The route from Valera to Fuente del Arraijanal

The Cerona footpath and the Baena footpath were linked to the Fuente del Arraijanal via the Camino de los Callejones. Today, many sections of this route have been lost, whilst others run through areas that the existing streams have rendered impassable. However, using the existing roads and access points, it is possible to cover practically the entire length of the route and get a sense of where it ran and the purpose it served. The Callejones path runs mainly alongside two watercourses, the Indiano stream and the Hurtada stream, on the banks of which interesting examples of riparian vegetation can be found. Such is the case with the elms (Ulmus minor) found along the first of these streams; they are large and in good health despite the severe Dutch elm disease epidemics that have been affecting this species for the past couple of summers. Along the Hurtada stream, the predominant tree species is the white poplar (Populus alba), and some of the ancient specimens that once formed the riverside forest of yesteryear still survive. The presence of watercourses with such well-developed riparian vegetation is undoubtedly one of the most striking features of this route, and it highlights the importance of this hydrological network, with more abundant water than we might expect, as well as the respect shown towards the vegetation, allowing it to grow without resorting to the massive and uncontrolled deforestation that has taken place in other areas. Finally, the Fuente del Arraijanal is notable for the large pillars and the washboards it still retains, where women from the surrounding farmsteads used to come to do their washing.