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Treasures of Aracena

The Aracena Sierra's chestnut woods
 

Holiday Highlights

Leisurely discovery | Gentle paths through timeless scenery.
Guided nature trail | Enjoy a half-day walk with your host Ángel.
Secadero visit | Learn how the area’s famous air-cured ham is produced.
Architectural gems | From ancient mosques to a Knights Templar church.
Fresh local produce | Including glistening chestnuts and forest mushrooms.
Treasures of Aracena. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Treasures of Aracena. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Aracena Sierra

The allure of the Aracena Sierra is in its timeless scenery, authentic villages rich in architectural treasures, and rich gastronomy. This single-centre, self-guided walking holiday with car hire lets you enjoy it all, plus an introductory walk with a local expert, and a visit to a ham-curing secadero.
Andalucia’s Aracena Sierra is a land of glorious woodland and far-reaching views, of soft, rounded hills and crystal-clear streams. Tucked away close to the Portuguese border, it is dotted with small, authentic villages whose inhabitants live in harmony with the land and, as you walk along inviting paths through gentle cork oak and chestnut clad hills, you get a glimpse of Spanish rural life – men leading donkeys laden with vegetables and shiny chestnuts, and farmers tending the black-footed, free-range pigs which feast at leisure on acorns and provide the region’s prized air-cured ham.

The rolling hills of Aracena lend themselves to leisurely discovery on foot and, to introduce you to this captivating area, we include a guided walk with a knowledgeable local expert who will bring the region to life, before you strike off on your own, using our detailed notes. We offer a wide range of walks, some from the doorstep and others from nearby villages which make use of your hire car. Some wander over ridges that offer extensive views towards Portugal.
 
Gallery

 

Walking & more

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights. There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of our suggested walking routes as the mood takes you.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 13 14 17 19 23 29 33 33 28 22 16 14
    mm 68 62 50 56 42 19 4 5 24 72 81 93
  • Spend half a day with your hosts
    Towards the start of your holiday, we include a guided, half-day walk with your host, Ángel, who will introduce you to the local area and identify the flora and fauna that reside in the nearby meadows and woodland. Having gained a good oversight of the sierra from this excursion, you can spend the rest of the holiday exploring independently, following our detailed route notes for self-guided walking.
  • Tour & ham-tasting
    Nothing epitomises the region more than the local delicious air-cured ham, and we include a trip to an authentic secadero (where the hams are cured) in the village so that you can learn all about how the celebrated jamón is still produced using traditional methods. Back at the hotel, you can try your hand at carving the characteristic wafer-thin slices, savouring this local delicacy for yourself with a glass of sherry before dinner for that classic 'taste of the Aracena Sierra'.
  • Choice of routes: 7.5km to 12km
    The region’s gently rolling hills are a paradise for walkers, with no shortage of easy paths through chestnut forests, cork-oak woods, farmland and peaceful river valleys. As you walk, you will get glimpses of Spanish rural life – men leading donkeys laden with vegetables and shiny chestnuts, shepherds herding goats, and farmers tending the black-footed, free-range pigs which feast at leisure on acorns.

    La Peña de Arias Montano: 10km, 4hrs; longer option: 11.5km, 5hrs; ascent/descent 410m
    Starting and finishing in Alájar, this route ascends to the cliff-top shrine of Peña de Arias Montano, which commands a grand bird’s-eye view of Alájar and the sierra beyond. There is an optional extension along an ancient muleteers' path to another higher viewpoint, offering further wonderful views.

    Los Madroñeros circuit: 7.5km, 3hrs; ascent/descent 260m
    This is another pretty walk direct from Alájar, and is shorter than the first, exploring the cultivated area to the south-east of the town, the banks of the River Antezuela and the previously abandoned hamlet of Los Madroñeros.

    Linares de la Sierra circuit: 10km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 425m
    Heading eastwards, you make your way to picturesque Linares de la Sierra, then loop back on a more northerly path to Alájar.

    Alájar to Aracena: 12km, 5hrs; ascent 450m/descent 350m
    This linear walk leads through beautiful scenery and the delightful village of Linares de la Sierra to Aracena, which you can explore before returning to Alájar by bus (pay locally).
    La Peña de Arias Montano: 10km
    La Peña de Arias Montano
    La Peña de Arias Montano longer option: 11.5km
    Los Madroñeros circuit: 7.5km
    Linares de la Sierra circuit: 10km
    Alájar to Aracena: 12km
  • Choice of routes: 11km to 12.5km

    Galaroza circuit: 11km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 375m
    This circular route from the market town of Galaroza passes through a rural landscape and chestnut groves as it follows a stream valley all the way to Castaño del Robledo, a small village with two enormous churches. The return route provides some fine views as you pass through more chestnut groves and farmland.

    Almonaster circuit: 12.5km, 5.5hrs; ascent/descent 485m
    Almonaster is an intriguing village with some fine viewpoints on the slopes above. Our very pretty route leads along ancient paths and drovers' trails through delightful and varied countryside.

    Aracena circuit: 12.5km, 4.5hrs; ascent/descent 300m
    Starting and ending in Aracena, this easy route leads via the village of Corteconcepción, an ideal spot for lunch.
    Galaroza circuit: 11km
    The route around Almonaster
    Almonaster circuit: 12.5km
    Aracena circuit: 12.5km
  • Caves & timeless villages
    In addition to being fantastic walking country, this area has much more to offer, in terms of its gastronomy, natural wonders and rich architectural heritage.

    Aracena & the Cave of Wonders
    The region’s main town boasts a Museum of Open-Air Sculpture (the works are displayed in several streets), a Knights Templar church, a ruined castle, a labyrinth of medieval streets and the intriguing Museo del Jamón y del Cerdo Ibérico – a museum devoted to the local ham industry. The town’s main attraction, however, is the Gruta de las Maravillas – the so-called ‘Cave of Wonders’ owing to its twelve caverns, subterranean lakes and extraordinary stalactites and stalagmites.

    Traditional villages
    Other villages worthy of a visit include well-preserved Linares de la Sierra (look out for the houses’ marble ‘doormats’ built into the pavements); Galaroza, an attractive hill-top village crowned by the ruins of a castle; Jabugo, centre of the local ham industry where you can buy some for picnics; picturesque Almonaster la Real, home to a bullring and Spain’s oldest mihrab in the 9th-century mosque; Cortagena, complete with a 16th-century castle and an Art Nouveau casino; and the medieval walled town of Aroche.
  • Discover this scintillating city
    Just a 90-minute drive or bus ride away is Seville, the city that encapsulates the essence of southern Spain. You can stroll along the narrow streets of the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter; ascend to the top of the Giralda, an ancient minaret; and visit the Alcázar palace, built by Pedro the Cruel in 1366. (Alternatively, you can add on a city break here, to give you more time to explore.)
 

Accommodation

We include three dinners at your hotel. On other nights we recommend that you dine in the town – Alájar boasts three wonderful restaurants where you can sample dishes incorporating local produce such as jamón (ham), wild asparagus, caracoles (snails), chestnuts and mushrooms according to season.
Posada de San Marcos
  • rural hotel

Bedrooms

 

Options to extend or shorten your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 7 nights: 02 January 2024 - 21 December 2024 & 02 January 2025 - 20 December 2025

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    2 Jan - 30 Jun 2024 £915 £240
    1 Jul - 31 Oct 2024 £1010 £270
    1 - 30 Nov 2024 £990 £255
    1 - 14 Dec 2024 £930 £250
    2 Jan - 30 Jun 2025 £955 £250
    1 Jul - 31 Oct 2025 £1055 £285
    1 - 30 Nov 2025 £1030 £270
    1 - 13 Dec 2025 £970 £260
    3rd & 4th person discount -£120 to -£170
    Single traveller supplement £180 to £235

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Price includes: 7 days' category B car hire (eg VW Polo or similar with manual transmission)

    Driving time to/from the hotel: Seville 1h45, Jerez 2h15, Faro 2h30
    Supplement applies if travelling from Faro, please contact us for details

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an additional day's car hire
    Posada de San Marcos, Alájar (B&B) Double room Single room
    02 Jan - 30 Jun 2024 £89 £123
    01 Jul - 23 Aug 2024 £100 £141
    24 Aug - 21 Dec 2024 £93 £134
    02 Jan - 30 Jun 2025 £93 £128
    01 Jul - 23 Aug 2025 £104 £147
    24 Aug - 20 Dec 2025 £97 £140
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Seville, Jerez or Faro
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly via an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Faro Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Faro easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Faro jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Faro Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Faro easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Bristol - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Faro TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Faro jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Nottingham East Midlands - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Faro jet2,  Ryanair 
    Edinburgh - Seville easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Faro easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Faro Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Inverness - Seville (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Faro jet2,  Ryanair 
    Leeds Bradford - Seville (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Faro easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Faro British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Faro British Airways,  easyJet,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Faro (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Gatwick - Jerez TUI,  Vueling 
    Gatwick - Seville British Airways,  easyJet,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Faro British Airways,  TAP Air Portugal 
    Heathrow - Faro (via Lisbon) TAP Air Portugal 
    Heathrow - Jerez (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Heathrow - Seville British Airways 
    Heathrow - Seville (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Faro easyJet,  TUI 
    Luton - Seville easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Faro easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Faro British Airways,  jet2,  Ryanair 
    Stansted - Jerez Ryanair 
    Stansted - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Faro easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Manchester - Seville Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Faro easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Newquay - Faro Ryanair 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly via an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • 7 days’ category B car hire
  • half-day privately guided walk
  • visit to secadero and ham-tasting
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 10 reviews
  • Mrs S Murfitt
    Petersfield
    28 February 2024

    Travel arrangements worked extremely well and we received a very warm welcome from Lucy and Angel, whose hospitality was generous and engaging. We enjoyed several excellent walks and Lucy's evening meals were a highlight of our day.

  • Mr P Collins
    Bristol
    09 October 2023

    A wonderful holiday in a beautiful rural area of Spain. The walks were good and varied with some wonderful scenery and wildlife. The provision of a car also enabled me to visit some of the local villages and towns and sample real Spanish life.

    The highlight, however, was the hotel and the superb service provided by Lucy & Angel. Their enthusiasm and commitments to running a Green Eco friendly hotel is exceptional and it was very much a home from home experience. I particularly enjoyed the introductory walk by Angel which gave me so much information on the local flora and fauna, as well as his Ham and sherry talk. Lucy's cooking is brilliant using local produce and she is also very helpful in recommending and booking restaurants on the nights that she does not provide dinner. El Padrino was the pick of these restaurants but I also had good meals at El Molino and Casa Cruz.

    The caves & Castillo in Arancena are worth a visit as are the Museum and mine tours at Rio Tinto Mines

  • Mr P Johnston
    Belfast
    05 June 2023

    Highlights were the hotel and beautiful scenery of the Aracena region. Wonderful bird life and great walks.

  • Mrs T Gough
    Dartmouth
    27 May 2023

    A beautiful area of Spain, so peaceful and great to learn about the local culture. Really helpful to have some basic Spanish language. Fantastic food. Worked well with a visit to the city of Seville too.

  • Anon
    25 March 2023

    Lovely area for walking. The introductory walk at the start of the holiday really did set the scene for the rest of the week, and we spotted all sorts of things that we would otherwise not have recognised.

    The hotel was a real home from home. We really enjoyed the mix of home cooking from the hotel and going out to the village restaurants.

  • V P
    08 March 2023

    We did two walking holidays back-to-back. Consequently, after seven days walking at Aracena, we found the Grazalema walks more challenging, but certainly manageable. Given that it is a more mountainous area we found that walking poles were indispensable, particularly for the rockier ascents and descents.Travelling in March allowed us to escape the last of our Canadian winter and enjoy the early spring in Andalucía. The day temperatures were perfect for walking, even when extra effort was needed to ascend (and descend) some of the steeper routes. We were fortunate to see early flowers but too early for the new season’s leaves. Our holiday included a car so that once we had mastered the villages’ narrow streets, it was very easy to travel to the start of the more distant walks and to enjoy driving through spectacular Andalucian landscapes. Driving is not for the very timid however, as the roads are quite narrow and winding, particularly in the Grazalema Sierra.

    Accommodation at both Aracena and Grazalema was comfortable and just right for the 7 nights spent at each location. At Alajar, the hosts Angel and Lucy were charming and helpful, and the accommodation is in a beautiful and interesting historic home. We appreciated Lucy's home cooking and use of local products. Their enthusiasm for the area is commendable and Angel is most willing to share his passion and detailed knowledge of the area.  It was a very personalized experience which is unusual for a self-guided holiday. There was a good variety of walking routes, with sweeping views and tourist worthy villages. We can recommend the Restaurante Arrieros in Linares where we enjoyed a perfectly presented array of local cuisine expertly served.  Also recommended for local cuisine is El Padrino in Alajar which is open on the weekend only. If visiting the caves in Aracena, it is advisable to avoid the weekend to avoid the crowds of visiting tour busses.It's the kind of holiday that one would like to repeat. In Grazalema, Andres too was a charming and helpful host in a comfortable historic house, and certainly located in one of the most beautiful and well-maintained white villages of Andalucia.

     With the addition of a car, we were able to visit Zahara in an afternoon, after an earlier walk. We also enjoyed a day trip to Rhonda.  Driving through the Grazelema Sierra allowed one to experience the mountains and landscape in a different way.  The variety of routes in the amazing landscape and mountains of Grazalema was excellent and unexpected, and a wonderful experience. On reflection and looking at the photographs we took, these are walking holidays not to be missed if you are looking for a bit more of a challenge in a quieter corner of Spain. We would recommend visitors to this area to visit Jerez, which is a vibrant and interesting city, and certainly quieter than nearby Seville.

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our walking discovery holidays 'Treasures of Aracena' followed by 'The Grazalema Sierra'.

     

  • Mr P Rogers
    Leominster
    04 January 2023

    As wet weather options, the caves at Aracena and the Rio Tinto mine tours are an excellent diversion. The Pizzeria in Alajar is excellent (wonderful house wine) as is the bar Barra with superb tapas...take a dictionary!!

  • Mr I Barber
    Shrewsbury
    15 November 2022

    Very welcoming hotel. We liked the environmentally friendly approach coupled with Lucy and Angel's obvious commitment and enthusiasm. The walking was relaxing and enjoyable. 

  • Mrs T, West Sussex.
    22 March 2022

    Angel & Lucy are a delight and made this holiday truly memorable. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for the area is exceptional. Angel's guided walk, his ham & sherry talk and Lucy's cooking and friendly approach to menus helped to make it a very wonderful walking holiday.

  • Mr S Cotton
    High Wycombe
    12 October 2021

    Angel and Lucy provide wonderful breakfasts, picnics and dinners, are endlessly helpful and full of fun.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact us to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; Catalan, Basque and Gallego have equal status in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, respectively. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
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