Hoya of Guadix

The Hoya of Guadix is a natural plain in the northern part of the province of Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It covers some, and is formed by the basins of the rivers Fardes and Guadix. It is surrounded by the heights of the Sierra Nevada to the south, the Sierra de Baza to the east, the Sierra Mágina to the north and the Sierra Harana to the west. It is separated by the Cerro Jabalcón from the Hoya of Baza which, like the Hoya of Guadix, is one of the series of valleys forming the Surco Intrabético.
Hoya in this context refers to a low-lying plain or basin.

Geology

The filling of this depression occurred simultaneously with its uplift. At its base there are bioclastic calcarenites from the Upper Miocene. These materials are typical marine deposits in areas close to the coast. Marine marl was deposited on top of these rocks. On top of them there are essentially detrital materials from continental fluvial environments, poplar trees grown for their wood, cereals, legumes and vegetables.

The climate of the basin is continental, with mountain ranges sheltering it from the influence of the sea. Precipitation falls mostly in the winter.

The largest city in the basin is Guadix, which gives it its name. Other settlements of relevance include Fonelas, Benalúa, Purullena and Alcudia de Guadix.