Pinar del Rey, the ‘King’s Pine Forest’, was planted for the Spanish Armada; the perfectly straight trunks of the exceptionally tall pine trees were suitable for shipbuilding.

Today, the forest is a popular local recreation area for residents of the surrounding towns of San Roque, Algeciras and Gibraltar. At weekends and on public holidays, the barbecue areas and picnic tables at the start of our route fill up. We, however, are heading deeper into this beautiful forest. Parts of our route also take us through cork oak woodland; we are on the edge of the ‘Los Alcornocales’ nature reserve. From the highest point of our walk, the ‘Cerro del Águila’ (Eagle’s Hill), we can see Gibraltar and, across the strait, as far as Africa.

On the way back, we drive along a small country road following the Stork Route, where multi-storey stork nests can be seen on almost every single lamppost along the road. In a small village on the way home, we can stop off and enjoy a cool drink and some tapas in the village square.