PueblosBlancosDiscoveryTours: El Colmenar Estación de Gaucín

High Noon in El Colmenar

Prologue:

El Colmenar Estación de Gaucín is a sub-district of Cortes de la Frontera not Gaucín, and in the south-west of Serranía de Ronda. Apart from every now and then a train going through it is set in a very peaceful location in the Guadiaro valley.

After recently walking along the river Guadiaro and hiking to the Puente de los Alemanes and to the Garganta de las Buitreras we wanted to explore the village of El Colmenar Estación de Gaucín more closely.

The village is dominated by the railway station and you can see that the area thrived from the time the railway line arrived well before tarmac roads connected the inland comunities.

The Hydroelectric plant plays also an importand role.

El Colmenar is also known as the gateway to the nature park Los Alcornocales and very well liked by nature lovers and hikers alike.

Directions:

Leave the Autovia AP7 by Manilva/Casares A377 and head in direction Casares towards Gaucín.
In Gaucín at the roundabout take the left turn onto the road A405.
After 5 minutes you come to the turn off to El Colmenar Estación de Gaucín, from here it is 15 minutes to El Colmenar.
From Marbella it takes about 1h 30 minutes.
From El Colmenar there is a forest road M512 ca.20 km to Cortes de la Frontera and to Ubrique.

El Colmenar lays in the lush valley of the river Guadiaro and it is like arriving in another world.

Hydroelectric plant

The main focus of the village is the railway station.

The railway line runs from Algeciras to Ronda through very picturesque countryside. It was built in 1890/92 by Algeciras (Gibraltar) Railway Company Ltd. It is also known as Henderson`s Railway.

You will find small country hotels (Casas Rural), ideal places for relaxation and to start your hiking trips from.

This Posada is a small Inn with beautiful wood carved doors.

We had a very nice lunch in the beautifully decorated Restaurant

Meson Las Flores.

Wild boar casserole

Chesnut ice-cream

After a delicious lunch we walked through the windy roads of

El Colmenar.

When you walk in the opposite side of the railway line down from the village you come to the river Guadiaro.

We decided to carry on our journey on the forest road through the nature park of Los Alcornocales (cork oaks) towards Cortez de la Frontera. It is about 20 km drive (1 hour inc. stops) on a well maintained tarmac road.

The road takes you onto the other side of the railway line and at first you drive through a eucalyptus forest. Then gradually the vegetation changes to cork oak forests.

On our trips we always come across wandering goats. They surely love to eat the aromatic shrubs.

When you have a chance take a glimpse between the trees and look down to the Guadiaro valley and El Colmenar.

You come to a picnic spot under very ancient cork oak trees.

Broom, Genista plant

In spring (March - April) you can see the yellow sweet smelling plant of Genista (Broom) on mountain sides in the Serranía de Ronda.

As the road ascends into pine forest the vegetation changes and when you reach the plateau at about 600m it becomes very scarce and you will only find some low growing shrubs and thistles between the rocks.

This journey takes you towards the village of Cortes de la Frontera and you can see the mountains of Sierra de Grazalema Biosphere Reserve ahead of you.