Itinerary
It is a linear path of little difficulty that travels in the middle of the itinerary on paved or concreted roads, alternating both types continuously, so extreme caution will be necessary in areas where there is coincidence with road traffic.
Virtually the entire route runs parallel to the Guadalcobacín River (which marks the border between the municipalities of Ronda and Arriate) or in its vicinity. In fact, we will have to cross that river. This fact will mark a good part of the landscape, since we will have nearby the gallery forest of the river with its own species such as elms, poplars, poplars, etc ...
Paths that link:
- Link with the PR-A 250 From Arriate to Ronda at the beginning
- Crossing with Stage 3 of the GR 7 E-4 Athens Fare at km 7
- Partial coincidence with SL-A 10 Professor Paco Marín.
Summary
Stage 4 ends the tour of the Béticas mountains of Variant 249-5 between Campillos and Ronda, and does so through an area of clays and calcarenites, the wide river valley crossed by the Guadalcobacín River and its tributary the stream of La Ventilla. On both sides, a landscape in a mirror of orchards, cereal crops, olive groves and vineyards and, crowning the hills, forests of holm oaks or pines. The route is parallel to the river, to the southwest, which turns south from when you cross to ascend to Ronda.
Two unique places mark the origin and destination of the stage. It begins in the boxed channel of the Ventilla stream, declared a Coastal Complex of Environmental Interest for its natural values, which cuts and backbones the beautiful town of Arriate. The end is the pine forest with centenary holm oaks of the Dehesa del Mercadillo, protected as a Periurban Park.
The route is quite affordable, without significant slopes. The first part plays at ascending several times above the level of the Guadalcobacín River and descending as many times to the height of the river undergrowth with its orchards. The last part does suppose an important slope, of about 200 meters of altitude difference from the 500 meters of altitude of the river, which by the way must be wading.
From the anthropogenic and landscape point of view, the main thing about the route is in the fertile orchards that mark the Path from Arriate's exit through the Huertas Primeras to the Huerta Alcubillas where the railroad track crosses. In fact, much of the road is located in the change between the orchards with their ditches and rainfed crops, belonging to hundreds of small properties that make up a tremendously attractive mosaic with panoramic views from the end of the Stage.
The counterpoint to this anthropized environment is a high biodiversity, as a result of the respectful and traditional way of cultivation and the existence of kilometers of natural perimeter hedges, island forests and the Guadalcobacín riverside forest. It is a highly recommended stage for wildlife observation.
The best
In Arriate, the Church of San Juan de Laterán stands out, which dates from the seventeenth century and inside the Mudejar armor roof made by Francisco Hernández and Andrés Valverde in 1629 stands out. From the point of view of nature, point out the Gorge of the Ventilla stream, a natural space of great beauty located in the vicinity of the urban center and which can be reached by an enabled path.
The city of Ronda has an enormous historical, civil and religious artistic heritage, in addition to the numerous museums that make it worth a careful visit (Arab walls and gates, New Bridge over the Tagus, Arab Baths, Bullring of the Royal Cavalry Maestranza, numerous palaces, etc.) . In Ronda, the impressive Mediterranean forest through which this stage runs stands out, with impressive specimens of holm oaks and gall oaks, in addition to shrubs such as coscoja. On the other hand, the municipality of Ronda has surface area in the natural parks of Grazalema and Sierra de las Nieves, of high ecological value.
