Route: Benaojan to Jimera de Libar
Area: Andalucia, Spain
Date of walk: 12th May 2018
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 5.7 miles
Ascent: 800 feet
Weather: Cloudy at first, becoming sunny
On the last day of this short holiday in Spain, based in the sleepy village of Benaojan, we still had time for another walk and had planned to visit the Ronda Gorge. However a major 101km bike race was taking place in the area and this would have made Ronda difficult to access, and parking impossible. We soon came up with a Plan B, a walk that had been near the top of our list anyway, and as a bonus the start was from Benaojan
We first had to move our rented car from the hotel, as the race was passing by the front door and the narrow access lane would be closed for the bike race. We parked at the nearby railway station, which is also the start of this walk, and if all went to plan we’d catch the train back from our destination, Jimera de Libar. After crossing the railway line we picked up a waymarked track which followed the course of the Rio Guadiano and the railway, both of which run along the deep valley we were following
The path undulated gently up and down and we made quick progress – we had to, since the train back was leaving at 1pm and if we missed it we’d have a rush to get to the airport for our flight home. In the event we made such good progress that we arrived at Jimera with an hour to spare, time which was well spent enjoying an ice cold Spanish beer at the local bar
It was a superb linear walk. The scenery was outstanding throughout and a particular highlight had been the wildflowers lining the path along the way. The train ride back to Benaojan only lasted about 10 minutes but it gave us a sample of the delights of the Bobadilla-Ronda-Algeciras railway line, one of Europe’s most spectacular train journeys
A few notes in conclusion at the end of this wonderful walking holiday in Andalucia, a new walking area for us:
We based ourselves in the small hamlet of Benaojan in the Molino del Santo, a lovely rural boutique hotel, which we can highly recommend. The staff were particularly helpful and friendly. The village is well located for walking – there are numerous walks in the immediate vicinity, including several from the hotel. Ronda is only a short drive away, as are two major walking areas – the Natural Parks of Grazalema and La Sierra de las Nieves
The walks we followed were all sourced from ‘Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema‘ by Guy Hunter-Watts, and all of them were just as described. The book was an invaluable holiday companion. None of the paths which we followed were overcrowded, and on 2 of them we didn’t see another soul. May is a good time to visit the area as the temperature is warm but bearable, there are long daylight hours, and the countryside is bursting with wildflowers. We’d managed 5 walks in 5 days, each of them memorable for different reasons and I hope to return to this wonderful place
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The start (and finish) of our last walk in Andalucia on this short break - Benaoján railway station
We walk over the level crossing to the other side of the railway line...
...and join the path marked 'Sendero Rio Guardiaro' - the riverside path which we will follow all the way to our destination
Wild flowers along the verges - these would be a special highlight of the walk
Looking back to Benaoján - we were staying in the lower part of the village
The path weaves in and out of the side of the valley, with the river and the railway line never very far away
The railway line below
We pass by a ruined building
A rocky section, but the going is always easy, and navigation is no issue - just keep the river and the railway on the right
The path descends to the river bank temporarily...
...and then rises above it again
Some photos of our progress along the valley...
Looking back to a tunnel
As steep drop to the right, but we are protected by a fence
Some of the wild flowers which so enhanced the walk...
Benaojan walk Grazalema
Our destination the railway station at Jimera de Libar
We pass by a goat farm on the outskirts of the village
Buttercups and olive trees
One of several orchards on the small holdings at the edge of the village
The end of the line - for us at least
We've made it with an hour to spare before our train back to Benaoján - time to adjourn to the local bar and slake our thirst
Our direction of travel
Our train comes in
A few minutes later we alight at Benaoján station - the end of the walk
The arrival of the train has caused the barriers to be lowered, to the frustration of the leading riders
A couple of photos of the riders jumping at the level crossing once the barriers have been raised...
...and now time for us to be heading for the airport at the end of a wonderful walking holiday
