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GR 249. Stage 15: Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas

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GR 249. Stage 15: Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas
Map | Summary | Of interest | Multimedia Files | Environmental Information
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Trail Type Lineal
Location type Sierras Interiores
Distance 10100 m.
Estimated Time 2:45 h.
Net Head in Metres 720 m.
Cumulative Elevation Gain 260 m.
Cumulative Elevation Loss 460 m.
Difficulty
Roughness of environment 1
Net Elevation 1
Route Difficulty 1
Guesthouse 2
Assessment according to MIDE
GR 249 Stage 15. Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas. Trail Features Imagen de GR 249 Stage 15. Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas. Trail Features

Summary

Summary
Description
How to Access
Characteristics
Spots along the trail
Trails that are linked
Ways to tour

  • Itinerary

    Among the vast surface of olive trees, you can enjoy splendid panoramic views of Antequera Plain and the Genil Valley, which is next to Cuevas Bajas (Low Caves), and due to erosion, it creates steep slopes, as well as some river bank groves with a big variety of water birds.

     

    Summary

    Nothing could be more fitting in this environment than sharing the walk during Stage 15 with the Camino Mozárabe, since there is a medieval chapel in the village of this origin and an abandoned convent that starts the ramble of both long stretches.

    The predominant direction of travel is north up to the Cerro de la Cruz to progressively turning west, a journey marked by the ascent to the top of that hill. Both the distance and the slopes are quite approachable.

    You must pass through the small population called La Atalaya separated from Villanueva de Algaidas by the Arroyo de Bebedero or Burriana River, which forms a gully in the calcareous sandstone spanned by a medieval bridge. Then there comes the climb in search of Cortijos Loma Vieja and Loma Nueva farmhouses until the edge of the three district boundaries, from where you begin walking downhill.

    Always following dirt tracks, this part offers an impressive viewpoint over the Valley of the Genil and passes through a new farmhouse, the Cerdón, as you walk to your destination, again the riverbed of the river Burriana.

    The best

    The gully carved into the rock where Villanueva de Algaidas stands (Villanueva of Forests in a free translation) is a true island in the sea of olive trees, a relic of the original vegetation caused by the shadiness of the slopes. Such is the attraction of the place that there was the convent of our Lady of the Consolation of the Algaidas built here, which was awarded by the fi rst Duke of Osuna in 1566 to the Congregation of the Recollected Parents of San Francisco de Asís. Attached to the ruins of the convent is a Mozarabic rock chapel dating back to the IX and X centuries with the Church divided in three naves (the Baptistry, the sacristy and the prayer area) and a nave used as housing quarters. Normally you can visit it without any problems. A medieval bridge still in use crosses the river and communicates with the watchtower.

    The Cerro de la Cruz (Junction Hill) is one of those important those landmarks which as its name suggests, is a place where three boundaries unite. But for the traveller it may be the spectacular panoramic views over three provinces from the viewpoint of the Cedrón, conveniently explained in a commemorative panel.

    Finally, the visit to the farmhouses of the Cedrón (of Jewish origin) and the Moheda (founded by the Andalucíans) offers some beautiful glimpses into communal life in these small centres of population which thankfully resist the passage of time. The Moheda is out of the way but so close that it is worth a detour. The connection with Camino Mozárabe is one more added value to the stage.

  • El Río Burriana

    Villanueva de Algaidas was founded as various scattered nuggets of separate farmsteads: El Albaicín, La Parilla, Grill, Zamarra, Solana, Barranco del Agua, the Atalaya, and Rincona. The trigger to consolidate the population around the ravine was the Franciscan convent and the shaping of the terrain of the area: better location for defensive reasons, next to the course of water and with accessible sandstone as building material. This is the scenario of the two fi rst kilometres of the stage.

    From the crossroads in the northern part of the village take a path that leads to the watchtower. The track fords a stream with the watercourse encased in sandstone and moves toward the ruins of the convent. The transit of horses and people has carved deep  grooves in the calcareous rock; you can even see the spaced holes that horseshoes have left after so many years of passing by.

    The convent and the Mozarabic Church are to the left, looking to the west, while the walk leads down to the right towards the river. The vegetation becomes denser and diverse in this stretch with railings which let you get close to the sandstone cliffs. Then cross the Burriana River by the Puente Viejo and go downhill to fi nd La Atalaya, which gives you an interesting viewpoint to the path you have already walked. The GR-7 E-4 separates at this point (km 1.5) and still continues along its Moorish path.

     

    La Loma de La Cruz

    Now it is time to climb a good-size slope heading north along the Camino de Aldaidas. Turn around few times to admire the panoramic views over the village with the Sierra de Arca behind, with the wind farm on top. You will passes through ruins half-way on the hill side where you can see many rabbit families and when the slope fl attens out at km 4 you are on top of the hill. Here are the Loma Vieja farmhouses, with the threshing circle you walk across and the nearby Loma Nueva. Both have Palm trees planted at the entrance. The point where three village boundaries meet is on the side of the path, but the path itself passes by a water deposit on top of a small hill and starts taking you downhill.

    Pay attention during this descent and you will notice the Chaparro Bolondro, a much-loved oak tree which even was granted its own information panel down at the Cedrón farm. The hamlet is very close, but before you get there, there is a must-do stop at the Mirador of the Cedrón at km 6, advertised by various regional, Andalucían and international institutions.

    Few places can offer such a wide-ranging view, perfectly explained in a panoramic poster, in the countryside of Cordoba and Granada provinces, in a spot where, as they say around here.

    In Cuevas Bajas, Malaga overlooks the Genil. The descent starts to make a turn to the west and will reach the hamlet of Cedrón, with its communal oven and very intense history. A dozen white houses cluster around the main street with its stillrecognizable “empedrado” paving, which the path leads along. There is a detour nearby to the Moheda, but the GR opts to pass beside the farmhouse of the Molinas, and by the Paraje de Montecillo (km 7). Go down towards the asphalted track until you come to the road which leads to the village of Cuevas Bajas. You enter the village from the south-east via Calle Archidona. It passes through the main square by the Church of San Juan Bautista with its brick facade Baroque Clock Tower whose belfry contains three bells. The stage ends beside the river Burriana, almost where it reaches the Genil, in an Avenida lavishly dotted with panels suggesting hiking and kayaking.

  • 1. Initiation Stage:

    Access Starting point: There are two connections, Seville-Granada A-92, A-7201 from Archidona and the A-7221 from Antequera.

    Starting point: At the crossroads of MA-6416 with the MA-7203 to Cuevas Bajas, at the northern end of the main centre of population of the village.

    Enjoy the walk safely:  You have to stock up on water in the heat, since there is no drinking water along the walk. Be careful with the traffi c on the road before reaching Cuevas Bajas. The paved track before that does not hold danger as there is scarce transit of vehicles. 

    2. Completion of Stage:

    Access to finish point:  From Villanueva de Algaidas the MA-7203.

    Finish point: Arroyo of Barranco Hondo, after crossing the village of Cuevas Bajas, at the south-western tip of the village.

    3. Alternatives:

    Possible "escape  routes": They are not necessary to plan at this stage, given its short length and low difficulty.

    No return point: Once you are on top of Cerro de la Cruz it is worth it to continue going down instead of coming back. The settlement El Cedrón is already quite close.

    Connections to other footpaths and trails:  Connections to other footpaths and trails The main novelty for the GR at this Stage is the fact that it follows entirely the 7th section of Camino Mozárabe of Malaga, coming from Cartaojal. At the beginning, you will traditional paths, like the Camino de Algaidas to Loma Vieja. The fi nal section walked on the road, is called Colada de Cedrón which also passes through la Moheda.

    The twin GR, 7 E – 4, on this occasion only shares with the Great Path of Malaga a section along the ravine of the river Burriana, and then follows the course of this river to reach the same destination. They separate at km marker same to reach the same destination. They are separated at kilometre 1.5, at its access road to the Atalaya. The PR-A 129 circular of Villanueva de Algaidas is 7, 5 km long and connects two nearby settlements, itcoincides with the GR from the beginning of the stage up to the bridge on the Burriana, but then turns towards the east to complete its loop. The Town Hall in Cuevas Bajas has designed three short tours under the heading of Routes for a Healthy Life. Two of them go to the vegas del Genil to the eastern part of the Fernández Lake and the west of the farmhouse of Isla Grande and Las Huertas. Both share the starting point at the municipal gymnasium. The third walk climbs la Moheda and El Cedrón, and the itinerary resembles more the GR-249.

     

  • Characteristics

    Type of Section Length % of total
    Longitud Total 10100
    Asphalt or Cement Sections of the Path 5400 53 %
    Track or Forest Track Sections 3800 38 %
    Footpath Sections 900 9 %

  • Point of Interest

    Spots along the trail

    From the starting position
    No. Waypoint Ref. UTM / height Partial Route Distance
    1 Villanueva de Algaidas, Polígono Industrial 30S

    x=37.1913360109523
    y=-4.44872646143244

    		 0,0 km
    2 Convento Franciscano y Ermita Mozárabe 30S

    x=37.1952228416183
    y=-4.45223713620203

    		 0,7 km
    3 Puente sobre el Río Burriana 30S

    x=37.1965146813737
    y=-4.45052675855152

    		 1,0 km
    4 Barriada de la Atalaya 30S

    x=37.1995949434751
    y=-4.45218569491965

    		 1,7 km
    5 Cortijo de la Loma Vieja 30S

    x=37.2159554385434
    y=-4.44249156898013

    		 4,0 km
    6 Chaparro Bolondro 30S

    x=37.2199439499108
    y=-4.44654603806541

    		 4,7 km
    7 Mirador del Cedrón 30S

    x=37.2331096763169
    y=-4.45339200156445

    		 5,8 km
    8 Alquería de El Cedrón 30S

    x=37.2281901799687
    y=-4.45691579952029

    		 6,2 km
    9 Las Molinas 30S

    x=37.2247561181124
    y=-4.46203450103979

    		 6,7 km
    10 Cuevas Bajas en el Río Burriana 30S

    x=37.2346925097124
    y=-4.48778163548832

    		 10,1 km

  • Ways to tour

    Regarding the kind of transport which can be used along different stages of the path, these are divided in those that can be crossed on foot, on a mountain bike, or on a horse. Nevertheless, there is to know that you can walk along the entire stage when this class of routes is indicated, but if you decide to travel on a mountain bike or horse, there is to check that there are no temporary restrictions or town regulations that do not allow their use at some parts of a stage, and then choose alternative way. We also underline that riding a mountain bike on some stages may include travelling by uneven or steep road surface, which requires some or a lot of effort.
    • On foot
    • On a bicycle

Of interest

Cartography
Towns
Point of Interest
Accessibility

Multimedia Files

Images
Videos
Documents

Environmental Information

Rivers and Waters
Animal Life

  • Rivers and Waters

    There is no consensus on where the wellknown old Arroyo de Bebedero gets its name of Río Burriana but yes, that is its new name as it leaves Villanueva de Algaidas. This is logical since from the pueblo up there is a fan of tributaries of various sizes. The watercourses which are important have been named here: Arroyo de Bebedero and del Infi erno which come from the remote Sierra de Pedroso.

    Arriving at Villanueva de Algaidas you are faced with sandstone a cliff, identical to the popular Tajo de Ronda or of Alhama de Granada which is excavated and forms a canyon, not long but considerably high. On the vertical walls of the path you can see orifices which had been carved out by water when the river waters reached higher. The rock preserves its pretty clay colour in these orifices and in the overhangs which contrasts with the ash black colour of the cuts exposed to the oxidizing action of rainwater. 

    The vegetation in this gully is exuberant, highlighting a large population of European Nettle Trees with large leaves growing in the shade, and quite a few elms. On the watercourse the reed beds occupy the more open areas, and oak forest that climbs up to the cliffs shelters a wide variety of species in its quality underbrush: Kermes oak, mastic, buckthorn, jasmine, Osyris alba, together with the fi g tress and Portuguese Gall Oaks.

    You can cross the river on the medieval old bridge resting on bedrock on both sides for support. It is a beautiful infrastructure with one main arch and two sides ones to relieve the flow during signifi cant fl oods. The blocks of sandstone rock bound together by mortar and brick arches have managed to resist the passage of water and time to be used today by the Great Malaga Path.

  • Animal Life

    Birds

    Again the olive grove is the main type of environment throughout Stage 15. At the very beginning you will cross the Arroyo del Bebedero (also called Río Burriana), before arriving in La Atalaya, and at the end of the stage you will encounter the same river again in Cuevas Bajas.

     

    Highlighted Species

    Stage 15 is less diverse than Stage 14 due to the ever-present olive grove. However, still, the diversity of species here can still be surprising when you lift your binoculars. The large holm oaks which are sprinkled around the great sweep of olive trees attract such species as Common Buzzard, a bird of prey which can be seen along the way. Other birds which can be found along Stage 15 are Red-legged Partridge, European Turtle Dove, Red-necked Nightjar, Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Song Thrush, European Robin, Common Blackbird, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chaffinch, Great Tit, Azure-winged Magpie, Spotless and Common Starling, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Common Linnet and Serin. At the last section Bee-eaters appear, during the time of the the year when they are present here, at the high sandy river banks; also there is Common Nightingale, Common Stonechat, Woodchat Shrike, Western Jackdaw and, again, typical urban-dwelling species (Eurasian Collared Dove, Swifts, House Martin, and House Sparrow).