13 March '24 - Torcal de Antequera Walk (Yellow route: 3 km)
200 million years ago, this part of Andalusia was below sea level. High limestone deposits of shells, crustacean remains, etc., formed on the seabed.
20 million years ago, the European and African continents collided and the seabed was pushed to the surface. The birth of the Torcal, a jagged karst landscape.
Rain seepage and wind erosion did the rest of the work. The softer limestone sections eroded faster, giving rise to the jagged shapes of the rocks, crevices, caverns and caves.
The present prints of ammonites (a spiral shell of a squid-like creature that became extinct 60 million years ago) are evidence that the Torcal was on the seabed long ago. Thanks to Manuel Ramon Ternero Villalobos I was able to take a picture of the imprint of an ammonite.
That one was higher up, a long way from the signposted path. Everyone walks past it. Manuel explained to me in detail where to find the little side path that climbs up to it. That man knows Andalusia's natural areas like his inside pocket
An impressive walk, as the photos attest. Only 3 km, but don't miss out: it's a fairly difficult, rocky trail that was also slippery on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall last Saturday. And you will not only see rock formations: there are apparently numerous mountain goats living in the area, which are easy to photograph.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
