UFO clouds in La Herradura

What's hanging up there over Cotobro?

Sometimes the sky over La Herradura seems like a scene from a science fiction movie. Hanging over the mountains, toward Cotobro and Almuñécar, they appear out of nowhere: clouds like saucers, tightly stacked or floating on their own. Silent. Motionless. As if someone has just parked in the atmosphere.

From our terrace you have the most beautiful view. Some days it seems as if the mountains sigh and emit these clouds like thoughts. We used to jokingly call them UFO clouds. Until we looked them up. And yes: they really do exist. And they have a name that sounds almost as otherworldly.

What are these clouds?

They are called lenticularis, from the Latin for "lens-shaped." And that's what they are: lens-shaped clouds, sleek and streamlined, with an edge as if carved by hand. There are three official types:

• Cirrocumulus lenticularis (high in the sky)
• Altocumulus lenticularis (medium-high, often a bit thicker)
• Stratocumulus lenticularis (lower and more erratic in shape)

They are created by air flowing over mountains, forming waves in the atmosphere. Just like water flowing over a boulder. If the air is moist enough and at just the right temperature, clouds form in those waves. For a moment, right where the air rises. Then they often dissolve again just as quickly.

Only in Spain?

No way. Lenticularis clouds can be seen wherever there is relief: over the Alps, in Scandinavia, over the Scottish Highlands, in Patagonia. Even over hills in the Netherlands or Belgium they can form, but there they are rarer - the landscape is often too flat and the air too unstable. In Spain, and especially around La Herradura, conditions are often perfect. Mountains + sea breeze + sun = UFO show.

Do they come with a message?

Sometimes. Not from Mars, but from Mother Nature. Because these clouds can indicate strong winds at altitude or changing weather. To glider pilots, they are sacred: as a sign of elevator. To photographers, they are gold. And for us? Just a good excuse to stop, look silently - and fantasize.