On the Pathway of Vereda Ubrique - Las Asomadillas,
Monte Benazainilla, Rio Hozgarganta
Monte Benazainilla, Rio Hozgarganta
Los Alcornocales
Part 1 of the hike
The entrance to the village coming from the north.
The trail starts across the road from the village sign.
A lonely donkey and grazing cows greet you at the crossroad.
We walked up the ancient cobble stone path.
The Panoramic views are breath taking.
This view takes you along the river valley of Rio Guadiaro and towards the coast by Sotogrande.
A view along the cobbled pathway we came on and the road leading into the village of
Jimena de la Frontera.
A view south and the river valley of
"Rio Hozgarganta" and nature park "Los Alcornocales" .
Castle of Jimena (Cerro del Castillo) with the tower (Torre del Homenaje) and Laja del Águíla and to the right the nature park Los Alcornocales.
The beautiful cobbled path suddenly changes into loose stones.
A view across the Campo de Gibraltar and the castle of Jimena dlF and the Ethnobotanical park of "El Risco".
The weather and time certainly took its toll of this ancient path.
Nature is retaking its land it seems!
Painted stripes on the tree tell us that we are on the right track.
Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Christians to the modern day.
A view west across the nature park Los Alcornocales
Today the Rock of Gibraltar is barley visible through the haze, but on clear days you are able to see the coast of Morocco and the mount Jebel-Musa.
Ahead of us the Monte Benazainilla
An isolated County house (Finca), what an idyllic setting.
We follow the path along the fence.
The track carries on at the other side of a small gate
and we follow the sign pointing uphill.
It is 30 minutes back to the village from here.
Further up the hill we turned towards the left,
the other arrow points upwards towards Ubrique.
A view towards the east and to the coast by Casares.
A majestic cork oak tree (Alcornonoque).
We stand at a height of approx. 318 meters above sea level,
the panoramic views are amazing from here.
A view across the Campo de Gibraltar towards the coast near Sotogrande.
The information board points out the diversity of countryside around us.
A view east and across the fertile river valley,
where the Rio Genal meets the Rio Guadiaro.
This makes an ideal place to get your breath back and take in the fantastic views.
In spring you can see many wild flowers and also some rare orchids.
The track turns into a forest road which we followed downhill.
I'm standing next to a very large cork oak tree.
You can see where the bark has been peeled off.
An information board explains that we are in a stone pine plantation.
The stone pine "El Pino Piñonero"
The road leads us through a stone pine forest "Pino Piñonero".
At a clearing we have a fantastic view towards the coast and through the haze we are able to see the Rock of Gibraltar.
Here we turned away from the road and followed a path into the forest.
Rows and rows of stone pines!
Far down we get a glimpse of the road we came on.
One thing which always amazes me are the huge and bizarre sandstone formations you are able to find in Los Alcornocales nature park.
Below us the river valley of Rio Hozgarganta.
We are nearing the viewpoint of
Mirador Puerto de las Asomadilla.
The sign tell us where we just come from.
From up here you will have stunning 360º panoramic views over the Cork oak Nature park
Parque natural Los Alcornocales.
The information board explains to you what you are able to see.
A view across the land we wandered through.
Sierra El Hacho to the left and Sierra Bermeja and Sierra Crestelina to the right.
This view takes you up river and below us the main road to Ubrique.
We leave the "Mirador Puerto de las Asomadillas" high above us.
we head towards the main road Jimena to Ubrique CA-8201..
A last hurdle and we find ourselves on the road to Ubrique.
All around us the nature park Los Alconocales as far as we can see.
It looks so wast and untamed, pure nature!
From here, on the other side of the road we are able to see the way sign, pointing down towards to the river Rio Hozgarganta.
It is here where our 2nd part of the hike starts and it is approx. 5,7 km back to the starting point.
Map of the complete hike
Part 1 of the hike
The itinerary to the Hike
is a 8,1 km circular route of medium to more difficult due to dense vegetation, no bridge at river crossing. and a lack of route signs. I like to divide the hike into 2 parts. There is total height difference of approx. 250 meters, the highest point at 320 m and the lowest 70 meter.
- Part 1 starting point is at the north entrance to Jimena dlF. the trail "Vereda Ubrique - Las Asomadillas" to the Viewpoint "Mirador Puerto de las Asomadillas" is a medium walk of 3 km.
- Part 2 is a more difficult hike, as the reasons mentioned before, the path starts at the Puerto de las Asomadillas and turns downwards towards the river Hozgarganta from the main road CA-8201 and across the river and back to the village about 5 km.
Prologue:
Jimena de la Frontera is situated in the south east of the Cádiz Province and on the top end of Campo de Gibraltar. The river Hozgarganta flows its whole length of 35 km through the Nature Park and enters into the Guadiaro river. The surrounding countryside along the river is virtually untouched and is of outstanding beauty.
A trip to the village of Jimena de la Frontera and the adjoining Nature Park of the cork Oaks (Parque Natural Alcornocales) is always pleasing on the eye as you drive along the lush river valley of the Rio Guadiaro. You witness the different stages of the countryside, from fertile farm land (wheat fields, orange groves etc.) to herds of grazing livestock (cattle, horses, sheep etc.) and not to forget the nesting storks.
Jimena de la Frontera is situated in the south east of the Cádiz Province and on the top end of Campo de Gibraltar. The river Hozgarganta flows its whole length of 35 km through the Nature Park and enters into the Guadiaro river. The surrounding countryside along the river is virtually untouched and is of outstanding beauty.
When thinking of Los Alcornocales, what comes to mind is the pure rugged nature, both untamed and very lush.
Los Alcornocales Nature Park was declared a Nature Park in 1989 and it is one of the biggest in Spain, with an area of 167.767 ha. It reaches from the Straits of Gibraltar to the mountain ranges inland, including the municipalities of Cortes de la Frontera and Ubrique.
Directions:
- Coming from Marbella on the A7 take the turn off by Guadiaro near Sotogrande towards Castellar de la Frontera A-2100.
- When you come to a crossroad turn right towards the village of Jimena de la Frontera A-405.
- You pass through the village of Los Angeles and carry on towards Ubrique CA- 8201.
- After 2 km you turn left towards Jimena driving past the Camping of Los Alcornocales. You enter Jimena from the north. There is plenty of parking along side this road.
- It is about 1 1/2 hour drive to get to the village of Jimena de la Frontera coming from Marbella.
The entrance to the village coming from the north.
The trail starts across the road from the village sign.
An information board explaining to you what will await you on this walk.
Pathway Ubrique - Las Asomadillas
Thanks to this trail, you will get to know a section of the river Hozgarganta, affluent of the river Guadiario, and one of the of great environmental interests of Andalucía.
It forms part of the Ubrique pathway, a livestock trail that joins Jimena de la Frontera with Ubrique in direction Sevilla, sections are paved with cobble stone. It will cross a firewall coinciding with a part of the GR-7 trail. From here and a little further down, at the viewpoint of the Asomadillas, you contemplate a spectacular valley formed by the river Hozgarganta, Jimena dl Frontera, and the countryside leading to the Rock of Gibraltar in the background, if the weather conditions allow it.
Appreciate the change of vegetation between the alder trees of the medium-high sections and the oleander bushes of the middle section.
There are no types of restrictions to the pathway, but it is advisable that you don't leave the established itinerary and that you respect the flora, the fauna and everything else that makes this hike so enjoyable.
Information taken from the board.
A lonely donkey and grazing cows greet you at the crossroad.
We walked up the ancient cobble stone path.
Scents of the yellow blooming Broom (Genista), the humming of insects and the twitter of birds fill the air.
The Panoramic views are breath taking.
The view towards the east and the mountain of El Hacho (Gaucín),
the Sierra de Crestellina (Casares) and behind the Sierra Bermejas and Los Reales.
This view takes you along the river valley of Rio Guadiaro and towards the coast by Sotogrande.
A view along the cobbled pathway we came on and the road leading into the village of
Jimena de la Frontera.
A view south and the river valley of
"Rio Hozgarganta" and nature park "Los Alcornocales" .
Castle of Jimena (Cerro del Castillo) with the tower (Torre del Homenaje) and Laja del Águíla and to the right the nature park Los Alcornocales.
The beautiful cobbled path suddenly changes into loose stones.
A view across the Campo de Gibraltar and the castle of Jimena dlF and the Ethnobotanical park of "El Risco".
The weather and time certainly took its toll of this ancient path.
Nature is retaking its land it seems!
Painted stripes on the tree tell us that we are on the right track.
As we carefully move on, we wonder
how many people and mules have trodden this path before us.
how many people and mules have trodden this path before us.
Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Christians to the modern day.
A view west across the nature park Los Alcornocales
Today the Rock of Gibraltar is barley visible through the haze, but on clear days you are able to see the coast of Morocco and the mount Jebel-Musa.
Ahead of us the Monte Benazainilla
An isolated County house (Finca), what an idyllic setting.
We follow the path along the fence.
The track carries on at the other side of a small gate
and we follow the sign pointing uphill.
It is 30 minutes back to the village from here.
Further up the hill we turned towards the left,
the other arrow points upwards towards Ubrique.
A view towards the east and to the coast by Casares.
A majestic cork oak tree (Alcornonoque).
We stand at a height of approx. 318 meters above sea level,
the panoramic views are amazing from here.
A view across the Campo de Gibraltar towards the coast near Sotogrande.
The information board points out the diversity of countryside around us.
We look across the wild olive forest "Acebuachal" and the botanical gardens "Jardin botanico" with the medieval castle "Castillo medieval" from Jimena dlF on the highest point and below, towards the left, we can see the train station "Estación de Jimena" and at the horizon, the coast and the Mediterranean sea.
A view east and across the fertile river valley,
where the Rio Genal meets the Rio Guadiaro.
This makes an ideal place to get your breath back and take in the fantastic views.
In spring you can see many wild flowers and also some rare orchids.
 |
| Sawfly orchid, Orquidea avispa or Abejera |
 |
| Sage leaved rock-rose, Jara o estepa, (Cistus salfiifolius) |
The track turns into a forest road which we followed downhill.
I'm standing next to a very large cork oak tree.
You can see where the bark has been peeled off.
An information board explains that we are in a stone pine plantation.
The stone pine "El Pino Piñonero"
Look around you, you are in a beautiful stone pine forest, which is distinguished from the other pine species by its rounded crown.
The pines are of the same height, which indicates that they are of the same age. The land have been formed into terraces and finally, although there have already been some thinning, the pines are aligned. All this indicates that the pine forest in which we find ourselves is not natural, but it is a plantation. This species is not indigenous to the nature park of Los Alcornocales.
If we look at the material which the land is composed of, we realise that it corresponds to the sandstone. It is a land that is made for cork oak trees. In fact, this area was populated by cork oaks, which disappeared, and the pine was introduced as a way to diversify the resources obtained from the forest, in this case the pine cone, with high economic and social benefits. The pine nuts are used for food and the empty pine cones and the nut shells are used as fuel.
Information taken from board.
The road leads us through a stone pine forest "Pino Piñonero".
At a clearing we have a fantastic view towards the coast and through the haze we are able to see the Rock of Gibraltar.
Here we turned away from the road and followed a path into the forest.
Rows and rows of stone pines!
Far down we get a glimpse of the road we came on.
One thing which always amazes me are the huge and bizarre sandstone formations you are able to find in Los Alcornocales nature park.
Below us the river valley of Rio Hozgarganta.
We are nearing the viewpoint of
Mirador Puerto de las Asomadilla.
The sign tell us where we just come from.
From up here you will have stunning 360º panoramic views over the Cork oak Nature park
Parque natural Los Alcornocales.
The information board explains to you what you are able to see.
The view across the Campo de Gibraltar and towards the coast, the Castle of Jimena (Cerro del Castillo) with the tower (Torre del Homenaje) and the Ethnobotanical gardens "El Risco" with the rock-face of Laja del Águíla and below the river Rio Hozgarganta, and all around us the nature park Los Alcornocales.
A view across the land we wandered through.
Sierra El Hacho to the left and Sierra Bermeja and Sierra Crestelina to the right.
This view takes you up river and below us the main road to Ubrique.
We leave the "Mirador Puerto de las Asomadillas" high above us.
we head towards the main road Jimena to Ubrique CA-8201..
A last hurdle and we find ourselves on the road to Ubrique.
All around us the nature park Los Alconocales as far as we can see.
It looks so wast and untamed, pure nature!
From here, on the other side of the road we are able to see the way sign, pointing down towards to the river Rio Hozgarganta.
It is here where our 2nd part of the hike starts and it is approx. 5,7 km back to the starting point.
Epilogue:
You have a choice either to walk along the road approx. 1,5 km back to the starting point, or carry on with the hike down to the river and along the other side back. I like to mention again that the 2nd part of the hike is more difficult due to dense vegetation and a river crossing without a proper bridge.
Map of the complete hike
 |
| Wikiloc: Sendero Vereda Jimena de la Frontera - Ubrique - Las Asomadillas |
How to get to Jimena de la Frontera
Related blogs:
No comments:
Post a Comment