A walk through castles carved out of eucalyptus trees, mostly felled by various circumstances (temporary or disease) and trunks on the ground, a place that many call the magic mountain.
Before entering the Parque Forestal La Victoria, named after the patron saint of the city, we can find a small hill on which there is a path of about 300 metres. This mountain is called Monte Calvario.
In it and along the whole path, as well as going into the trees, we can find more than two dozen trunks and trees where the artist Manuel Ledesma has turned these trunks into sculptures.
This artist has turned these tree trunks into real sculptures, first carving small trunks and then the whole base of the tree.
Most of the sculptures seem to be castles, palaces or they can also be churches as I see motifs of both in the carving, several details indicate it, such as crosses, religious figures, among others.
But it is also true that many of them look like fantasy buildings, perhaps from films or just from the sculptor's imagination.
This artist is dedicated to carving in glass, but some years ago, about 10 years ago, he began to carve in wood, seeking to experiment with other materials.
Sometimes he can even be seen carving a tree, as he lives near the forest and some of his works have taken him more than two months to complete.
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All these works of art have turned this forest into a natural museum, where people from the city, but also many tourists come to take pictures, but also to try to find each and every one of the carved trunks.
Most of them can be found at the edge of the path, but many others can be found walking through the forest.
It is a very well lit place and as one of the signs says, probably put up by a local, it is a magical mountain.
As I mentioned, this forest is in an earlier location than the forest reserve, which occupies a large area. But in both places we can be in full contact with nature, far from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the native vegetation as well as certain animals such as squirrels.
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To get to the place you must first find the Church of La Victoria, one of the last ones in the central district, since it was originally built in an area of orchards. From there it is a long walk to the north.
After climbing several slopes, the landscape of trees begins to appear, and if you continue a little further, you will see the first sculptures.
Not only did I follow the marked path, but I went deep into the greenery to look for each and every one of these sculptures. Some were somewhat hidden by the thick vegetation and others I found at the end of the path in what seems to be a resting place in the forest.
In that place I could see loose trunks in the dream with sculptures, somewhat different from the rest, but equally beautiful.
Admiring each of these carved sculptures we can see a lot of details in them, most of them are geometrical figures such as squares, stars, crosses, but we can also see flowers, butterflies and even faces, either of human beings or fantasy.
You can also see several trunks where the artist started the sculpture and where it is still in progress.
All this path is surrounded by numerous trees, mostly eucalyptus, and besides enjoying a beautiful art, you can appreciate nature, walk, and take pleasant walks admiring the beautiful scenery.
I am delighted to share this art in the middle of nature with all of you. I send you my best regards and see you next time.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.
Separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 36.73160 lat -4.41029 long Hiking through the carved forest 📷 Malaga - Spain d3scr)