Benaojan to Jimera de Libar

The Walk along the Railway line and the

 Guadiaro River.

Prologue:

The railway runs from Algeciras (Campo de Gibraltar) to Bobadilla near Antequera. It is also called after its mentor, Mr. Hendersons.We decided to walk the stretch from the railway station of Benaojan to the railway station of Jimera de Libar. It is a moderate and very scenic 8 km hike besides the railway line and trough the the river valley of the Guadiaro which runs from Ronda and enters the Mediterranean near Sotogrande. This area is also part of the Nature Park of Grazalema.

    Directions:

• From the coast you drive to Ronda A-397 and than head direction Sevilla A-374.
• Just after 10 minutes from Ronda you come to the cross road to Benaojan MA-7401.
• The journey takes you about 1 h 30 minutes from Marbella to the village of Benaojan.
• The hike took us leisurely 3 1/2 hours with a break.
• We took the 10 minutes train journey back to Benaojan. 
• Last train at 16:45. Best to inform yourself before you set of.  

The road up to Ronda takes you through the white mountains of

 Sierra de las Nieves.

It is a very scenic drive on a well maintained road.

The journey becomes more relaxing after you bypass Ronda

and you will see ahead the mountains of Sierra de Grazalema.

I just love the different shades of the Spanish countryside.

Ronda`s plains (600 m - 800 above sea level) are rich in agriculture and small vineyards are found around here. 

This is a very picturesque and idyllic setting. 

To the right of it the road  leads towards Sevilla, but we turned to the left towards the village of Benaojan.

The hike starts at the station of Benaojan where you can leave the car.

Facing the railway lines you walk 80 m to the right then cross over the track and 

walk over the bridge of the Guadiaro river.

The river Guadiaro has it source near the Ronda 

and enters the Mediterranean Sea by Sotogrande.

Just after the bridge you find signs directing you towards the right  along the river.

As you leave the village behind you walk past some vegetable gardens (huertas).

We came across a magnificent rose bush along a fence.

and wild flowers on the side of a old wall.

Poppies

As you walk deeper into the river valley the track becomes more rugged and elevates slightly. Actually it is a steady up and down.

Cork oak 

Majestic Cork oaks (Alcornoques) grow along the path.

The whole river valley is very lush and looks fairly untouched. 

Far below you see the river gently taking its course and alongside of it the railway follows its way.

In the distance you can see the village of Benaojan. 

Across the valley you are facing the the rugged mountains of the 

Nature Park of Grazalema (Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema)

Signs directing you the way.

You will find many poles along the way telling you that you are on the right track.

This stretch of the Guadiaro river is very unspoiled and rich in flora and fauna. 

Golden Oriole (Oropéndola)

Among many other birds, we noticed a Golden Oriole as it flew along the water.

Only the railway tracks and an occasional train reminds you of civilization.

The track leads you over a bridge and you walk

past some ruins with its hidden history.

The Guadiaro river and the railway is your constant companion.

Just under the rock summit you can make out the road leading towards 

Jimera de Libar from Benaojan.

The views are stunning from  here.

Around the corner the track descends and

you are able to see the river 

close up.

We viewed many large fish. Maybe trout...  

This must be a healthy sign and it is good to see the river is teeming with life whilst not long ago this was not the case.

Especially in spring you will find many wild flowers along the path.

As the Guadiaro winds itself around a hill

the railway goes over a bridge 

and then into a tunnel.

It is incredible to see the vastness of the valley and so unspoiled.

As we are having a rest    

we were very fortunate to witness a deer on the other side of the valley passing our way.

Red Deer (Ciervo rojo) are very shy animals but you can find them in the mountain region of the Iberian Peninsula. 

We are plugging on step by step but enjoying every moment of it.

The path leads over a dry river bed.

We notice an old irrigation channel running along the track.

Slowly the valley opens up again and we reach more cultivated land again.

A nice new bridge leads over the railway and we can see 

the village of Jimera de Libar ahead.

The view south towards the distant coast.

We crossed the railway track on this side and

found a nice restaurant

El Restaurante Quercus

to have a cool drink and some delicious food.

Unfortunately we didn't  have much time to explore the village

as our train was approaching fast.

 A modern air-conditioned train took us back to Benaojan.

In less than 10 minutes we were back at the station at Benaojan.

The hotel Molino del Santo is a nice and pleasant place to stay at or just to dine at. 

We took the same road back to the coast via Ronda.

How to get to Benaojan