In search of the wolf...

It's been such a beautiful weekend, that we decided, after church, to go for another long walk with the dogs. Last summer, I had read about a pleasant hike to the Mirador del Lobo (the wolf's lookout), a nearby mountain peak with stunning views, but the summer weather was just too hot at that point to undertake an uphill walk. Today was warm, but not oppressively hot, so it seemed like a good time to go in search of the wolf. 

From Alhaurín, you need to head up the quarry road into the mountains, and then hike through pine forests until you come to the point where you can see down the other side of the mountain - to the coastal towns of Torremolinos and Benalmádena. The  spot probably got its name in the days when Iberian wolves were still plentiful here, but nowadays only a statue marks the spot. 

I confess that we drove the first three and a half kilometres on the paved quarry road that begins just behind my house. Then, when the road came to an end (at the point where you see the quarry on the map below) we parked the car and walked the remaining 4 km on a stony path that wound its way upwards through the pine forests.

The scenery was lovely; we could see the mountains and the town of Alhaurin behind us; then, as we reached the crest of the mountain, we began to see the Mediterranean Sea far below us.  Once we reached the wolf's lookout, we could see all the way down to sun-soaked Torremolinos and Benalmádena, yet we could also see some peaks of the Sierra Nevada that were still capped with snow. The stunning views made the walk well worth while. The three dogs enjoyed a well earned treat and another bowl of cold water, before we turned around and headed back to the car again. The downhill hike was a lot easier than the uphill stretch.

The dogs seemed to love having yet another long walk and little Bonnie (who hadn't been with us yesterday) did admirably on her short chihuahua legs. And we clocked up more kilometres to donate to the charity for Multiple Sclerosis research, so our walk will be a blessing to others too.