Walks for all fitnesses!
(Some are still being prepared)
Walk One –
20 mins
A nice
loosener with a chance to study wild flowers.
From
Casita Maria, turn left down the track.
Turn right
after about 200m and follow the track up.
When you
meet the top track (the one that goes to La Cencerrita), look for the steps cut
into the bank opposite.
This path
zig zags up the hill through the almond and olive trees, to the main white
water storage tanks.
When you
join the path above the water tanks, go right and up to the top of the hill.
At the
top, take a moment to admire the view and get your bearings – not forgetting to
look upwards so as not to miss the possible sight of an eagle or circling
griffin vultures high in the sky.
There is a
pylon at the top of Cencerrita’s land. Turn left here following the track down a
short hill (100m) and then continue onwards.
You will
pass on your left a small flat area that is a traditional grain hand threshing
area, where the grain was thrown in the air and the wind blew away the chaff.
Also you will see the pipe work from our bore hole that is 150m deep for our
water.
At the
main chain gate turn left down the car track to Casita Maria.
Follow the
track past the ruin and continue down, taking the next right turn down the
track for Casita Maria (the other track continues to the main house).
Turn left
at the bottom and Casita Maria is just around the corner on your right.
�
�
Walk Two – The Loop
by
Jan and Howard
50 mins
A
moderate walk with along slow climb to finish.
From
Casita Maria, turn left down the track.
Turn right
after about 200m and follow the track up.
When you
meet the top track (this goes to La Cencerrita), turn left.
Follow the
track past the ruin until the chain gate.
Turn left
and walk on, keeping to the main track, till you reach a wider track turn right
going downhill. (There is a left turn through a chain gate to a goat farm about
200m before you meet the main track.)
Walk past
a high, thick walled ruin with a house behind and walk onto the next fork at
which you will turn right.
Follow the
track until you reach the white based pylon at the bottom of the land just below
Finca Cencerrita.
Make your
way up towards Casita Maria, clearly visible from here. No obvious
track, but aiming to reach the cabin will then take you back.
Use the "breather" you may need on the way up to look at the mountain oaks,
olives, almonds and various wild flowers – depending on the time of year. Also a
chance to take in the clean air and breathtaking scenery.
�
�
Walk Three – "Drink in hand Preparation!"
by
David,
Liz, Lauren and Sophie
2½hours
From
Casita Maria, turn left down the track.
Turn right
after about 200m and follow the track up.
When you
meet the top track (this goes to La Cencerrita), turn left.
Follow the
track past the ruin until the chain gate.
Turn left
and walk on till you reach a wider track, turn left going uphill - Note that
Walk 2 went to the right here (There is a left turn through big gates to Casa
Curados about 200m before you meet the main track.)
At next
small junction, follow the main track to the left - not the “Camino Cortado” on
the right – it means no through road!
100 metres
later, turn left downhill at the Álora junction. There is a white water deposit
at the top of the hill in front of you.
The track
snakes down hill past the ruin on the rise on your left. On one of the bends
there is a sign “Tunel de Gibralmora Sur” which points back in the direction
you’ve come from. Don’t take the right turn through the chain gate, but go left
down the hill.
Up the
hill, passing a ruined house with lots of cacti on the left.
Keep going
straight on and ignore the two right turns which may be signposted “Vertedero”
or “Tunel de Gibralmora Sur” – very steep downhill.
At the “Y”
junction, go to the right. The track bears right round the base of a small hill
with a distinctive group of trees on top.
Round the
corner, stop on a grassy edge and enjoy the view. See across to Álora and the
wind turbines on the mountain top behind. It is about 45 minutes to this
position.
Continue
past the ruin on your right down the hill and at the bottom, don’t turn left to
the goat farm, but go up the next hill past the house on the left.
Down the
next hill, at the bottom, take the second track on your left going downhill (10
o’clock position) – not the main track which goes uphill.
This track
wends its way round the hill and appears to be hardly used. After 10 minutes,
there is a well on your right.
Round the
next corner, pass below a house with lots of cacti – keep left. This farm house
is directly opposite Cencerrita’s swimming pool.
Head down
the hill with the white water tank as your heading across the valley. Don’t
turn right to the small house. Note there is also a new track to the left down
hill
Continue
on the path down the hill and follow it when it bears back to the left on itself
a 120 degrees and then after a further 300 m approximately, sharp right.
This will
take you to the bottom of the valley and there are lots of olive trees where it
is nice to sit in the shade and have lunch.
You will
see lots of rocks in the dry river bed, keep this to your left.
Cross the
dry river bed and head up a steep short track just to the right of a large white
water tank.
Turn left
at the top of the track and walk up hill past the white tank. At the top of the
hill you’ll meet the main track to Pizarra where you turn left and follow it
until you meet the white based pylon at the bottom the land adjoining
Cencerrita.
Unless you
feel energetic enough to reverse Walk Two from this point home, take a short cut
up the hill!
�
�
Walk Five – "Feeling Fitter?"
by Jan and
Howard
3½
hours
A
moderate start with a long slow climb back to enable you to use "breathers" to
take in the clean air and panoramic views.
From
Casita Maria, turn right and head for the white based pylon at the bottom of
the land adjoining Finca Cencerrita.
Facing
this pylon, turn right and follow the track mainly downhill … at first! Do not
take the steep downhill track “opposite” the pylon.
Follow the
main track ignoring side turnings (ie one that is on your left after 300 m and
another on your right another 300m further on) After about 20 minutes, you will
pass a house with a pool and tree lined drive on your left. A bit further on,
you will see the remains of an orange grove which may, depending on any recent
rain, have a stream running alongside. This stream (if in existence when you do
this walk) will need to be forded a little further on as it crosses the track.
Follow
this twisting track. A finca with a flattish olive grove, complete with chickens
and turkeys in the grounds, will be on your right.
Carry on
this long steady climb until you reach a junction. There is a tiny country house
on your left with a nice outside terrace space. (There has been a large white
van left outside for several years – it could of course disappear at any time!)
Turn right
here and you come to a crossroads (signposted Fuente Luna to the left and El
Santo straight on). Go straight on, slightly up hill and bear left at a small T
junction (which only goes to a water storage tank) then it follows the track
along the bottom of the hill for 15 minutes.
At the
next T junction which is on a corner, turn left down the hill and follow the
road for another 15 minutes. (NOTE if you turn right here down into the valley
then you will meet up with walk 3 - Cross the dry river bed and head up a steep
short track just to the right of a large white water tank – just before it
ends.)
On the
right you will pass two inscribed stones.
On your
left will be a gate entrance with two new pillars inscribed with "Cortijo
Gibalmora" (If you turn left through these gates and follow the track up the
hill you will arrive at El Santo – walk 6) Carry on past this, following the
bend to the right until you come to some crossroads.
Go
straight across and keep on this track (mainly uphill). On the left is a white
house and on the right, there are two wood cabins with a white water deposit.
Up the
hill, on your right, fenced in, is a reservoir type water deposit.
Further
along is a nice spot on some rocks for a lunch break. Wild herbs release their
fragrance in the air as you tread. Deliciously heady! Look across and you should
see "La Cencerrita" in the distance and below you, the goat farm you can see
from Cencerrita. The track now goes downhill.
Carry on
along the track for a while- although be warned that the track then climbs up
and down hill! After about half an hour, you will reach a T junction at which
you should turn right. (Be careful not to take earlier turnings such as the goat
farm)
The main
track bears left you, after about 200 metres, take the smaller track on the
right and follow this track all the way back to Casita Maria.
