Aldeaquemada is a village of barely five hundred people in the Sierra Morena, in the north of Jaén province, and the hills around it are among the wildest in Andalusia. The Cimbarra gorge is the dramatic feature of the area, a deep cleft cut by the Guarrizas river through dark slate and quartzite, with cliffs, oak and rock rose on the slopes and vultures riding the air above. The Poyo Medio, a rocky outcrop on the gorge, holds a rock shelter with paintings that belong to the tradition of schematic and Levantine art in the Sierra Morena, among the oldest signs of human presence in the region.
This is a country of big estates and few people. The hills are covered with holm oak and cork oak woodland, with scrub of strawberry tree, lavender and gum cistus filling the gaps, and the smell, especially after a shower, is strong and resinous. Wild boar, red deer and fallow deer are common, and the Iberian lynx, a rare and secretive cat, lives in the nearby hills thanks to reintroduction programmes. Birdwatchers come for the black vultures, the imperial eagles and, in winter, the cranes that fly over towards the south.
The riding is quiet and demanding in a pleasant way. The roads through the sierra wind in a continuous series of curves, climb to ridges with long views across empty country, and descend to small streams with old stone bridges. Traffic is very light, and the surface can be patchy on minor roads, with gravel on the corners and the occasional animal on the carriageway. In summer the heat is fierce, and shade is rare, so start early. In winter, fog and ice gather in the valleys.
Facilities are thin. Aldeaquemada has a few bars and a small shop, and the nearest petrol stations are further away, in Santa Elena, Castellar de Santiago or Torrenueva. Fill up before you reach the hills. The local food is game and cured meats, with the olive oil of Jaén, and a glass of cold water from a village fountain in summer is a pleasure. Spring and autumn give the best conditions, and the hills are full of flowers in April.