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Spain's Secret SierraA land of chestnut woods and hidden valleys
Nights: 7
Starting point: Posada del Castaño (rural inn), Castaño del Robledo. Literally translated as the 'House of the Chestnut', this is an aptly named inn converted from a grand village house with beautiful original features that include beamed ceilings and a delightful cobbled courtyard. Your charming hosts Craig and Sasha cook for you on most nights, though occasionally you may dine at a nearby restaurant (included). Day 1: today begins with a short taxi transfer (pay locally) to a choice of two starting points depending on how much walking you wish to do. Whichever you choose, you pass through the unspoiled hamlet of Navahermosa and follow a pretty stream through a narrow valley that is home to numerous hawfinches and warblers. You then emerge into a startling landscape of steep gullies and wide valleys where the village of Valdelarco makes a good lunch stop. Take time to explore its 13th-century cobbled streets before continuing through the picturesque valley of the Ribera de Jabugo and the timber-working town of Galaroza back to Castaño del Robledo. A shorter version of the walk starts and finishes in the village, so does not require a transfer. (14km, 5hrs or 19km 6.5hrs or 9km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Posada del Castaño, as above. Day 2: leaving Castaño del Robledo, you head west along the crest of a short range of hills, with marvellous views that stretch towards the coast in clear weather. This is a varied route, featuring wild open uplands, carefully cultivated chestnut plantations, some ancient paths, expanses of tree heather and sleepy villages. Your path winds downhill to the historic village of Almonaster la Real. (13km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Casa Garcia (country hotel), Almonaster la Real. Besides the terraces, which make pleasant spots to relax with a drink, the focal point of this hotel is the restaurant, which has earned an excellent reputation locally for its traditional local dishes. Day 3: on your day in Almonaster we recommend that you visit the viewpoints above the village. The shortest option is to walk straight up to them and back, but it is well worth following our very pretty route in its entirety along ancient paths and drovers' trails through delightful and varied countryside and several charming villages. On your return to Almonaster, take time to visit the tiny 9th-century mosque - a superb example of Moorish architecture. Located amid the ruins of a castle, it contains a mihrab (prayer niche facing Mecca) that is the oldest example of its kind in Spain. From the minaret, you can look down into the adjoining 17th-century bullring. (5.5km, 2.5hrs or 11km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Casa Garcia, as above. Day 4: you leave Almonaster on an old drovers' trail, then descend into a stream valley and pass through several villages before heading along a pretty river valley lined with oleander and mixed oaks. (13km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Posada de Alájar (rural inn), Alájar. This is a comfortable old village house where your attentive hosts Lucy and Ángel prepare you dinners and breakfasts of delicious local delicacies. Days 5 & 6: there is no shortage of easy paths around Alájar, and we provide five routes from which to choose. The first (10km, 3.5hrs) takes you via the village shrine onto the high cliff, La Peña de Arias, overlooking Alájar with a grand bird’s-eye view of the village and the sierra beyond. You rise higher still along an ancient muleteers' path to a viewpoint and then circle the hills to the north of La Peña. The second (6km, 2hrs) is a gentle but pretty option which explores the cultivated area to the south of the village. The third (14.5km, 4.5hrs) leads to Aracena via beautiful scenery and the delightful village of Linares de la Sierra. Spend time in Aracena (it boasts a church built by the Knights Templar as well as a huge cave, the Gruta de las Maravillas or 'Cave of Wonders', with stalagmites and stalactites) before taking the bus back (pay locally). The final two routes (4km, 1.5hrs or 5km, 1.5hrs) are variations of the third walk, taking in Linares de la Sierra before returning to Alájar. Accommodation: Posada de Alájar, as above. Recommendations for extra nights: an extra night at the Posada de Alájar will enable you to explore Aracena and enjoy one of the walks from Alájar itself. 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.
City add-on: if you are flying via Seville, why not extend your holiday with a 2-night stay in this thrilling southern city and discover its many links with Christopher Columbus? We offer the stylish 4-star Casas del Rey Baeza in the heart of the city. 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. Similar holidays: Catalan Castles & Coves (grade 1), Valleys of Las Alpujarras (grade 2), Sunflowers & Abbeys (grade 1-2), From the Tarn to the Aveyron (grade 1-2), Piedmont's Hills & Vineyards (grade 1-2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airport: Seville Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Tucked
away close to the Portuguese border, Andalucia's Aracena Sierra is
a land of glorious woodland and far-reaching views, of soft, rounded hills
and crystal-clear streams. Our enchanting route meanders leisurely through
the hills to the picturesque lower valleys, the beautiful chestnut forests
giving way to magnificent cork-oak woods as you progress eastwards. Along
the way you pass through many of the friendly, workaday villages that
are scattered in the valleys and on the hillsides and which are full of
southern spirit. Their inhabitants live in harmony with the land and,
as you walk along inviting paths, you see men leading donkeys laden with shiny chestnuts, workers preparing for the cork
harvest and farmers tending the sleek black pigs which provide the region's
prized air-cured ham that is served alongside dishes featuring wild asparagus, snails, chestnuts and wild mushrooms according to season. Seemingly
every village hides an architectural treasure, be it the 16th-century
chapel of Nuestra Señora in Alájar, or Spain's oldest mihrab
in the 9th-century mosque at Almonaster.
Almonaster 
