Andalucia Walks Gaucin.

Andalucia Walks Gaucin, try this lovely walk beneath Gaucin,you will enjoy some beautiful countryside and superb views.Reproduced from Guy Hunter-Watt´s excellent Book Walking in Andalucia: The Best Walks in Southern Spain's Natural Parks (Santana Guides)

This easy half-day walk skirts around the mountain beneath the beautiful

The Route:-

The walk begins at the petrol station (la gasolinera) on the outskirts of Gaucin.

It is on the main road, leading through the village from Ronda to Algeciras. There is plenty of parking space immediately opposite. From here head into the village centre, first passing bar La Bodeguita Chaparro then cafeteria La Cruz. At the zebra crossing swing left along a narrow street. Pass the Molino del Carmen, and continue on through the village, passing between the Unicaja bank and the Mercado de Abastos.

Turn left at a sign for consultorio, You are now in Calle Queipo de Llano. At the end of the street, just past house no. 76, turn right; climb slightly and then after just 20 yards swing left onto a track that immediately begins to descend. The track drops down through groves of almonds, olives and carobs, skirting round beneath the village. At a fork (25 minutes) by a large agave cactus, bear right, swinging away from the fence.

The track continues to descend and passes beneath a large white rectangular building. When you reach a grove of carob and olive trees, don't swing left to a gate but continue straight on and you'll come to a more open area of meadow. A fence now runs to either side of the track.

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Soon you pass a ruined farm to your left and just past it the track narrows and becomes a path. This section of path drops down and meets with another track (50 minutes), where you should bear right, up towards a cypress tree.

Here the track divides. Turn right here, go gently uphill, cross a (dry) stream) and, at the next junction, where there are carob trees to your left and a pine tree to your right, turn left to reach a large gate.

Squeeze by just to the right of this gate. Views open out across the Genal valley to the mountain of La Crestelina. Continue on down this track and pass a rocky area where bee-eaters nest. Still descending, pass twice beneath the electricity lines and you then come to a fork. Here bear sharply right (it is marked by a cairn on the right) up towards the mountain of El Hacho. You are following a recently bulldozed track. Soon you meet with a better surface track where you should continue on your same course, climbing slightly, between oak and pine trees.

You now head on up towards a pylon. Soon the path becomes rockier. Follow the main track to the top of the hill and when you reach a green pylon swing left and drop steeply downhill. Look for the barrel-vaulted "ermita" beneath you. Again there are lovely views of the Genal valley. You arrive at an open area with the Chapel of Juan de Dios to the left (1 hour 20 minutes).

The chapel is the destination of a summer "romeria", when the villagers bring the Santo Niño (the Christ Child) down from Gaucin. This would be a good place to break for a picnic.

When you come to leave, head directly away from the main entrance of the chapel and you'll pick up a wonderful old section of track that passes just to the right of a huge carob tree before climbing up between two almond groves.

Pass by an unusual group of modern buildings with extraordinary wafer bricked columns to the left of the track. The path comes up to meet with a better-defined track where you bear left and continue climbing. Soon you'll see the Gaucin-Casares road down beneath you.

At this point, where this track drops down the hill to meet with the road and becomes concreted, you should swing off right, at a small cairn, and pick up a track that climbs away from the road. You are now walking along a section of Roman road. Climb up and over a ridge. Gaucin comes into sight. You meet with a better-surfaced track. Continue straight on up towards Gaucin, following the line of pylons.

Prepare yourself for a steep climb! Pass by Finca Alborrán to your left then El Nobo to your right. Continue on up and after 300 yards keep left at a fork. Soon you meet with a concrete road that leads up to a junction, where you should turn left and go back through the village to your point of departure (2 hours 25 minutes).

Our Properties for rent in and around Gaucin.

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