Recommended month to visit it: December.

“Trees! Will your tough roots know my heart in the soil?”. These words belong to a poem that Federico García Lorca dedicated to Spanish firs.

And in the magnificent Spanish fir forest of the Reales de Sierra Bermeja there is a quiet place named after the poet, as indicated on a small ceramic panel placed there: Plazoleta de García Lorca [García Lorca Square].

This lovely setting is located in Genalguacil, at crossroads, inside the Reales de Sierra Bermeja Natural Park, the only place where the forest blends with the red colour of he perodotites. Sierra Bermeja can be seen with its dark and intense colour behind Estepona, like a great hulk separating the coast and the Serranía de Ronda.

Coordinates

• Parking and trail start: 302871 / 4040683
• García Lorca Square:  302302 / 4040658

More info

The nature beauty spot Reales de Sierra de Bermeja occupies 1,236 hectares that are protected and situated on the area where the towns Estepona, Genalguacil and Casares converge. The greatest part although belongs to Genalguacil.

Walking through the Reales de Sierra Bermeja means going deeper inside a marvellous pine tree landscape melted into the red colour of the rocks that give these mountains their name and make them different from the white limestone mountains Sierra de las Nieves and the Sierra Blanca. Their grounds constitute the largest extension of peridot rocks in the world and there is the only Spanish fir forest that grows over this unique rock.

The Spanish fir path starts at the mountain shelter on the peak of Los Reales at a height of 1,260 metres. Here hikers go deeper into the magic fir path that is the southernmost point in entire Europe. Its distribution is limited by some Mediterranean mountains in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Rif.

When you arrive at Plazoleta de García Lorca you can rest marvelling ravines and streams. On a ceramic panel on a small stonewall, you will discover a poem written by Federico García Lorca from 1919 dedicated to the Spanish firs:

"Trees! 
Have you been arrows
falling down of the blue? What terrible warriors threw you?
Were they stars?
Your music comes
from the soul of the birds.
From the eyes of the God,
from the perfect passion.
Trees!
Shall your rough roots get to know
my heart on Earth?"

This place with a winding but beautiful access rewards the visitor, as well as this entire territory, which has always been a unique corner.  The Museum of Contemporary Art collects the history of its brilliant and traditional art. Every two years the ‘Art Encounters’ (Encuentros de Arte) are celebrated in Genalguacil. During this event groups of artists carry out and give their artistic creations to the village. These are later exhibit in the streets of the town.