Piedra Lobera

On the eastern edge of the Baetic System, in the province of Almería and in the region of Alto Almanzora, lies the Sierra de Lúcar mountain range, home to a Natural Monument known as Piedra Lobera at 1722 metres above sea level. This spectacular limestone formation with steep walls is a prominent feature on the landscape, forming a geographical landmark of great interest and spectacular scenery.

Its legendary name (Wolf Stone) comes from oral tradition, which says that it was where the last wolves that lived in these mountains were exterminated.

In addition to its scenic beauty, this natural monument is home to important endemic flora adapted to the harsh conditions in this area: low rainfall, strong winds, long periods of sunlight, frequent frosts and stony ground.

There are exclusive species such as arenaria tomentosa (a type of sandwort), which grows between the crags and its cushion shape allows it to withstand the strong gusts of wind. It is covered with small hairs to reflect the incessant sunlight. Other species of interest include Pyrenean Honeysuckle, which lives in the shelter of cracks and limestone rocks, and the exotic Paeoniaceae (a type of mountain peony), known for its medicinal properties, though it is also toxic in certain concentrations.

You can also find small deciduous woods and hawthorns that accompany and replace them, such as cotoneaster granatensis, common hawthorn, midland hawthorn and whitebeam, among many others.

In addition to the town of Lúcar, there are other nearby municipalities of interest, both monumental and natural, such as Tíjola, home to Cela, a natural hot spring; Bacares, with a picturesque urban layout that is perfectly integrated in the high-mountain landscape; or Serón, where the cultural wealth of its location is combined with a mining past of rich ethnographic heritage (Las Menas de Serón).