikes and helmets available for guests free of charge and have put together a selection of tours. Click on cycle routes to download the guide.

Beach

Iznájar beach, located on the other side of the lake, offers safe swimming in fresh water, water sports and a selection of bars. Nearby is the historic and attractive town of Iznájar with a selection of bars and restaurants.

Archaeology

Sierra Martilla, a 15-minute drive from the mill, is the famous archaeological site of a necropolis dating back 6,000 years. Further away is the Peña de los Gitanos near Montefrío. This is an area of terraces in the rock where more than 100 megalithic burial sites have been discovered.

Fishing

Riofrio near Loja is famous for trout fishing. The reserve is open all year round, from Tuesday to Sunday.

Sierra Loja

Sierra Loja is a centre for active tourism with a permanent centre for hang-gliding, climbing, caving and marked routes for hiking and mountain biking.

Skiing

The ski resort of Pradollano in the Sierra Nevada offers excellent skiing from December to April or May, depending on snow conditions. Prices for ski passes and equipment rental are considerably lower than in many other European ski resorts. Visit the website for more information.

Flamenco

Granada is a centre for flamenco. The gypsy area known as Sacromonte is the heart of this Andalusian tradition.