Los Pedroches Valley: Certified Starlight Reserved for best start gazing

Cordoba is said to be a rather difficult destination for summer, with temperatures reaching above 40 ºC / 104 ºF, but its indeed during the summer months where it is best enjoyed the amazing spectacle of star gazing. The Pedroches Valley has been recently awarded “Starlight Reserve”. Supported by the Unesco, this organization certifies that the area offers one of the best skies in whole Europe, with amazing quality for stargazing, due to its strategic distance, away from any light pollution.

The Pedroches Valley is home of best iberico ham nowadays in Spain, with lovely landscapes than can be enjoyed in the afternoon, right before sunset. In the company of a local expert, we are introduced to the art of raising 100% pure Iberian race pigs and how these rare animals live in semi-wild conditions to get the best possible conditions for the production of ham.

After a comfortable walk around the dehesa (semi-natural habitat, quite unique from Cordoba, some parts of Ciudad Real and Extremadura, Alentejo in Portugal) we get to a Cortijo (rural home where farmers would live among their animals and orchards, outside villages in the middle of the countryside) where we visit the home and enjoy a rich BBQ dinner based on local products, including of course wine, cheese, ham and many different cuts of pork meat.

The evening is complete with the observation of stars led by an expert astronomer, who will explain the different constellations that are to see in the region.

All in all, a fantastic plan for a families, with plenty of animals around, including horses, hens, wild rabbits, partridges, cows and sheeps accompanying the king of the Dehesa: the iberico pig, to spend a fantastic day in the countryside, away from everything and listening only to the voice of the silence.