The Region Loja
The Nature of Loja
Although this region has not an offical Natural Park, but only a Natural Monument. This will not say that there are no beautiful places. It is more that some places deserve to be a natural park. Especially in the north of the region you can encounter the beauty of this region; the area of Zagra, Algarinejo and Montefrío are offering a lot of natural escapes. Here you will find plenty of canyons and waterfalls to walk along and enjoy the beauty of nature and the fresh air. In some spots you can also discover sunflower fields. In the south east is the fertile Granada plain located, which is watered by the Rio Genil that flows all year round, fed by the snow water from the Sierra Nevada.
The History of Loja
The dolmens of the Peña de los Gitanos are testimony of the megalithic cultures that inhabited the region. Afterwards the Iberians, the Romans and the Visigoths arrived. It was even the scenery of the fall of the Nazarí kingdom of Granada. In Loja are a lot of beautiful monuments that are open for public. The visual power of the landscape and architecture of Montefrío seduce from the first moment. It is an imposing monumental set that is formed by the Arab fortress and the Church of the Villa, located on the top of a rock. This village has also been declared as one of the ten villages in the world with the best views by the National Geographic
The Climate of Loja
In Loja, the climate is warm and temperate. The winters are rainier than the summers in Loja. This location is classified as Csa by Köppen and Geiger. In Loja, the average annual temperature is 16.1 °C. Precipitation here averages 510 mm. The driest month is July. There is 4 mm of precipitation in July. The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in November, with an average of 76 mm. With an average of 25.3 °C, July is the warmest month. The lowest average temperatures in the year occur in January, when it is around 8.2 °C. (Source: Climate-Data.org)
The Gastronomy of Loja
The porra, the migas, the homemade desserts and, mainly, the trouts in different styles, are the most outstanding dishes of its cuisine supply. The star of the table of Riofrío, however, is the quality caviar Beluga produced by the Sierra Nevada sturgeon farm with ecological methods. It is the only one of this maximum quality produced in Spain, it is exported to more than ten countries and it is already recognized like one of the best ones of the world.
(Source: Wikipedia)
The Situation of Loja
Loja is the most western region of the province. This district of Loja is an important tourist centre, not only because the calm corner where it is located, but also because its important trout and sturgeon farms and its magnificent offer of restaurants and hotels. The lovers of the quality tourism have the opportunity to take an accommodation in a luxurious hotel near Loja or choose luxury rooms in a renovated farmhouse with Arabic Baths near Montefrio.
