Ruta Day Three – Castro Del Rio to Baena

Route of the Caliphate, Spain

Castro Del Rio to Baena – 14.3 miles

Prickly pear on the way to Baena.

For much of the day we followed the Guadajoz River.

An irresistible blank canvas for a sweetheart’s message.

It rained a bit then the sky was gorgeous with thick rolling clouds.

There are way stations for pilgrims along the route. To do this you need a pilgrim passport with stamps proving you are walking.

River bridge

Much of the day we walked by olive groves.

Olives have been grown in this area since Roman times and many of the trees are very old.

Baena!

There is a wonderful olive museum in Baena showing how olives are processed. This is a picture of many of the different types of oil produced. Olive oil is one of the main economic drivers.


Baena, like many of the towns we are passing through, has many layers of civilizations from Neolithic to Iberian to Roman to Visigoth to Moor to present day. There is a wonderful archeological museum showing finds from each era.

If you’d like to learn more about olive processing look here.

The head of Caesar found near Baena.