The year 2008 marked the awakening of Sierra Ojete as rehabilitation works began on three of the houses in the mining town that houses the Sierra.
The Sierra de Ojete or Sierra de la Tosquilla is a plateau located in the southern part of the municipality of Algarinejo, between La Viña and Fuentes de Cesna, opposite the town of Zagra. It is made up of medium-mountain pastures, limestone outcrops at the summit and shrub formations made up of barberries, rock roses and junipers. But the most important thing about the sierra is not its flora, nor its fauna, nor its geology, nor its panoramic views, but the mineral wealth that it houses in its bowels.
This mountain range has had a considerable mining importance in the environment, for many centuries. Already in the time of Muslim domination, the nearby Torre de Pesquera controlled the Cesna-Priego road and the metalliferous iron veins of Sierra Ojete, quartz and even silver were also extracted (from this whitish metal derives the name of the Blanquillo River).
In its last stage of exploitation, ocher was extracted through a series of underground galleries. The most visible remains from this period are: a village of about 30 more or less identical houses located next to the mines, several hundred meters of underground galleries that pierce the entire mountain range and that today have fallen into oblivion. and are pending to be explored.
Anyone who wants to visit Sierra Ojete can do so through different options:
It can be accessed by a path on foot from Torre de Pesquera (on the road from Zagra to Fuentes de Cena); There is also a road from Zagra, following the indications to the Molino de la Ratonera rural accommodation, which is at the foot of the Sierra; and from Algarinejo, taking the Loja highway and turning off onto the Cruz de San Sebastián lane following the signs for the “Ruta del Pastoreo” tourist route and later the “Ruta de los Montes y la Minería” route, both along lanes in good condition. From there, from the Sierra, you can see unbeatable views towards La Viña and Sierra de Chanzas, towards Zagra, the tails of the Pantano and Fuentes de Cesna.
