walking in Spain

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.

Route of the Caliphate

Spain

Who can resist a route with a name like this? We’re landing in Madrid, spending a few days there, then taking a train to Toledo and Cordoba where the walking will start. (I am posting the outline of the trip then will fill in with more photos and details as we go.)

La Ruta del Califato runs from Cordoba to Granada and is also known as the Camino Mozarabe de Santiago. It is a path that “en definitiva, que nos hará, sin duda, un poco más sabios” (a road that will make us without doubt, a little wiser).

In January the average temperature is predicted to be around 60 during the day and 38 at night. We may do some camping but are aiming to stay in town most evenings.

  • Day one:  Cordoba to Castro del Rio – 39 km.

Cordoba was founded in 152 BC by the Romans who made it the capitol of Hispania. The famous philosopher Seneca is from this city. Conquered by the Muslims in the 8th century they made it the capitol of their Islamic Emirate and it became a center for learning. The city was captured by King Ferdinand III in 1236 and has been under Spanish rule since.

Castro del Rio is an ancient town on the banks of the Guadajoz river.

  • Day two:  Castro del Rio to Baena – 20 km.

Baena is on the Marbella river and is renowned for olive oil and linens. It too was a Roman then Muslim city captured by King Ferdinand. It was on the historic border with the Muslim kingdom of Granada and is famous for its old town and castle.

  • Day three:  Baena to Alcaudete – 24.6 km.

Alcaudete is famous for its 13th century Calatravo castle and the church of Santa Maria.

  • Day four:  Alcaudete to Alcala Real – 23.7 km.

Alcala Real is thought to be one of the last places lived in by Neanderthal man. It was also a Roman city and ruled by Muslims. Watchtowers were built against Normans and Vikings. During the Napoleonic Peninsular War in the early 1800’s the upper city was burned. (Setting of part of the Netflix series Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.)

  • Day five:  Alcala Real to Moclin – 21 km.

Moclin was the site of a famous battle between Muslims and Christians in 1280.

  • Day six:  Moclin to Pinos Puenta – 16 km.

Pinos Puenta is the home of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca: “Three hundred dark roses stain your white shirtfront”.
The town is also well known for dishes such as migas, gazpacho, bean stews and noodle casseroles or fideos a la cazuela (even “noodle casserole” sounds more delicious in Spanish).

  • Day seven:  Pinos Puenta to Granada – 19 km.

Granada is home to the Alhambra and will get its very own post.

 

 

 

 

 

Spain

Spain

Alfred and I are heading to Spain mid-January. Leo, our elderly dog, is holding down the fort and sleeping in front of the fire.

Our plan is to fly into Madrid then take a train to Toledo then Cordoba. Once there we start walking along the Route of the Caliphate until we get to Granada. After Granada it’s a bus to Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain, where we  pick up the E4 trail and the walk really starts.

Route of the Caliphate

The E4 is one of the longest walking paths in Europe and covers almost 10,000 km total. The portion in Spain is known as the Gran Recorrido 7 or GR7. This route is 1,900 km, (1,180 miles), long and runs from the southern tip of Spain, Tarifa, to the Pyrenees on the border with France. We are still debating whether to take the southern or northern portion; the southern portion is supposed to be more interesting but it’s also higher and we may run into snow.

Alfred would like to summit Mulhacen, Spain’s highest peak; we’ll see if I go with him or not on that particular adventure!

GR7 route in Spain

Our plan is to do a combination of camping and staying in small hotels. We’re going to go as light as possible with gear; I’m just bringing my iPhone for photos and we’re downloading maps on our phones.

More on this soon, in the meantime back to studying Spanish with Duolingo!