Extension of E4 long distance footpath to link up with Via Algarviana

My 32 day walk showed that you can extend the European E4 long distance walk so that you start at Cabo Sao Vicente in Portugal, in the south west corner of Europe, rather than Tarifa in Spain. This adds 755 kilometres (472 miles) but truly makes this a walk from one extremity of Europe to the other. The walk falls in four parts, details of each part can be found under the links below, and blogs of each day, with distances walked and where I stayed, appear in the preceding daily posts. The route I used does offer a great diversity of scenery, accommodation that does not rely on wild camping and takes you through a number of historic towns, but certainly there are options to improve on it.

Via Algarviana

Alcoutim to Seville

Camino de Santiago route from Seville to Puerto Real

Coastal route from Puerto Real to Tarifa

If you enjoyed this blog, then see how I got on later in my journey on the E4 at the following links:

Report of walk to date on E4

Blog of my walk on the E4 through Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus.

Update: Based on my travels on the E4 I have written a book "Six Pairs of Boots: Spain to Cyprus on the E4 Trail" by John Pucknell available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, the Bookdepository.com, lehmanns.de, bookspot.nl, and other good online bookstores.

Puerto Real to Tarifa walk

This last section was a beautiful coastal walk along beaches, passed small towns and through natural areas of pine trees and juniper. Unlike many coastal routes it did not require repeated climbing up and down the side of valleys, and the coast is fairly straight so the walk is not extended by walking around indented bays and peninsulas. Parts of the beaches had soft sand that made for slow progress but there was usually some harder sand to walk on so I was not slowed down too much. There was enough accommodation (including campsites), cafes, restaurants and shops to avoid problems with logistics, although the coast (as yet) has not suffered from over development. Overall it was a very pleasant walk in March, although it would be too hot in summer.

The route was based on one by ChapiDeKay http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=10928617 I modified it as I was starting in Puerto Real and not Cadiz, and I followed the coast along the last stretch to Tarifa rather than diverting to climb over the mountain. The gpx track from Puerto Real to Chiclana is here: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12519560. You actually cross the E4 (GR7) going north just east of Camping Torre de la Pena.

There are plentiful hotels (e.g. see Booking.com), cafes, restaurants, shops and campsites along this route making for an easy 115 kilometre walk.

My blog of this section starts here.

3 March to Tarifa & home

Today was both my last day and the only day when I had to retrace my steps a long way (well a kilometre or so) so rather longer than stated by the signpost saying a 6.2 km walk near the campsite. After returning to the beach, and seeing some new E4 (GR7) signs and waymarks that were not there 18 months ago, I decided to walk across the beach to Tarifa but was prevented by a small river crossing the beach close to Tarifa. I could probably have waded through but I was traveling home today in my cleanest set of clothes and did not want to end up all sticky, so I headed back across the beach to Camping Rio Jara and joined the road there, and then joined the boardwalk across the nature reserve, retracing my steps of 18 months ago and passing egrets, cormorants and the like. You cannot actually get to the most southerly point in mainland Europe as it is a restricted area, but on arriving at Tarifa I went as far south as I could across a causeway.
Then a bus to La Linea, a short walk into Gibraltar, flight to Bristol and a bus back home arriving in the early hours of 4 March.

Most southerly point in mainland Europe, Africa in the background.

2 March to La Torre de la Pena

Another lovely day of 22.2 kilometres. Instead of walking along the beach I started through several developments of apartment blocks with neat and tidy gardens between them. Everything looked closed: hotels, the shutters on apartment windows, shops and restaurants (thwarting my wish to find some tostada for breakfast). The only activity was the construction of more apartments, villas and a hotel that had been signposted up to 2.3 km away (with the implication that it was actually finished). The road then ran into a more mountainous area, climbing passed a 500 year old watch tower, now used as a lighthouse, into pine trees and rocks for a few kilometres to the next bay where there were extensive roman ruins and a cafe which provided me with a late breakfast / early lunch. After the houses and petered out, the track led through beautiful pine woods twisting and turning (a gps helps to keep you on the right path) before dunes and a secluded bay with abandoned wooden boats with Arabic names. Left from refugees coming from Africa, visible in the distance? I wondered if this was why I had seen so many Civil Guards in patrolling the coast.
Crossing the beach from one range of hills to the next I arrived at Camping Torre de la Pena, where I camped 18 months earlier when I started my E4 walk (or GR7 as it is across Spain) across Spain, France and Switzerland. They still had my scanned passport on their computer.
I passed a few military areas in my walk today, easily spotted by the multiple rows of barbed wire or razor wire, but easy to avoid.

1 March to Zahara de las Atunes

An almost perfect walk for St David's day, 28 kilometres with the sun shining in a clear blue sky, without the wind that buffeted me yesterday but cool enough for pleasant walking. The beach was quiet today except for fisherman beach casting along the long stretch of sand leading up to Point Trafalgar (no signs I could see but it is where Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet back in 1805). More walking took me through the village of Los Canos de Meca (apparently referring to springs of water so sweet they reminded the Moors of Mecca), then up over the top of cliffs through pine trees and coastal juniper, wild lavender and rosemary, tiny pink flowers and bigger yellow flowers. After passing a 16th century watch tower (one of a number along the coast) I walked on into Barbate, a sizable town with government port facilities and the only tedious section of road walking of the day (although good for a chance to get a cheese boccadillo), then more and more beach leading to Zahara de las Atunes near where I have now pitched tent in Camping Bahia.
It is a clean and well maintained site, with one problem, there was no-one at reception so I just set up my tent and tried again later. The sign at reception said back in 15 minutes, just as it did 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours later, so I walked back into town for diner (la Cena) at the impressive Gran Sol Hotel, the only place that seemed to be open, but with a smartly turned out waiter (he only had one other couple to serve). I tried again to pay for my pitch in the morning. The campsite reception staff would still be back in 15 minutes so I left the correct money on the window ledge of the reception and hoped it would not blow away and reach the right person...when they arrived.

29 February to Zahora

A long (29.5 kilometre) but gentle walk on a sunny, blue sky day. I started along a long promenade being cleared of sand by early morning cleaners with blowers and vacuum machines, then onto the beach past areas of holiday homes (apparently the rich of Cadiz and Jerez started building second homes here way back in the 18th century but most are much more modern). Before such development became too tedious the path went through a nature reserve where they were preserving the coastal juniper bushes. Swallows dived in front of me in the morning light.
More beach followed leading up to the busy town of Conil de la Frontera, distinctive as all the buildings were painted white. I avoided the seafront restaurants (one proved particularly expensive last night) and headed into town for a chorizo boccadillo (i.e. roll). The town and beach were full of people wrapped up against the wind, enjoying the sun with their families, apparently it was Andalucia day, a public holiday. On leaving Conil de la Frontera I crossed a long stretch of flat ground with a 16th century watchtower in which one of the few Bald Headed Ibis' was said to be nesting by an informative sign, and indeed a somewhat untidy black bird was visible on the parapet. Later, I passed La Palmar, also busy but with a surfing crowd, although more people seemed to be in the bars than in the sea (maybe the waves were not big enough). I pushed on a little further and inland a bit to Zahora and Camping San Jose, an excellent campsite among the pines with a restaurant and supermarket (albeit with prices to match). Mine was the only tent, very much overshadowed by the motorhomes (many British) and chalets.

Ancient watchtower with Conil de la Frontera in the distance

Camino de Santiago from Cadiz to Seville

This section of the Way of St James or Camino de Santiago, is also known as the Via Augusta, it is from Cadiz to Seville and is not the best part of Spain or Europe to make a pilgrimage through (although I accept that pleasure is not really the point of being a pilgrim). Too much of it is beside motorways and train-lines through suburbs with car dealerships and furniture stores, and country which various little and which the landowners' security measures made me feel unwelcome. That said the path does link the ancient cities of Seville, Jerez and Cadiz, with their beautiful old centres and historic buildings, as well as the food, wine and flamenco they offer. The other towns and villages the path goes through also have their quiet interest.
I would feel happier with more formal and abundant signposting and maybe a GR designation as elsewhere, this would have made it feel a more official trail. It is in the Andalucian government's interest to adopt the path as it clearly brings welcome business to places along the path, some information at tourist offices would be useful.

To follow this path there is a guide in Spanish on http://www.asociaciongaditanajacobea.org/ and information on http://www.csj.org.uk/planning-your-pilgrimage/routes-to-santiago/routes-in-spain/the-route-from-cadiz-to-sevilla/. The stages described are such that accommodation is available at the end of each stage in the form of hotels or rooms of some sort. I was able to use Booking.com to book my bed for each night, which avoided any language problems over the telephone. This is not camping country.

I used the gpx file from the following site http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=2406638, but should have read the notes associated with it more carefully (not easy when you are relying on a Google translation). However it was fine except for two sections.

From Seville to Dos Hermanas

Still not sure how I should have crossed the canal and motorway south of Seville without risking life on the side of the main road, maybe I should have been on the east side of the road. Having said that as much of the route is through urban areas it was not too difficult to find my way to Dos Hermanas (which Google insisted on always translating as "two sisters") even if it was not the most aesthetic route. I see that many people now follow the alternative route via Alcalá de Guadaíra instead of through Dos Hermanas.

From Utrera to Las Cabezas de San Juan

Many of the gpx files available on the internet follow a path that is likely to get you into trouble with the local landowner. The route in the following gpx file, which follows the railway line, avoids this and seems to follow the official route http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=11380202.