We begin this leg of the journey leaving Osuna, taking the old road to Granada, next to a transformer near the Santa Maria de la Asunción Collegiate and the University building. Immediately after, we pass next to the remains of Iberian and Roman settlements of the archaeological area known as Urso.
As we leave Osuna we abandon the soft landscape of the Sevillian plain, to penetrate into the abrupt mountains of Baetic Sierras, to confront the harshness of its ridges, to enjoy the wealth of its scenery, flora and fauna.
After descending the eastern side of Loma de las Canteras (quarry ridge), we join a smooth and wide, whitish coloured trail and take a left along flat terrain.
Still following this main trail amongst wheat fields, sunflowers and olives, we steadily reach the top of the Calamorro (324m). From here we have a spectacular panoramic of White river valley and Sierra del Becerro (844m). After a long descent, we reach the Aguadulce to el Rubio road, where we turn left.
After 27 km this flat road, with occasional easy ascents, takes us to a crossing (km 13.2), where we take a right, going down an earth trail until we reach a small river. During the summer, the water level is low, but in rainy seasons this can be a trouble spot.
In the middle of a plain, surrounded by sunflowers, we pass Cortijo la Habichuela. We reach a crossing where we continue to the left, passing next to Cortijo de la Ventilla. The flat land gradually becomes a long and smooth slope, accompanied by sunflowers, until we reach the top of the Cerro de la Bodeguita.
After passing Cortijo del Duende, reaching the top of a hillock and taking a right turn at the crossing, we can fill up our bottles from the well in the front patio.
In front of us, we can make out Estepa, at the foot of the Sierra del Becerro. The trail begins to descend towards Cortijo del Arroyo Granado. Once we have crossed the stream, the trail begins to ascend smoothly again, passing next to Cortijo de Ales which is surrounded by olive trees and occasional solitary dwarf oak, until Cortijo Pozo del Villar. This cortijo has a stone well, with a fig tree on the side, where we can refresh ourselves. Please note, it's important to ask whether the water is potable first.
After passing next to Cortijo Polvorin, we begin to descend, parallel to the A-92 until we reach the road of Estepa. Here we turn right, passing beneath a bridge of the A-92. We continue upwards into the town, Estepa. Only memories remain of Astapa, the Punic Wars (208 A.D). We will stop in this town (known as "The Balcony of Andalusia"), to visit its castle, towers, churches, convents and above all, to taste the famed confectionery, a tradition direct from Moorish legacy.
We leave Estepa along Avenida de Andalucia, and look for an asphalted road that leads to the cemetery (Santiago Apostol), which we leave behind to our left. We gently ascend the Sierra del Becerro, until we reach a quarry at the top, where we begin the descent to Fuente (Fountain) de Santiago.
The trail begins to ascend once again, between olive trees and surrounded by mountains: to the right Sierra del Hacho (705m), and opposite Sierra de la Algaidillas. In a depression to our left, flanked by Cerros del Aguila, we can see Lora de Estepa.
We reach the top of the mountain pass next to the Santa Ana quarry, seeing before us a view of Sierra de Yeguas. We go down a stretch, until turning left onto an earth trail which goes around Sierra de las Algaidillas and which passes Finca (farm) La Cañada, and the crossing that leads to Cortijo de Algaidilla.
Still descending among olive groves, we reach the A-93, that we cross through a tunnel. We then pass the railway and cross Arroyo Salinoso (Salt stream) to enter La Roda de Andalucia (km 42.2). Nearby, visitors can enjoy the Laguna (lake) de Ratosa Nature Reserve.
We leave Roda de Andalucia, crossing the Arroyo de la Albinal Yeguas river, to join a trail which, passing a tunnel under the A-92 and climbing gently among olive trees, takes us to the Sierra de los Caballos. Its highest peak is the Castillo (687m). Once we reach the top of the ridge, we can enjoy marvellous views of the Hoya del Navazo basin, where we find the Fuente de Piedra Salt Lake, and Sierra del Humilladero. On the horizon, we can see Sierra de la Chimenea, an imposing mass of limestone where the whimsical forms of the rocks make up an area known as El Torcal de Antequera.
The trail continues downwards, until it reaches a railway track, crossing a bridge (KM, 47.6), and continuing parallel to it for a short stretch. Here we cross the invisible boundary between the provinces of Seville and Málaga.
When we reach a tunnel under the railway, we take a right turn, going up a trail towards Cortijo de la Doctora, which we go round, to see the town of Fuente de Piedra and the lake, which we head towards.
About 13 million years ago during the Tertiary Age, part of the territory that the region of Andalusia today covers rose, causing the sea water to give up terrain for the rising lands, creating an abrupt scenery, gradually but slowly formed by time and the weather. It was in this area, between the provinces of Seville, Málaga and Granada that masses of lime emerged, surrounded by plains and deep valleys where lagoons formed.
Once we have joined the road that takes us around the lake, we reach Cerro del Palo, where the Lake's Visitor Centre is situated. We go around the lake, bordered by a rich vegetation of reed beds, while adjacent lands are dedicated to the cultivation of sunflowers, cereals and olives.
We leave the lake, crossing a road and railway. A trail next to an irrigation ditch takes us to a path parallel to the railway which we take in order to cross a bridge (km 57.7), and reach the foothills of Sierra de Humilladero that we go round to join the Humilladero- Bobadilla road, and enter the town along Calle Ana Alba.
To the south of Sierra de Humilladero we find the Lagunas de Campillos Nature Reserve, with five lakes: Camuñas, Capacete, de Cerero, Dulce and Salada. Sierra de Humilladero's highest peaks are: the Puntal de la Sierra (680m) to the extreme east, and the Pollo (628) to the extreme west. Its foothills are covered in pine trees and are popularly known as "La Sierrecila". We leave Humilladero, taking the old N-334 road. When we reach the Humilladero Cross we leave the road behind, taking a left turn, next to the industrial slaughterhouse.
We reach the top of the smooth ridge, between ancestral olive groves and begin the descent, along zigzagging trails that cross reddish coloured lands full of vines that produce the famous wines in Malaga.
Having gone under a bridge and passed some vineyards, we join the road to Alameda and enter Mollina. We leave this town by taking the old N-334, passing next to Cortijo de San José, where we can drink water from its "famous" fountain. In the distance, it is possible to see Antequera.
The thick knot of roads that cover this plain will oblige us to take a longer route. However, we will recompense our senses perceiving the changes from dry to irrigated land, from wheat fields to leafy orchards, all thanks to the Guadalhorce river, the irrigation channels and the wells, that provide this land with water.
Playing attention to the "routmetre" we will pass the Saydo Hotel, Cortijo de Santa Teresa, the crossings over the lake's canal, the road to Jerez, and cortijos such as Los Prados, Quemado and del Lavadero, to finally reach (after crossing the old N-334) an asphalted path, flanked with tall cypress trees, like an old Roman road. This road leads us to a bridge over the Guadalhorce river.
We cross the bridge, and immediately leave the road by taking a left turn along Via Pecuaria (cattle trail) Cordel de Villanueva de Antequera, today an asphalted road which takes us into the town centre, next to San Sebastian church.
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