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Mountains & Valleys of MurciaWilderness of the wild boar
Nights: 6
Starting point: La Mariposa (rural inn), Gebas. Gebas is a hamlet to the north-east of the Sierra de Espuña. Rooms are based around a charming vine-hung terrace, where you may enjoy meals when the weather is warm. English hosts Samantha and Mark will make you feel at home and readily share their knowledge of the region as you begin your week's exploration. Day 1: Our suggested walk for your first day starts in the heart of the park, following a trail through a wooded valley up to a viewpoint with fine vistas, eastwards over the plains of Murcia and west towards the mountain ridge of Espuña. Return to your starting point via a pretty path - there is a spot near Fuente del Hilo where sometimes wild boar can be glimpsed emerging from the forest to feed. (11km, 4hrs) Accommodation: La Mariposa, as above. Day 2: There is a choice of walking circuits as you travel west. A longer route follows a beautiful forested gorge, leading to the hamlet of Carmona where citrus groves flourish on sunny terraces – then rises to a high point offering views to the coast on a clear day. The delightful shorter route wends through pine woods to survey the gorge, then sweeps down below honey-coloured cliffs where eagles nest. (15.5km, 5hrs or 8.5km, 3hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Casas Nuevas (country house). Set amid almond groves at the foot of the sierra, the hotel is run by talented chef team Sergio and Juan. Day 3: Today’s recommended walk direct from the hotel runs alongside the lofty mountain ridge connecting the peaks of El Bosque and Perona, both over 1,000 metres. The path returns through pretty farmland and almond orchards. (14km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Casas Nuevas, as above. An exquisite 7-course gourmet feast is the highlight of your second evening. Day 4: After a short drive you can follow a mountainside trail along the path of an old aqueduct, before climbing through pine woods to a wonderful viewpoint across the sierra. From here, you can glimpse the castellated town of Aledo and your evening destination, the sanctuary of Santa Eulalia. (11km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Santa Eulalia (4*), near Totana. This is a converted 17th-century monastery, with tastefully decorated rooms and extensive gardens. You can eat at the excellent restaurant here or in nearby Totana (pay locally in both cases). Day 5: For a shorter walk, follow a trail into the wooded hills surrounding the monastery and visit the medieval fortified village of Aledo. An exciting alternative is to return to the high sierra to take a walk starting at the snow-wells – the 16th-century equivalent of ice machines, where workers stored compressed snow in order to provide ice to nearby towns in spring. You continue along a ridge with wonderful views from these heights over the whole of the area. From here you have the option of climbing higher still to reach the peak of Pedro Lopez (1,566 metres) before completing the circuit through woodland. (6km, 2hrs or 16km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Santa Eulalia, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system for the spring/autumn/winter edition of our Walking and More programme. Similar holidays: The Grazalema Sierra (flexible grades), Citrus Groves & Dramatic Coast (flexible grades), Algarve's Coast & Hills (flexible grades), Gran Canaria - Scented Slopes & Mountain Lakes (flexible grades) Prices & travel 2007/2008:
*Included travel: 6 days’ category A car hire Extra night prices
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Sunny and verdant, the natural park of the Sierra de Espuña is networked with delightful walking trails. You stay at three individually styled hotels in different corners of the Sierra to enjoy the variety of the park, using your hire car to access each of the walks (all within an hour’s drive of the relevant hotel). Explore a range of contrasting landscapes within the region, from pine-clad mountain slopes to valleys of almond orchards alight with blossom in spring to the arid badlands in the east – an extraordinary moonscape-like terrain, eroded and carved by wind and water.
Walking in Sierra de Espuña
