GR-341 Stage 2

We’ll take the Camino de los Hoyos to leave the town centre of Priego de Córdoba, passing for several kilometres through scattered buildings and farmland dom...

ITINERARY DESCRIPTION We will take the Camino de los Hoyos to leave the town centre of Priego de Córdoba, passing for several kilometres through scattered buildings and farmland dominated by olive groves; this route follows the path from Hoyo to Zagrilla. We must take extreme care when crossing the A-339 road and continue towards Zagrillas, passing through El Hoyo, the spot that gives the path its name. Before reaching Zagrillas Baja, we will turn off onto a section of the CO-8211 road, taking extreme care due to the presence of traffic. After a few metres, we will turn off and follow a series of paths within the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, passing through areas of natural Mediterranean scrubland and farmland, until we cross the road from Cabra to Alcalá la Real (A-339) via an underpass. At this point, a visit to the Caliphate Bridge is highly recommended; it dates back to around the 10th century and is located in Carcabuey, within whose municipal boundaries it lies, and is also known as the Stone Bridge. From here, we will cross the A-339 again, this time via a level crossing, taking every possible precaution, and we will take an olive grove path that will lead us to the Luque road, known as the CV-131, which we will follow uphill towards La Nava de Luque, coinciding with the PR-A-62 certified trail. This is one of the most attractive parts of the route, where the path will take us close to one of the cliffs where the vulture colony of the Sierras Subbéticas can usually be spotted, known as Las Buitreras. The natural vegetation typical of Mediterranean woodland will take the place of the olive grove, and we will be able to admire the beauty of this Protected Natural Area through its karst geology, the springs that give life to livestock pastures, and even the nearby presence of the Lastra Dolmen. From La Nava de Luque, we will descend to the outskirts of Luque, where we will turn off to enter the town via the Camino del Prado Pomar, also known as the Camino de la Fuente de la Reina, which we will also have the opportunity to visit. To leave Luque, we will come across the Colada de la Fuenseca, a spring we will pass on our way to the town’s old railway station. Once at the station, we will cross the old iron bridge to join the Guadajoz Greenway, which begins here to link the Olivar Greenway with the town of Baena. The route to the end of the stage is peaceful, winding through olive groves and rolling hills that offer fantastic views of Baena. DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The main environmental highlight of this stage is, without doubt, the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park. Here, the route offers us the chance to explore this Protected Natural Area in depth, revealing many of the features that have led to its inclusion within the Network of Protected Natural Areas, as well as its designation as a Geopark. To do this, we will use some of its most important public paths, routes that have, since time immemorial, enabled communication between the villages that form part of this Natural Park, such as the path connecting Carcabuey and Luque. Furthermore, the landscapes we can admire throughout this stage make it one of the most beautiful sections of the entire Caminos de Pasión trail. The views over El Hoyo de Priego and the Sierra Horconera, the route running close to vertical cliffs with the constant presence of a colony of griffon vultures circling overhead, the mixed forests of holm oaks and gall oaks, the whimsical shapes of the karstic landscape, and the walk through La Nava de Luque and the surroundings of the Cortijo de Lastra, where we can visit its spring and the dolmen of the same name, make this route well worth the journey. Furthermore, there are numerous points of natural interest that are well worth visiting, even if it means straying from the route proposed by this trail. For instance, we can highlight the numerous and abundant water springs that drain the interior of these limestone ranges, such as the Zagrillas spring and washing place or the Fuente del Rey in the town of Priego itself. Also, within the municipal area of Priego, we can visit points of geological interest interpreted by the Natural Park itself through information panels, such as El Duende de la Milana (a mysterious and unpredictable spring), the radiolarite outcrop at the foot of La Tiñosa, the periglacial Torta on the slopes of this peak, or the very location of Priego’s town centre on a slab of travertine. Once within the municipal area of Luque, we can see the thrust fault that causes the mountains of the Natural Park to rise above the materials that gave rise to the Guadalquivir Valley, as well as the nearby Morellana stream, a stream carved into the rock. Leaving behind the limestone formations of the mountains and venturing into the Cordoban countryside, the imposing natural vegetation gives way to an overwhelming expanse of olive groves. However, this landscape also offers us interesting reasons to stray from the marked path and visit significant natural sites within the municipality of Baena, such as the Vadomojón Reservoir, La Cueva del Yeso or the River Guadajoz, a tributary of the Guadalquivir. CAUTION On this stage, the main danger for users is travelling along tarmac lanes and crossing roads with heavy traffic. Of particular interest in this regard is the junction with the A-339 road (Cabra – Alcalá la Real) and the section running along the access road to Zagrillas (CO-8211). In these cases, it is always recommended to walk on the left-hand side of the road, wearing light-coloured, easily identifiable clothing, carrying some form of reflective or luminous item, and avoiding these sections from dusk until dawn. HIGHLIGHTS The walk through the Sierras Subbéticas Corobesas Natural Park is the most beautiful and interesting part of this stage. We will venture deep into this Protected Natural Area and enjoy the wide variety of landscapes and natural heritage features it contains. Thus, from the moment we begin the ascent towards the Buitreras cliffs until we descend the slopes leading to Luque, passing through the Navas district of that town, its great biodiversity and variety of geological features will unfold before us. BASIC INFORMATION ON PRIEGO DE CÓRDOBA Location of the municipality: Priego de Córdoba belongs to the Subbética Cordobesa region and part of its municipal area lies within the Sierras Subbéticas Cordobesas Natural Park. It borders the municipalities of Almedinilla, Carcabuey, Fuente Tójar, Iznájar, Luque and Rute, within the province of Córdoba itself, as well as Algarinejo and Montefrío in Granada and Alcalá la Real and Alcaudete in Jaén. Average altitude of the main town centre: 645 m (above sea level) Town hall coordinates: 37.438866, -4.202767 Total area: 288.1 km² Number of settlements comprising the municipality: 14 Population in 2016: 22,855 Climate data: We have a Mediterranean continental climate with an average annual temperature of around 15°C and average annual rainfall varying between 600 and 900 mm, recorded around Pico Tiñosa. BASIC DATA ON BAENA Location of the municipality: Baena is the main town of the Guadajoz Capiña Este region of Córdoba, situated in the south-east of the province and bordering the municipalities of Cabra, Cañete de las Torres, Castro del Río, Doña Mencía, Luque, Nueva Carteya, Valenzuela and Zuheros, within the province of Córdoba itself, as well as Alcaudete, Martos, Porcuna and Santiago de Calatrava, in the province of Jaén. Average altitude of the main population centre: 427 m (above sea level) Town hall coordinates: 37.618585, -4.322598 Total area: 362.3 km² Number of settlements comprising the municipality: 2 Population in 2016: 19,782 Climate data: Baena is divided between two types of climate, the Mediterranean continental and the continental Mediterranean, with an average annual temperature of 16°C and average annual rainfall ranging from 500 mm in the driest areas to 900 mm in the areas near the Sierras Subbéticas Cordobesas.