Ruta Day Two – Ategua Ruins to Castro del Rio

Route of the Caliphate, Spain

Ategua to Espejo to Castro del Rio  – 15 miles

Leaving Ategua we passed hillside ruins of a Roman mine and descended into the valley.

Corralled sheep

Soon after passing the sheep we saw this ewe with a newborn. We told a man pruning olives and he seemed quite amused but did say he’d let the shepherd know.

Rain threatened and we walked towards palm trees and a small river.

Forging the happily shallow water; it was very cold.

Climbing into the hills.

We lunched under an olive tree. Olives are ripe and being harvested.

To harvest nets are laid down then machines shake the trees. The olives are then emptied into a truck.

The town of Espejo can be seen for miles.

This was a border town between Moorish and Christian Spain. As with many of these towns the castle was for protection.

Renovated Roman cistern. The Romans grew olives and put in extensive canal and cistern systems.

On to Castro Del Rio!

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