Coastal Walks in Andalucia. Guy Hunter-Watts
lead you to its most interesting villages. The route summary table included as Appendix A will help you select the right routes for your location, timeframe and ability.
The sections begin with a description of the area, including information about its geography, plants and wildlife, climate and culture. This is followed by details of accommodation, tourist information and maps relevant to the walks described in the section.
The information boxes at the start of each walk provide the essential statistics: start point (and finish point if the walk is linear), total distance covered, ascent and descent, grade or rating, and estimated walking time. They also include, where relevant, notes on transport and access, and en route refreshments options (not including springs). The subsequent walk introduction gives you a feel for what any given itinerary involves.
The route description, together with the individual route map, should allow you to follow these walks without difficulty. Places and features on the map are highlighted in bold in the route description to aid navigation. However, you should always carry a compass and, ideally, the recommended map of the area; and a handheld GPS device is always an excellent second point of reference (see ‘GPS tracks’, below).
Water springs have been included in the route descriptions but bear in mind that following periods of drought they may be all but non-existent.
Rating
Walks are graded as follows:
Easy – shorter walks with little height gain
Easy/Medium – mid-length walks with little steep climbing
Medium – mid-length walks with some steep up and downhill sections
Medium/Difficult – longer routes with a number of steep up and downhill sections.
If you’re reasonably fit you should experience no difficulty with any of these routes. For walks classed as Medium/Difficult, the most important thing is to allow plenty of time and take a good supply of water. And remember that what can be an easy walk in cooler weather becomes a much more difficult challenge in the heat. This rating system assumes the sort of weather you’re likely to encounter in winter, spring or autumn in Andalucía.
Time
These timings are based on an average walking pace, without breaks. You’ll soon see if it equates roughly to your own pace, and can then adjust timings accordingly. On all routes you should allow at least an additional hour and a half if you intend to break for food, photography and rest stops.
Definition of terms
The terms used in this guide are intended to be as unambiguous as possible. In walk descriptions, ‘track’ denotes any thoroughfare wide enough to permit vehicle access, and ‘path’ is used to describe any that is wide enough only for pedestrians and animals.
You’ll see references in many walks to ‘GR’ and ‘PR’. GR stands for Gran Recorrido or long-distance footpath; these routes are marked with red and white waymarking. PR stands for Pequeño Recorrido or short distance footpath and these routes are marked with yellow and white waymarking.
The Gibraltar ridgeline seen from the Mediterranean Steps (Walk 10)
GPS tracks
The GPX trail files for all of the walks featured in this guide are available as free downloads from Cicerone (www.cicerone.co.uk/803/gpx) and via the author’s website (www.guyhunterwatts.com). On both websites simply request the GPX files for the book via the Contact page.
By using a programme such as Garmin’s BaseCamp you can download the files to your desktop, import them into the programme and then transfer them to your handheld device. You can download Basecamp for Mac and PC at www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/us/onthetrail/basecamp.
GPX files are provided in good faith, but neither the author nor Cicerone can accept responsibility for their accuracy. Your first point of reference should always be the walking notes themselves.
The path leading up to the Pico de Mijas (Costa del Sol, Walk 22)
1 COSTA DE LA LUZ
The lighthouse at Cape Trafalgar (Walk 5)
PARQUE NATURAL DE LA BREÑA Y LAS MARISMAS
Track in the Barbate marshes, with Vejer in the background (Walk 2)
The Parque Natural de la Breña y las Marismas covers an area of 5077 hectares of which one fifth fall within the marine park which stretches a kilometre out into the Atlantic. This is the smallest of Andalucía’s Natural Parks yet the ecosystems found within its limits are surprisingly varied and walks described here aim to introduce you to its three principal habitats.
Most notable is the swathe of stone pines or pinos pinoñeros (Pinus pinea) of La Breña. The trees were planted in the 19th century as a means of halting the advance of the coastal dune system which until then had little protection against the force of the levante winds. An added bonus came in the annual harvest of nuts from the pine cones of the trees. The network of footpaths which cut through the forest are enjoyable even in summer thanks to the trees’ dense, umbrella-like canopies.
The ecosystem of the cliffs between Barbate and Los Caños de Meca is very different in feel. Here the flora and fauna are born of the interplay of ocean spray and the sweet water springs which rise at the base of its sand and limestone cliffs: these are the caños after which Los Caños de Meca was named. The cliffs rise to 100m and the path which runs along their edge is a highlight of any visit to the area.
The path cuts past the Torre del Tajo, one of a string of watchtowers built in the 16th century as a deterrent to Turkish and North African corsairs who frequently raided the coastal settlements. Next to the tower are two of the finest miradors (viewing points) of the Andalusian seaboard: on clear days you’ll see the coast of Morocco and the towering silhouette of Jebel Musa just across the Strait. The cliffs are home to large colonies of gulls and are a favoured nesting site of cattle egrets. And this is one of the few places on the Atlantic Coast where you have a decent chance of spotting peregrine falcons.
The third natural jewel of the park are the wetlands of the Marismas del Río Barbate. The marshes are on the main migratory route to Africa and are also home to a large population of resident wading birds: the dykes that criss-cross the marismas (marshes) are perfect ornithological viewing platforms. Stretches of the marshes were drained in the last century to create grazing for livestock but much of this land has been returned to its natural state.
The area is blessed with one of Andalucía’s most exquisite towns, Vejer de la Frontera, which fans out along a ridge 7km back from the coast. The old town is an architectural arabesque, with buzzing bars and restaurants, and is home to a fast-growing ex-pat community. Barbate is very different in feel, a modern town with dingy suburbs and one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain. The town has one of the largest fishing fleets in Spain and is best known for the annual almadraba when shoals of tuna are making their way from the Atlantic to the warmer waters of the Mediterranean: the fish are netted in much the same way as they were in Roman times. Los Caños de Meca is home to a multi-ethnic crowd of New Agers and is quiet in all but the summer months. It has a couple of excellent fish restaurants.
A