Continuing my circulation of Malaga province for a few days Sally and I spent a night in a Competa townhouse with views over a jumble of interconnecting roof terraces.

Leaving the village in the morning past the Ermita de San Antonio, we were startled by the surreal sight of an ostrich beside the log railed path.

The way was lined by the thrusting stalks of agave flowers.

Canillas de Albaida came into view with the Maroma mountain range towering to over 2000m in the background.

This area is renowned for the grapes grown between the olive trees and dried on netted sloping pens.

We entered the wild and forested Naturel Parque de Sierra Tejeda, passed the deserted Casa de Haro and down to the old Roman bridge at the start of a long steep climb up to Puerto de la Cruz del Muerto.

The wild flowers were a glory to us and the multitude of bees feeding on their nectar and gathering their pollen.

A long drop down to the hidden village of Salares over another Roman bridge and a quick coffee break was followed by another steep climb past an old threshing circle or “era”.

The grain winnowed here for generations was still growing feral in the deserted fields.

Another descent, another ancient bridge and we climbed into the flower bedecked streets of Sedella.

Our last big climb of the day led us past a series of narrow terraces of neat vegetable ridges and grain crops surrounded by more wild flowers.

The lushness was enabled by irrigation channels emerging from a water mill on the hill above the village.

As we climbed the views opened up eastwards passed the irrigation canals to the mountains and firebreaks

and south towards the sea.

At the summit was the well equipped recreation area with camping spots, showers, toilets , water taps, barbecue pits etc and Sally rested briefly on the designated bench.

From there a long descent past impressive holm oaks took us finally to our accommodation for the night and a very welcome but chilly dip in a pool.

The next morning we started by climbing down a steep path into the Rio Almanchares, up into the village and down again on a woodland path to the caves of La Fajara which have tunnels and passageways of 1500m.

A 3km climb on a track with the forested Natural Park on one side and clumps of waving grasses on the other was followed by a steep clamber down through an olive grove into Alcaucin.

Passing the traditional graveyard and a very untraditional housing block we found a bar for cafe con leche.

From there a concrete track took us down down to the riverbed and up again to cross the road leading to the Boquete de Zafarraya, the gap in the mountains that led towards Granada.

From the mirador del Pilarejo there were views back over the Maroma range and westwards over Vinuela reservoir.

The concrete track continued for another 5km or so through olive groves and an amusing chameleon juddered across our path.

On the outskirts of Periana was an area of unfinished development the bubble had burst over. Plazas and plots empty and waiting.

We were soon climbing away from the town on the bed of the old railway which ran from Malaga to Zafarraya till 1960. Steep enough to need a cog system to draw the trains up the slopes the track makes for a fine walk under bridges and through cuttings to the high point at 875m and fine vistas westwards across the yellow rape fields.

We stopped at the spot we had reached from the other direction last year and after relaxing in the shade from our efforts and soaking up the views we returned the 5km to Periana and a lift to dinner, beer and bed.