ITINERARY: Sta. Olalla de Cala - Arroyomolinos de León - Cañaveral de León - Hinojales - Los Marines - Fuenteheridos - Galaroza - El Repilado - Cortegana - Aroche - Cortegana - Almonaster la Real - Alajar - Linares - Aracena.
The westernmost area of Sierra Morena is a gently sloping eroded plane, broken by calcareous massifs, some with caves, the most outstanding of which is the Gruta de las Maravillas in Aracena, with visitable galleries extending over more than a kilometre.
The first part of the route takes us through landscapes of meadows and holm oaks and, in the wetter areas, cork oaks; in these meadows, and in general in all those through which this route passes, the acclaimed Iberian pig is raised. From Hinojales to Cortegana the scenery undergoes a considerable change; the grey-green colours of the pasture lands are replaced by the bright greens of the chestnuts in summer, or by the pinks and browns of autumn and winter. This is the wettest part and has a wealth of water sources, springs and streams of renowned purity.
In Fuente Heridos the gardesn of Villa Onuba may be visited to see the trees as interesting as the Spanish fir or the sequoya. In addition to the chestnuts, this area also has fruit orchards in the valleys of the rivers, producing an abundance of pears, apples and pippins. Leaving Cortegana behind, the land is flat with pasture lands and moors as far as Aroche where black vultures are often sighted. To round off the route, the views from the hermitage of Our Lady Los Angeles in Alájar, on the rock of arias Montano are excellent.
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