The Axarquia is one of the most beautiful areas on the planet but until a few years ago I had never even heard of it! It is in Southern Spain about a half an hours' drive from the Mediterranean between the towns of Velez Malaga and Nerja. The Axarquia was the name given by the Moors which literally means "the land to the East" - as opposed to the Algarve, "the land to the West" The sierras Almijara, Tejeda and Alhama are stunning ranges with the highest mountain, La Maroma being 2065ms high - over 7000 feet. Nestling on the lower slopes are attractive white villages, giving us an impression of how life used to be, not so many years ago.

My husband and I are lucky enough to live in a tiny village called Daimalos, which is in the heart of Axarquia. We moved here five years ago and since then I have spent many hours walking the area, which is certainly the best way to enjoy the magnificent scenery. Also, although it may get too hot for walking in July and August, for most of the rest of the year the weather is ideal.

Last Monday I went on the "Walk of the Bountiful Valley" as documented in Guy Hunter-Watts "Walking in Andalucia" and I will attempt to describe the walk, so readers can get an impression of this fabulous area. It was a beautiful day for a walk with bright blue skies and very clear and it was warm enough to be comfortable walking in a short sleeved T shirt and shorts, but not too hot as there was a gentle cool breeze. I started from our home in a village house in Daimalos [I still have not lost the thrill of being able start off for a good walk from my own front door.] This meant I had to walk for about forty minutes on a tarmac road which leads from Daimalos to the bigger village of Corumbela. This village is so big it has a bar as well as a shop! The road is very quiet as there is only one car about every ten minutes. The road is very windy and the climb to the start of the walk before Corumbela is quite steep, but the views of the mountains and the sea are simply fabulous.

The walk proper starts on a dirt track by a farm, where a mule seems to be permanently tethered outside. He is very friendly and sometimes I have felt very sorry for him when his rope is tied to a tree where he gets no shade. I set off walking along a ridge with views of La Maroma and the sierra Tejada on the right and the Mediterranean on the left. The land is cultivated growing almonds, olives and vines. On either side of the track there are several villas, generally owned by English people, mostly as holiday homes and so are empty most of the year. Soon I turned left and begin a long winding descent past a few farm houses. The first one had a mule and pannier just waiting for his master to begin his days work. The fields are so steep it is easy to see why the local farmers continue to use mules.

Towards the bottom of the descent I left the track and cut across what looks like a field of wild flowers. They looked very attractive but completely obscured the path so I had to jump down to the next broader path which was also a mass of flowers. Still it was not as bad as the time I came with my daughter and this obviously fertile area was being grazed by a herd of goats. The goat herd just watched in amusement as these blatantly terrified English people pushed through his goats!

I continued my descent but by now as I approached the river the crops are very different as I walked through orange, lemon and avocado trees. At this time of year lemons are being harvested and also a fruit which the Spanish call a Nispero. I have never seen one before, but then in my former life I was an accountant working in the city of London. It is a sort of plum with a smooth peel which is easy to remove and has very tangy/sweet taste, as well as being extremely juicy.

As I stopped to eat a couple, a female farm worker stopped her scything and came over for a chat. She complained that she didn't get time for exercise, so I couldn't resist pointing out that she hardly needed to, after the way I had seen her working. The local people in this area are very friendly and want to get to know the many English people who have settled here. Finally I arrived at the ford but after the torrential downpours of the previous few days it had become a fast flowing stream! Luckily I always wear sandals and quite enjoy a paddle but last Monday the water was so deep, it came well over my ankles.

I squelched up a steep by now cement incline and then just near the summit I encountered another problem. There was a big digging machine straddling the road repairing landslides caused by the rain, but it was so big it took up the entire road with a steep rock face on the left and on right a very steep and long drop to the river. To my great relief when I got close the driver simply 'curled up" two of the legs on the left hand side, allowing me room to pass.

Finally I arrived in the white town of Sayalonga whose name derives from the Latin for white robe. Like most of the towns in Axarquia, it clings to the mountainside so the streets are very steep. I made my way to a bar in the centre of the town and was relieved to see there was plenty of shade because people were covering the main square with awnings in preparation for the fiesta the following Sunday. The fiesta is to celebrate the harvesting of the nispero. I chanced upon the fiesta last year, when I walked to Sayalonga with my daughter. There were lots of stalls selling beer, wine and local produce such as almonds and olives cooked in numerous different ways. The main square had been covered to provide shade and there was a stage where local artists performed. My daughter was particularly enchanted by the flamenco dancers.

Much refreshed after a chilled glass of water I set off again on the route back to Corumbela. This begins opposite the town hall but there is no sign for the walk until you have walked along the route quite a distance. As on the outward journey the track took me through lemon trees, nisperos, lemons etc. The red poppies and large white daisies by the side of the path were very pretty. Soon I came to the river again but this time I crossed over it by means of a good bridge. I carried on walking up a cement track past a couple of stunning dream houses. This part of the walk is quite steep, so I had several pauses to get my breath and also admire the stunning views. The deep blue skies which we get so often here enhance the views.

The cement road gives way to good quality dirt track and I gradually climbed away from the sub-tropical area and back into the land of olives, almonds and vines. I came to an olive tree which has a lovely seat shape where I always stop to sit in the shade. Soon after this I could see Competa in the distance. It is a bigger, much busier white town, which now home to a lot of English people. After going past a farm with a herd of goats who look better than they smell I could see the end in sight as Corumbela appeared in sight. It has a 14th century miniaret dating back to the centuries when Axarquia was ruled by the Moors. Then I came to a beautiful picnic area which was created about a year ago. It is called "the three fountains" after the fountains which burst from the hillside. It is beautifully paved and has benches and tables where I sat and admired the views while I ate my sandwiches. So far I have never met anyone using this spot, but then I have not met any other walkers on the route yet!

When I finally arrived at the tarmac road by-passing Corumbela I decided I felt perfectly fit enough to continue on to my home in Daimalos and once again think how lucky I am. I have had a beautiful walk, which was stretching but not too hard. Five years ago, when I was working in the city in London, I would have struggled to walk just to part of it. The views are simply unbelievable and even after five years I still marvel at them