Gaena to the Llanos de Don Juan

This scenic route features breathtaking landscapes with views of the Sierras Subbéticas, ammonite fossils, holm oak woodlands and traditional architecture.

The route begins in Gaena on the road from Lucena to Carcabuey, specifically on the section known as the Camino de la Cuesta. We cross the Coletas stream and, close to this point, at a sharp bend and before starting a very steep section, we leave the tarmac road to the left and head into the heart of the olive grove, which we walk through following the line of a boundary of natural vegetation alongside a slope that marks the old cattle track. Later, this natural vegetation boundary disappears and is replaced by a small stream formed by runoff, which follows the path’s route until we come to a track marking the boundary between the municipalities of Cabra and Rute. From here, we’ll have stunning views of the Sierras Subbéticas, with the Prado de los Molares in the foreground and the Sierra Horconera, Zambra and Rute as the main landmarks. The climb to what is commonly known as the Sierra Pelona, the superb panoramic views from there, and the lush holm oak vegetation covering its slopes and the Prado de los Molares, elevate the scenic beauty of this route to exceptional heights. Upon reaching the summit, the perfect blend of flora and landscape is complemented by the unique geology found here, as fossilised remains of ammonites are very easy to identify, alongside a distinctive arrangement of the highly weathered limestone in the form of slabs or horizontal strata, which facilitates its use by local landowners for a variety of purposes. One of the most curious examples can be seen right by the path, serving as a protective wall for an earth embankment dug into the hillside to create a small threshing floor, near the old cluster of houses known as La Colonia, which is now much smaller. The return journey from the plains of Don Juan follows the road from Lucena to Carcabuey, which is entirely tarmac-surfaced but by no means lacking in beauty, thanks to its landscapes, vegetation and the characteristic architecture of the farmsteads that line both sides of the road. The Cortijo de la Parrilla, with the circular path around the hill that shelters it and leads us to the spring of the same name; the Cortijo del Llano Lior, situated in the Prado Lior; the Cortijo del Rubio; the Cortijada de la Cuesta; and the two basins that form the Fuente de la Cuesta are some of the points of interest we will encounter along the route