Starting from Plaza Carmen, follow the sign to Jatar and Colmenillas. At the top of the slope, turn left and head towards the magnificent football stadium A. Mullor Bernabeu which would make some clubs in the UK envious of the facilities, not least the view! Take a breather here after the long climb before going to the right of the stadium and follow the track past the interpretive board showing the route the Venta de Pradillo. At the junction turn left, and follow the wide track forever upwards. There are not enough superlatives to describe the views – they are just stupendous – down to Torre del Mar and even Gibralter and north Africa on a clear day. This area is marked on the map as Loma Gaviarra.
After about 15 minutes you will come to a junction where there is a metal frame, the support for an interpretive panel. The left hand fork takes you down to Canillas de Albaida (to be explored on another day) and the right hand track takes you even higher up a zig zag track. After another 20 minutes, the track takes a sharp left, levels out and even descends a little. On the right just before the sharp left bend there is a track to the right. This track is a VERY steep upward climb and not for the faint hearted! There is a wooden post leaning against the rock with the words “El Lucero – Ruta 11”. The area to the south is known as Penón de los Calimacos You can take a short cut here or follow the main track around until you come to a cairn on the right, which is where the short cut exits. The route then is reminiscent of a Scottish country lane with a nice wide track with pine trees on either side and it leads directly to a four way cross roads with the track to the right leading down to the Puerta de Callado, the one to the left to Venta Maria, and a narrow track straight ahead which goes down to the Casa de la Mina.
From this vantage point there are stunning views over the mountains towards Frigiliana and Nerja and you can see the layout of the tracks to Acebuchal – the high track leading from the Casa de la Mina over the mountains, and the second dips down to the Fabrica de la Luz and then wriggles round the contour to Acebuchal. Both are excellent walking routes – the first much longer than the second. From the viewpoint, follow the steep, stony footpath down to the main route to the Casa de la Mina which comes from Cómpeta. Turn left at the bottom, and visit the Casa de la Mina which is a “must visit” destination – whether you go to the Hotel or the Albergue you are assured of a warm welcome and good food. At the Albergue you can enjoy an excellent paella on Sundays, or if you want to visit during the week, ring to place an order (minimum 4 persons). They are open every day. This is a great spot for walkers – dormitory accommodation is available in the Albergue, and the Hotel has beautiful individual rooms with ensuite facilities.
After enjoying your refreshments, go back up the main track where you came down and follow it to the Puerto de Callado, which is another great vantage point with magnificent views over the coast. The track has recently been widened and graded, so Casa de la Mina is much more accessible than in previous years, and you can easily drive it in a normal car.
Once you have taken in the breathtaking vistas, you can either follow the main track which zig zags down to the urbanisation Cruz del Monte, or take the smaller track down by the fenced off water deposit. Do not go uphill towards the fire break or you will have a much longer walk back! The second option cuts about half an hour off the walk, but is very steep and stony. You will exit on to the main track just before the Cruz del Monte. Once at the entrance to the Cruz del Monte you can choose to turn right and follow the walk printed in last month´s Grapevine in reverse and come back above the football pitch, or turn left and retrace your steps down into the village.
At the shrine follow the steep concrete road down towards the village, and turn right at the bottom. Follow the road along until you come to a junction – the left hand turn returns you to Plaza Carmen – by going straight on you will be following the road to the football pitch again. Finally, enjoy a much deserved beer at Bar David and reflect on the superb walk you enjoyed in the Sierras Almijaras!
Tina Irving
Caledonian Iberian ConeXions S.L.
http://www.iberacal.com
