Читать книгу Coastal Walks in Andalucia - Guy Hunter-Watts - Страница 12

PARQUE NATURAL DE LA BREÑA Y LAS MARISMAS

Track in the Barbate marshes, with Vejer in the background (Walk 2)

The Parque Natural de la Breña y las Marismas covers an area of 5077 hectares of which one fifth fall within the marine park which stretches a kilometre out into the Atlantic. This is the smallest of Andalucía’s Natural Parks yet the ecosystems found within its limits are surprisingly varied and walks described here aim to introduce you to its three principal habitats.

Most notable is the swathe of stone pines or pinos pinoñeros (Pinus pinea) of La Breña. The trees were planted in the 19th century as a means of halting the advance of the coastal dune system which until then had little protection against the force of the levante winds. An added bonus came in the annual harvest of nuts from the pine cones of the trees. The network of footpaths which cut through the forest are enjoyable even in summer thanks to the trees’ dense, umbrella-like canopies.

The ecosystem of the cliffs between Barbate and Los Caños de Meca is very different in feel. Here the flora and fauna are born of the interplay of ocean spray and the sweet water springs which rise at the base of its sand and limestone cliffs: these are the caños after which Los Caños de Meca was named. The cliffs rise to 100m and the path which runs along their edge is a highlight of any visit to the area.

The path cuts past the Torre del Tajo, one of a string of watchtowers built in the 16th century as a deterrent to Turkish and North African corsairs who frequently raided the coastal settlements. Next to the tower are two of the finest miradors (viewing points) of the Andalusian seaboard: on clear days you’ll see the coast of Morocco and the towering silhouette of Jebel Musa just across the Strait. The cliffs are home to large colonies of gulls and are a favoured nesting site of cattle egrets. And this is one of the few places on the Atlantic Coast where you have a decent chance of spotting peregrine falcons.

The third natural jewel of the park are the wetlands of the Marismas del Río Barbate. The marshes are on the main migratory route to Africa and are also home to a large population of resident wading birds: the dykes that criss-cross the marismas (marshes) are perfect ornithological viewing platforms. Stretches of the marshes were drained in the last century to create grazing for livestock but much of this land has been returned to its natural state.

The area is blessed with one of Andalucía’s most exquisite towns, Vejer de la Frontera, which fans out along a ridge 7km back from the coast. The old town is an architectural arabesque, with buzzing bars and restaurants, and is home to a fast-growing ex-pat community. Barbate is very different in feel, a modern town with dingy suburbs and one of the highest unemployment rates in Spain. The town has one of the largest fishing fleets in Spain and is best known for the annual almadraba when shoals of tuna are making their way from the Atlantic to the warmer waters of the Mediterranean: the fish are netted in much the same way as they were in Roman times. Los Caños de Meca is home to a multi-ethnic crowd of New Agers and is quiet in all but the summer months. It has a couple of excellent fish restaurants.

A further treat comes in the form of some of the finest beaches along the Costa de la Luz. To either side of the Trafalgar lighthouse, near the spot where the naval battle took place in 1805, are long stretches of fine sand where even in summer you can escape the crowds.

Where to stay

Vejer de la Frontera and Los Caños de Meca – both are close to the start points of all walks in this section – have a huge range of accommodation for all budgets. The characterful Casa de Califa in Vejer is one of Andalucía’s most charming small hotels with an excellent courtyard restaurant. See Appendix C for hotel listings.

Maps

All five walks in the area are covered by IGN 1:50,000 quadrant Barbate 1073 (12-47).

Taxis

Vejer de la Frontera 956 450 185

Conil de la Frontera 956 440 975 or 629 991 682

Los Caños de Meca (nearest taxis in Barbate) 956 43 10 84

WALK 1

Santa Lucía circuit

Start/finish	Venta El Toro in Santa Lucía
Distance	11km
Ascent/descent	275m
Grade	Medium
Time	3hr 10min
Refreshments	None en route
Access	From the Cepsa petrol station just northeast of Vejer head along the N-340 towards Cádiz. Continue past the turning for Medina Sidonia then after 350m turn right at a small sign Santa Lucía. Follow a narrow road for 900m to Venta El Toro, to the right of the road, where the walk begins.

This figure-of-eight route combines two waymarked walks close to Vejer, the Route of the Watermills and the Route of the Bee-eaters. The circuit begins in the sleepy hamlet of Santa Lucía where, since Roman times, the waters of the Peñas stream have been channelled past a series of mill houses. The first section of the walk is deeply bucolic as you climb past a 16th-century aqueduct.

After a short section of tarmac road, farm tracks lead you down from La Muela then up round the southern flank of the Abejaruco peak. From here you follow ancient bridleways back to your point of departure with views south to Vejer and its rice paddies and east towards the Grazalema mountains. By setting out early you’ll get back to Santa Lucía in time for lunch in one of the hamlet’s three restaurants.

The walk begins outside Venta El Toro in Santa Lucía. With your back to the restaurant turn right up the hill past a towering palm tree. Passing a cross continue straight ahead, then reaching a water deposit cut left up a broad track which leads to a junction and a sign Camino de Verde Cabra. Here cut right up a narrow path which leads up the right side of an aqueduct to reach an old mill fronted by a post-and-rail fence.

The Santa Lucía aqueduct near Vejer

Pass right of the building, angle right beneath a cast iron pipe, then continue up a narrow, leafy path which climbs to a flat area with a picnic bench. From here head straight on along a quiet minor road towards La Muela. After 450m you reach a fork. Here branch right, away from the tarmac, along a sandy track which arcs round the boundary fence of a quarry.

Passing the quarry’s entrance you reach a point where the fence cuts right by another sign Ruta Molinos del Agua. Here turn right. After 30m the track merges with a broader one which climbs in an easterly direction. Views open out towards the mountains of the Grazalema park. Bearing slightly right and levelling, the track reaches another junction next to a house with a line of cypress trees at its boundary (30min).

Farm track leading east from La Muela

Here turn right along a track which descends across farmland in a southeasterly direction. Vejer comes into view. Bearing right the track runs parallel to the A396 passing a signboard about drovers’ paths like the one you’re following: Los Caminos Históricos y las Cañadas. Some 250m beyond the sign the track angles left to meet the A396. Cross the road and turn right. After 75m angle through a gap in the crash barrier and continue on along a dirt track.

Just past a villa marked Muñoz de Begines cut left along a track which soon crosses a stream via a concrete bridge then reaches a fork. Take the left branch. The track runs gently up towards the Cerro del Abejaruco (named after the bee-eaters which nest here) where, reaching a fork, you should bear left, sticking to the main track. Arcing left and adopting a northerly course the track climbs to reach another junction (1hr 10min).

Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) are annual visitors to Spain where they come to breed after wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. They will eat any flying insect though their choice food is the honey bee: they can eat up to 250 in a day. The bee’s stinger and poison are removed by repeatedly hitting and scraping the insects on a hard surface. Bee-eaters nest in sandy banks as part of large colonies. They number among Europe’s most colourful birds and have an unusually liquid, burry song.

Here, cutting right past a sign Ruta El Abejaruco the track passes through a breach in the hillside, descends, then climbs once again to another junction. Here, bearing slightly right along the main track, you reach a third junction next to a pylon with a yellow warning triangle Alta Tensión. Here keep straight ahead.

The track soon descends, loops downhill, passing beneath electricity lines, to reach a junction (1hr 25min). Here, turning left along a narrow track lined with towering agave, after some 500m you reach a junction. Turning right past a low, white building after 150m you reach a damaged marker post. Here angle hard right and follow a narrow track down through dense vegetation to reach the spring of El Chorrillo (1hr 40min). From here retrace your footsteps back to the junction (1hr 25min) (2hr).

Agave-lined track leading to the spring at El Chorrillo

Reaching the junction head straight ahead and descend through a thick stand of bamboo then cross a (dry) stream. Beyond the stream the track climbs steeply past a modern house where it angles right, left, then right again as it passes the house’s entrance gates marked La Valdesa. From here there are views down to the rice paddies to either side of the Río Barbate. Crossing a ridge Vejer again comes into view. Merging with another track and angling gently right you shortly pass beneath another house with a sign Propiedad Privada. After steeply descending an ancient, cobbled track you reach the track you followed earlier in the walk (2hr 30min).

From here retrace your footsteps back to the A396. Follow the crash barrier left for 50m then angle back right for 30m then cross the road. Reaching a sign Vejer de la Frontera/Cantarranas cut left along a track across open countryside. Descending, then angling left then right, you reach the first buildings of Santa Lucía. Crossing a bridge over the Arroyo de las Peñas the track meets the road you followed earlier up to Venta El Toro. Turn right and climb back to your point of departure (3hr 10min).

WALK 2

Las Marismas de Barbate circuit

Start/finish	Car park beside the A314 next to a sign for Sendero Marismas de Barbate
Distance	12.5km
Ascent/descent	15m
Grade	Easy
Time	3hr 5min
Refreshments	None
Access	From the N-340 at La Barca, just to the east of Vejer, take the A314 towards Barbate for approximately 3km until you reach a sign ‘Sendero Marismas de Barbate’. Cut left into a parking area where the walk begins.

Since 1994 the flat delta at the mouth of the Río Barbate, Las Marismas de Barbate, has formed part of the Natural Park of La Breña. These low-lying marshlands, criss-crossed by water canals, streams and raised tracks, have a bewitching beauty and are home to a richly diverse flora and fauna.

This is one of the best places on the Atlantic Coast for birding: the marshes lie on one of the major migratory routes between northern and central Europe and Africa and are used by birds as a halfway house before and after the journey across the Strait. The birds, both sedentary and migratory, feed on the abundant molluscs and crustaceans of its tidal reedbeds and it’s easy to spot egrets, mallards, grebes and herons as well as several different warblers among the reeds and tamarisk.

The walk is particularly memorable early on an autumn day when the low-lying flora of the Marismas is taking on its autumnal colours and Vejer hovers above the early morning mist. Be aware that parts of the path can be waterlogged after heavy rain.

The walk begins in the car parking area between Las Marismas de Barbate and the A314. There’s a waste treatment plant to one side so you’ll be keen to get moving as quickly as possible. From the car park go through a small black gate to one side of a larger green one, next to a signboard Sendero Marismas de Barbate. Bearing right and adopting a southerly course you’ll immediately begin to spot all kinds of wading birds out in the marshes.

Reaching a fork next to a sign Parque Natural turn left along a track which cuts due east across the marshes for a little over 700m then, just before it reaches the Río Barbate, angles right and runs on close to the looping course of the river. From here there are fine views back across the floodplain to Vejer.

The River Barbate beneath Vejer

The track, bearing right, crosses a bridge and a cattle grid then resumes its course close to the river bank. After angling left and crossing another small bridge it reaches a viewing platform (1hr 15min) with a sign listing the most common birds in the reserve. The track crosses a cattle grid to reach a fork. Here continue straight ahead (unless you wish to shorten the walk in which case turn right) sticking close to the bank of the Río Barbate before reaching a fork just beyond a sluice gate which is to your right. Here cut right and head back to the western edge of the marshes and a group of factory buildings.

Crossing a cattle grid then a small brick bridge (1hr 55min) you reach a junction with a broader track. Turn right and head on towards Vejer. Passing beneath power lines the track arcs left then passes through an enclosure with a group of ramshackle animal pens, passing through gates at either end. Angling right through a grove of eucalyptus trees you reach a fork. Here keep right, sticking to your same course. Soon you pass over a cattle grid where you reach more open countryside.

The marisma’s rich flora and fauna are born of the interplay of salt water from the Atlantic with that of the Rio Barbate’s flood plain. Spoonbills, night heron and osprey are common sightings along with egrets, kestrels, and peregrine falcons. The marshes are also home to a huge variety of wading birds including avocet, black-winged stilt, ringed and Kentish plovers, dunlin and greater flamingos. The birds find rich pickings in the form of wedge clams, cockles and, closer to the ocean, mussels and prawns. Fish species inhabiting the marsh’s saline waters include sole, eel, mullet, bass and gilthead bream.

Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) in the reed beds

The track narrows down as it runs on between beds of reeds, still heading towards Vejer. Soon the track arcs hard right (2hr 30min) then once more left. Adopting its former course it passes through thicker undergrowth where there are stands of bamboo and mimosa. Crossing a cattle grid the track runs on to reach the junction where, earlier in the walk, you cut across to the eastern side of the marsh. From here retrace your footsteps back to the car park (3hr 5min).

WALK 3

Vejer de la Frontera southern circuit

Start/finish	The Plaza de España at the heart of the old town of Vejer
Distance	17.5km
Ascent/descent	475m
Grade	Medium/Difficult
Time	5hr
Refreshments	Hotel El Palomar de la Breña and Venta Los Olivos

This longish figure-of-eight walk introduces you to the rolling farmland that lies between Vejer and the Breña Natural Park. After winding through the beautiful old town you cut along a high ridge past a number of wind turbines. How much you enjoy this part of the walk may depend on where you stand in the aeolic debate. You next follow tracks down through open fields then along a hedgerow-lined drovers’ path to reach a small rural hotel and El Palomar de la Breña.

A visit to (what claims to be) the world’s largest dovecot is an absolute must and you’ll be given a friendly welcome in the bar/cafeteria. From here sandy tracks lead to the edge of the Breña forest and the hamlet of San Ambrosio from where you cut north back towards Vejer. Reaching the ridge with the wind turbines you could shorten the walk by retracing your footsteps back to Vejer. But the loop out to the west – it involves a little more climbing – is well worth the extra effort.

The walk begins next to a fountain in front of the Casa del Califa hotel in the pretty Plaza de España at the eastern side of Vejer de la Frontera. With your back to the hotel pass left of a kiosk, angle right and pass beneath an arch. Climbing past the Vera Cruz restaurant the street angles right then left then reaches a sign Arco de la Segur. Here cut right and continue parallel to a line of battlements.

Passing beneath the arch of Puerta de la Segur drop down Calle Marqués de Tamarón which soon becomes Nuestra Señora de la Oliva to reach the Plazuela square. Here angle left along Calle Juan Relinque following a sign Teatro de San Francisco. Reaching house number 22A cut right up Calle San Ambrosio to a Stop sign then turn left along the palm-lined Avenida de Andalucía. At the end of the street, reaching a supermarket, cut right and climb. Leaving the last of the town’s houses behind you pass a sign Ruta del Interior (20min).

From here head along a sandy footpath, just right of the tarmac road, which runs towards a line of wind turbines atop a ridge. Reaching a fork, angle left back towards the road then once more right through low-growing shrub. You shortly pass to the right of a radar station used by civil aviation. Views open out towards Conil and Zahara de los Atunes. Passing a picnic area the path once more meets with the road.

Continuing for 300m you reach a junction by a group of buildings. Ignoring the track that cuts down to the right continue for 10m to a second junction then angle right past a sign Consorcio de Aguas de la Zona Gaditana. The track climbs then passes the first of a line of wind turbines. Heading on past several turbines you reach a sign Via Pecuaria Colada de Buena Vista y de los Carrascales. Some 125m past this sign you come to a signboard for El Bosque y Matorral Mediteraneo (1hr).

Here cut left along a narrow track which after 30m arcs right and runs on parallel to a second line of turbines. Just beyond the last turbine the track reaches a wire-and-post gate. Go through the gate then, angling right, continue on towards the sea. Ahead you’ll now see the Hotel Palomar de la Breña, marked on some maps as Cortijo y Ermita de la Porquera. After some 350m you reach a group of houses and a breeze block wall. Here angle right then left, passing west of the buildings.

Reaching a fork just beyond an odd hut with a caravan grafted to one side angle left and reaching a junction head straight on along a sandy track which soon angles right towards the sea then passes through another wire-and-post gate marked Cierren La Cancela Por Favor (which may be open). After passing through yet another wire-and-post gate (also sometimes left open) the track hugs the edge of a huge field then after some 650m loops hard right, now descending between thick hedgerows. Sandier and more eroded the track narrows to become a path that shortly crosses a (dry) stream bed. Beyond the stream, climbing steeply, you reach a track and a sign El Palomar de la Breña (1hr 45min).

Wind turbines on the Cerro del Búho

The world’s largest dovecot, El Palomar de la Breña

The dovecot (palomar) that gives its name to the hotel was built in the 18th century and contains 7700 niches, making it the largest in the world. The breeding birds once produced between 10 and 15 tonnes of guano or ‘black gold’ per year which was used to manufacture gunpowder. Additional income was obtained by the sale of the pigeons to the aristocratic families of Cádiz at a time when pigeon was a delicacy only the wealthy could afford. The birds were also caged and taken on board ships bound for the Americas, ensuring a supply of fresh meat even when far from port.

There’s no entrance fee to visit the dovecot but rather a voluntary donation.

From El Palomar de la Breña continue along a broad sandy track which leads to the edge of the forest of the Parque Natural de la Breña. Crossing a cattle grid the track arcs right then merges with a broader track which, running on in a westerly direction, reaches a junction with tarmac road. Here, turning right and crossing another cattle grid, you reach another junction. Here turn left then after 125m cut right at a horse-riding sign for Vejer de la Frontera along a broad track which climbs back towards Vejer.

Leaving the last village houses you reach a fork. Here angling right continue along a narrower track which runs just a few metres to the right of the one you’ve just left. After running back towards the broader track it once more angles right before meeting it once again opposite the gates of Los Altos de Paternilla. Continue along the main track which soon passes between the two lines of wind turbines before you reach the sign you passed earlier in the walk at 50min for El Bosque y Matorral Mediterráneo (2hr 50min).

From here retrace your footsteps back past the last of the wind turbines to reach a group of buildings and a Stop sign. From here you could shorten the walk by returning to Vejer via the same route you followed earlier in the day.

At the Stop sign angle hard left down a broad track. Views open out towards the Atlantic and Conil as you descend past a riding school then a set of gates marked Buena Vista. The track, now with a concreted surface, arcs right then hard back to the left towards a 20km speed limit sign. Here cut right away from the tarmac down a dirt track. Reaching a brown wooden gate follow the track as it angles right then climbs past an ochre-coloured house. After descending, and angling right, the track loops once more left and resumes its former course as it cuts through a thick stand of bamboo.

Windmill to the west of Vejer

Reaching the road that leads from Vejer to Los Caños de Meca, A2230, angle right and follow the road for 350m to reach the roundabout next to Venta Los Olivos. Here, bearing right and passing just right of the restaurant, cross a cattle grid and continue up a farm track that climbs steeply towards Vejer. Angling left past a No Entry sign the track becomes cobbled before it narrows, now more overgrown, before it crosses a wooden footbridge.

Reaching a restored windmill the path levels then angles right to reach the first houses of Vejer where, following a tarmac road, you descend to a junction. Here bear right past a stone arch then follow the road as it arcs left in the direction of a sign marking Centro Ciudad, Zona Monumental. Passing a line of restaurants continue along Calle Corredera then cut right to return to the Plaza de España (5hr).

Spring flowers on the return leg to Vejer

WALK 4

Los Caños de Meca circuit

Start/finish	Outside Hotel Madreselva in Los Caños de Meca
Distance	18km
Ascent/descent	315m
Grade	Medium/Difficult
Time	5hr
Refreshments	None en route

This longish circuit gives you the chance to sample the twin natural habitats that make the Parque Natural de la Breña such a special treat, introducing you to its vast forest of stone pines as well as to the spectacular cliffs which rise 100m above one of the best beaches in Andalucía. The walk begins with a section of forest walking as you follow sandy paths and tracks towards San Ambrosio. Here you can make a detour up to the Torre del Tajo.

After heading on towards Barbate via a broad forestry track you cut south through the stone pines to reach the A2233. Here you have a choice between following a sandy gully to reach the beginning of the cliff path that leads up to the Torre del Tajo – this adds an extra kilometre or so to the walk – or cutting straight through the forest to the Torre.

I’ve graded the walk Medium/Difficult not so much for the distance covered but rather because of the additional effort required when walking on the sandy paths that cut through the Breña forest.

The walk begins in Los Caños de Meca outside Hotel Madreselva which you pass as you head east through the village on the A2233. From here head east past a row of palm trees. Reaching a sign for Barbate/San Ambrosio turn left. The road soon arcs left. Just beyond the km14 sign cut left along a sandy track past a sign Monte Dunas de Barbate. After running west the road arcs right as it passes beneath the Torre de la Meca. Reaching a three-way junction bear right at a sign Prohido Arrojar Basuras passing between two rusting metal posts. The track climbs gently as it runs eastwards: views open out above the treetops. Shortly beyond the top of the rise you pass a sign marking the path up to the Torre de la Meca (45min).

To climb up and down to the tower, waymarked with wooden posts with white arrows, add 40 minutes to these timings and 2 kilometres to the distance.

Just beyond the sign you reach a fork. Heading straight ahead the track passes by several different species of eucalyptus trees: about a dozen are marked with their Latin names. Some 35m before reaching a metal gate and the Majadales del Sol picnic area cut hard left along a sandy track. Continue parallel to the enclosure fence then, reaching a fire break, cut left. Follow the fire break north for 300m then angle right along a narrow path that shortly passes a signboard about Piñares Costeras (1hr 30min) then reaches the edge of the El Jarillo picnic area. Here head straight on between a line of low white marker posts.

Passing stone tables and benches towards a recycling bin you reach a tarmac road. Cutting left along to the road you cross a cattle grid then after some 650m reach a junction where a sign points left for San Ambrosio. Ignoring the sign carry on along the track which arcs right, passes a sign prohibiting access to lorries, then reaches a fork (1hr 50min).

Keep right along the main track (ignoring a sign left for Palomar de la Breña) which you’ll now follow without bifurcating for a little over 2km. At first you follow a line of pylons but these soon angle away to the left. Reaching a junction by an information board marked El Pinar de Pinos Piñoneros (2hr 20min) turn right away from the main track. Passing a line of animal pens the track runs on through the pines before crossing a cattle grid then reaching the A2233.

Stone pine forest (Pinus pinea) in La Breña

Stone pines (Pinus pinea) have been cultivated for their edible pine nuts for at least 6000 years and have been extensively used as ornamental trees in gardens and parks since being popularised at the time of the Italian Renaissance. The trees of La Breña were planted in the 19th century as a means of fixing the coastal dune system which suffered constant transformation due to the fierce levante winds.

Cross the road, climb through a stile, then cut left along a broad sandy track parallel to the road. After 300m the track angles hard right. After 50m you reach a junction. To shorten the walk by a kilometre head straight ahead for 70m then angle right along a broad path. Follow marker posts through the forest past two signboards marked Nos Miran and Aromas del Bosque to the Torre del Tajo. If you wish to walk a longer section of the cliff path turn left and continue parallel to the A2233.

Just as the track angles back towards the road you reach a cattle grid. Here angle 45 degrees to the right then after 75m cut right through the scrub and drop down to the sandy bed of a gully. Here cut left and follow a narrow, sandy path down towards the sea. The gully widens before reaching the Barbate–Caños cliff path (3hr 5min).

From here head west past a steep cliff face, parallel to the sea. Soon a rail and post barrier runs between you and the ocean. The path leads past a sign about Pinares Costeras or the coastal pine forest: it was planted to stabilise the dune system. 200m past the sign you reach the Torre del Tajo (2hr 45min). Be sure to visit the mirador some 100m west of the tower for the finest cliff views of the walk.

The mirador next to Torre del Tajo

The Torre del Tajo is one of dozens of coastal watchtowers that were built at the end of the 16th century during the reign of Philip II to protect the southern coastline of Spain from raids by Barbary pirates.