Night temperatures have dropped, days are shorter, and the birds don't care: at least, says ornithologist Peter Jones, not the many winter interlopers or the resident mountain birds.
La Donaira matches tradition and heritage with new technology and 21st century ideas in a quest to find the best and most sustainable way of doing things – from farming and festivals, to simply luxurious tourism, gourmet organics, raising Lusitano horses and rare-breed cattle, wine-making and bee-keeping – and just good living in general.
The project, a kind of life lab, is run by a collaborative team and benefits from a constant flow of guests from around the world, visiting enthusiasts and volunteers, the advice of local farmers and international experts: a kind of philosophical polyculture which seeds bright new ideas for sharing.