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.

28 February to Chiclana de la Frontera

Left the Hotel Catalan and headed through pine trees and the suburbs of Puerto Real to rejoin the Camino de Santiago following its alternative route at the edge of salt marshes beside the railway track. Lots of birds of various sorts, I could only identifying the house martins skimming above the water for flies. I left this trail at the Bario Jarana and headed up the road towards Chiclana. This joined a Via Verde which ran beside the road for several kilometres. Examining one of the signs suggested I could probably have added a few more kilometres on one of these green roads by going through Meadero Reina (translated as the Queen's urinal by Google)!
After a lengthy walk through the built up areas around Chiclana (and a large plate of seafood tortillas for lunch) I reached the Atlantic Ocean again (last time was four weeks ago in Sagres) and a beach front promenade with Sunday couples and families (mainly more elderly) braving the stiff breeze or having a coffee or beer at a sea front cafe.
Staying at the Hotel El Campanerio on the seafront. Ate at a fish restaurant and paid rather a lot for some kind of flat fish, a bit like a flounder, nice ambiance however.

27 February to Puerto Real

Had a great rest day in Jerez visiting the impressive Alcazar, having a massage (she had powerful thumbs) in the Arab baths and listening to flamenco singers in Tabancos late at night while drinking types of sherry I had never heard of among other things. Back on the road, it involved walking alongside another motorway once I was clear of the car dealerships, then a long stretch through El Puerto de Santa Maria and the associated conurbation and strip malls, 28.4 kilometres in all. To be fair the historic centre of El Puerto de Santa Maria looked pretty nice, although a little off my route. The strip development after the town led me into a Burger King for lunch, I normally avoid such international chains as why come all the way to Spain to eat what you can easily eat in Britain.
Best bit was the last 6 km before Puerto Real which was on an official path (or sendero) through a nature conservation area consisting of salt marsh with various birds and pine trees and bushes. At the exit I saw my first official government Camino de Santiago scallop sign on the route. Puerto Real is trying hard with a promenade complete with the usual exercise machines but was curiously empty for a Saturday. The enclosed area of sea in front of the promenade was salt marsh, mud or small boats rather than sandy beach which maybe why people were elsewhere. The Hotel Catalan was a little way out of town, with a serviceable restaurant, which discouraged more exploration.

Salt marsh

Promenade leading to Puerto Real

25 February to Jerez

An unexciting 28.1 kilometre walk, much of it on a dirt track alongside a motorway past huge ploughed fields. Frequent cyclists made me confident that this was a publicly accessible through route, cycling seems a much preferred recreational activity in Spain & Portugal compared with walking. I also passed a man "walking" his greyhounds while riding his motor bike.
After the motorway it was a long walk through the urban sprawl into Jerez de la Frontier. As in other towns I first passed little allotments or market gardens, then factories and the like, then terraced houses, then apartment blocks & huge roundabouts that took forever to walk around, waiting for the green man at each zebra crossing, and finally the historic heart of the city with its narrow cobbled streets. I plan to take tomorrow as a rest day, I have a large blister on my heel and have been getting more tired than I should. Hoping Jerez, home of sherry, has something to offer.

Huge fields beside the route

24 February to El Cuervo

Two things made my walk less than perfect today, firstly, worrying that someone would castigate me for walking across their land, secondly, the Melendo nature reserve was a disappointment. Fear of being accosted was greatest in the early part of the walk along some little used tracks, in one case a short distance along a field boundary with no track and multiple barking dogs from a nearby group of barns (which Google was translating as ships!). I was glad no-one appeared, no doubt the dogs had been left in charge.
Later the route went along a canal and then a well used track which went past the nature reserve. This consisted of a lake or reservoir hidden behind pine trees and firmly fenced off and secured by padlocks, so there was little to see, I had been  naively hoping for some kind of extension of the Doñana National park on the other side of the Guadalquivir river. I was getting a little more confident with where I was going when I could see yellow arrows (as in photo below) which show pilgrims the way to Santiago. Of course they pointed the opposite way to the one I was going and I needed to look behind (on the south side of) road signs and crash barriers to find them.
I reached the small town of Lebrija for lunch, a place with an attractive pedestrianised area in the centre as well as the usual churches and religious foundations. Then it was 10 kms, mainly on well used dirt track to El Cuervo where I am staying at the stylish (inside) Hotel Enfasis, making 30.6 kms in all today.

Yellow arrow marking the Way of St James

23 February to Las Cabezas de San Juan

Stopped by two security patrols today! Day started fine with a walk through old Utrera, leaving town via a dirt road to the south designated for walkers and cyclists. It was misty as I walked through large open fields. The route then did a few sharp turns to bring me to an irrigation canal lined with concrete. This eventually came to a sudden end with the now stagnant water floating plastic bottles and other detritus. The gpx trail I had loaded on my gps then took me under the adjacent railway line, passed a herd of goats (somewhat incongruous in the arable landscape, they seemed to be feeding on road and canal verges) and across an onion field, a road and then some more fields. It was at this point the first security guard stopped me. Although he spoke no English it was clear he realised I was walking along the Camino de Santiago path. He said I could not go this way and sent me back to the road. At the road while I was taking off some clothes (the mist had now cleared and it was getting warm) he drove up in his white pick up and took pity on me. He said the correct route was along the railway line and pointed out how I could get there. Now comparing the gpx trail with the written route from the internet (from Association Gaditana Jacobea Via Augusta) it was apparent that the gpx route was inconsistent with the path described on the internet which indeed went alongside the railway line at this point. After walking alongside the railway line for a few kilometres I was again stopped by a white pick up (a different one). This time one of the two in the pick up spoke English. He realised I was following the Camino de Santiago route but said the road was private and I was not allowed on it. He asked that I pointed this out to however wrote the instructions but he let me walk the short distance onto the next section of track where the owner did not mind walkers such pilgrims. In fact a more detailed look at the instructions from the Internet showed I should have been on the track on the other side of the railway at the point at which I was stopped. Clearly it is important to look at the instructions very carefully.
I was surprised at the high level of security. The land, which was very flat and seemingly fertile, was mainly in the process of being prepared for planting. From the remnants of  last year's crops it looked like they were growing cotton and some maize. The fields were very large. It was difficult to see what risk required so much security, did they fear someone would steal there yet to be planted crops, or were they fearful of fire or immigrants squatting on their land, or was it an emotional issue, an assertion of the owner's rights to his property. It certainly seemed excessive as the track I was following had the railway fence on one side and on the other either a deep ditch or a high gates and fencing topped with barbed wire protecting empty fields, in addition to the security patrols.
I continued along the route described on the internet but when I came to a sign saying "Prohibito el paso" I decided being stopped twice was enough and took a longer route via tarmacked roads. After 35.3 km I was glad to see the town of Las Cabrezas de San Juan centred on a rare hill and was soon settled in an apartment here (Alojamiento Temporal Las Cabezas).

Path beside irrigation canal

Protecting empty fields

Am I allowed to walk here?

22 February to Utrera

The route I am now following in the Cadiz direction is the Way of St James also called the Camino de Santiago, which is intended to be walked in the opposite direction towards Santiago del Compostela, where the relics of St James lie in its cathedral, and a pilgrim route since the Middle ages. I downloaded a gpx track of the route, unfortunately the last 20km to Seville did not display on my gps. I have a description of the route but as it is a Google translation and written for walking in the opposite direction I am finding it of limited use. I asked for information at a tourist information office in Seville but came up blank. So I followed the direct road towards Dos Hermanas, the town in the middle of today's route. Initially all was well as I could follow pavements and cycle paths into the suburbs. Then I reached the twin obstacles of a motorway interchange and a wide drainage canal. The cycle path petered out in an area of new office blocks not on my gps and I had to make a wide detour to the west get back on the road to Dos Hermanos. I made a number of attempts to find quieter routes off the main road but these were of limited success.
After a walk through Dos Hermanos, which has a pleasant centre, I was able to join the gpx trail of the Pilgrim's route. The first part was on a track next to the railway line that was pleasingly straight and quiet apart from the odd train. It passed huge fields farmed on a very large scale.
The next part went along the "Vereda de Dos Hermana". This was a corridor of pines and other natural vegetation which ran between large olive and orange groves. As I sat down to rest at one point a hare hopped by, I  am sure the natural vegetation by the path helps to preserve wildlife in an otherwise highly cultivated landscape.
Rather footsore after a long day I walked to the Pension Hidalgo in Utrera where the owner, once summoned by cell phone, practised his English on me, he was left wondering why a double room has one rather than two beds, why do we call two beds a twin?

The way of St James following a railway line

Vereda de Dos Hermana

Route from Alcoutim to Seville

There is a potentially pleasant route for walking, especially in winter months, from the end of the Via Algarviana to Seville, similar to the one I took but with less walking along busy roads. The route is varied passing through Mediterranean scrub, pine forest, orange and olive groves and across open farmland. It also has historical interest at places like Niebla, and other interesting features such storks and solar power stations. The difficulty is that the IGN maps used by my Garmin gps, and I suspect other mapping did not distinguish between publicly accessible unpaved roads, those with locked gates and indeed those that no longer exist. More research on the ground and local knowledge is needed to improve on what I achieved. However if you wish to follow a similar route details are below.

I stayed in hotels at all the intervening towns, most can be booked on Booking.com, those at Villenueva de las Castillejos (Hotel Andalucia) and Bartolome de la Torre (Hostal Labadia), I just turned up and asked for a room. There is little opportunity for camping.

Day 1 Alcoutim to Villanueva de los Castillejos

Gpx file of trail http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12494988

Day 2 Villanueava de los Castillejos to Bartolome de la Torre

The route I took ended up with me having to climb over a locked gate so instead I would recommend cycle route BTT3 or BTT4 in the attached  http://www.diphuelva.es/portalweb/zonas/20/Ficheros/RED_DE_RUTASdef2.pdf

Day 3 Bartolome de la Torre to Trigueros

Gpx file of trail http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495072

Day 4 Trigueros to La Palma del Condado

Gpx file of trail I followed http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495152
however this may be a better route http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495118

Day 5 La Palma del Condado to Paterna Del Compo

Gpx file of trail http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495175

Day 6 Paterna Del Compo to Sanlucar la Mayor

Gpx file of trail http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495213

Day 7 Sanlucar la Mayor to Seville

Gpx file of tail http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=12495250

Enjoy the trip!

21 February to Seville

Decided to take the most obvious road into Seville as it was Sunday and traffic was light. After a kilometre or so a cycle path and pavement appeared which were present almost all the way into Seville making for safe walking, although the multicolour flocks of Sunday cyclists stuck mainly to the road, describing gentle, synchonised curves. For breakfast I bought churros (a fried dough a bit like doughnuts but in strips and without sugar) and chocolate sauce to dip them in. The stall selling them outside a petrol station was doing a brisk trade with a queue of people, the thing to take home to the family it seems on a Sunday morning, however a bit heavy for walking on.
A string of "urbanizations" and towns were strung out along the road adding interest, and for the last bit I headed for the Camas-Seville cycle path that took me over the large Guadalquivir river and passed a flea market in a carpark. The lack of bridges across the Guadalquivir to the south had forced me to take my route through Seville, where one must also cross the Canal de Alfonso XIII. A man asked me if I was walking Camino into Santiago, the long distance path most commonly known about in Spain. I told him no, he said good as Santiago was in the opposite direction.
For the final section I followed the banks of the Canal de Alfonso XIII with couples hand in hand and people taking their small dogs or children for a Sunday walk. I am staying in the old Santa Cruz Muslim then Jewish quarter at the Hotel Murillo where I first stayed over 30 years ago. Since then Seville seems to have got a lot busier.
Despite a 22.3 km walk, I still had the energy for a "free" guided walk around Santa Cruz by a young lady with a yellow umbrella, I am sure the requested tips were more than they would have reasonably charged, however it was a very informative tour showing things you would not otherwise have noticed or read about.

20 February to Sanlucar la Mayor

Another successful day with 26.8 kilometres of walking avoiding main roads. First it was down to the nearby town of Escacena Del Campo where women were busy brushing away the dirt on the pavement outside their houses. Passed various items of outdoor exercise equipment on the way. I have often seen identical equipment in towns and villages across Spain but no-one seems to use them.
Left Escacena on the road heading North East (HU6110) and then turned east onto the Camino de Chichina, a dirt road that went for many kilometres across open and largely flat arable land. This being Saturday there were lots of cyclists out in black lycra and one jogger in luminous green socks.
The highlight of my day was a solar power station. Not only did this have PV cells similar to those on house rooves across the UK, it also generated power thermally using mirrors to focus the sunlight on the top of a tower, a bit like when I was little, using a magnifying glass to burn a hole in some paper, except instead of burning a hole the focused beam of hot sunlight heats up water turning it into steam which drives a steam turbine that generates power. An array of many mirrors is used and they must tilt and turn as the sun moves across the sky to keep its rays focused on the top of the tower. The were two such towers in use. It is not a technique I have seen in use before. (Subsequent reading indicated that the tower in the photo below can generate 20 MW of power, but that the company involved (Abengoa) is filing for bankruptcy; economics of such projects are very dependent on government subsidies which had been reduced)
On approaching Sanlucar le Mayor, my resting place for the night, I crossed a river (Rio Guadiamar) where children and parents were out enjoying the weekend sunshine (it was also a where I crossed an official North-South footpath). Then up a Camino Real into town. These were the royal roads used by the king and also the public provided they kept out of the way of the king's carriage! I stayed at the Hostal San Pedro at the south end of town and had an expensive meal with scallops as a first course, steak for the second at the other end of town and chocolate tart for desert.

Solar Power station, mirrors just visible on the horizon direct sunlight at the top of the tower where I assume a fluid is heated to create steam which will drive a turbine.

19 February to Paterna del Campo

Today's route was more as I imagined when I planned my route from Alcoutim to Seville, a quiet country, dirt road among fields. After walking through La Palma town among parents taking their little children to school or a nursery, I headed north on a metalled road (HU4103) along a tarmaced footpath with fit ladies speed walking and old men taking their morning exercise more slowly. I left them and turned right onto a road called in parts the Camino de la Pastora. It was long and straight, taking me all the way to Paterna del Campo, passing through unfenced arable land with the occasional grove of ancient looking olive trees. In all six cars passed me over some 16 kilometres and one horse ridden by two young boys. Six greyhounds were following one of the cars and another car stopped to (I think) offer me a lift, to which I gestured my refusal, hopefully in a polite way. A gentle days walk of 18.3 kilometres
The hotel (Pension La Ruta) was not where it was reported to be on "booking.com", but after a little help from the locals I am now safely installed. Later I walked around the village, it has a smart church and square, and my attention was drawn to Latin American music coming from a bar the size of a small room. I had a glass of the local white wine, enjoying the music and olives while an older man sitting outside (a smoker) anticipated the lyrics. He must have appreciated the audience as he bought me a second glass of wine. It's difficult when you do not know the language to say more than a clumsy thank you.

18 February to La Palma del Condado

Its been a day for looking at history: prehistory at the Dolmen of Soto and various later periods at the town of Niebla. A quiet, tarmaced road took me to the dolmen (which was signposted) through open farmland arable and pastoral. The dolmen was a burial mound excavated and presented to show the large chamber within. Floor lighting brought out some of the crude drawings carved in the rocks used to construct the chamber. Only thing that spoilt it was the lack of any information in English, the man at reception was not much help (must have been bored as I cannot imagine many visitors at this time of year).
The owner of the Hostal I stayed in last night had told me that I could continue on to Niebla after the dolmen, but which road to choose? I ended up walking some kilometres along a muddy track, fortunately this appeared to mark a boundary between farms and took me to the main road close to Niebla without having to climb any gates.
Niebla was a surprise, the old area was surrounded by substantial walls and fortifications, started in Roman times and built in ever increasing size by the Arabs and the Christians. I visited the interpretation centre in the old hospital but again all was in Spanish complete with historical figures speaking out of portraits in a very life-like way. I was sure they were looking at me!
The gps was suggesting going down unpaved tracks but I decided to play it safe as I had a good distance to walk and followed the road to Villarrasa. In fact, based on the start and finish I could have got away with the small tracks which ran to the South of the railway line. Based on this, after Villarassa I took the gps' advice and followed a track next to a railway line to La Palma del Condado, my destination for the night. The trail became very thin for a few hundred metres so that I was almost on the railway ballast, however assuming the abundant horse pooh meant that there was a continuing track used by someone to exercise their horse I kept going and indeed the track opened out again as I approached La Palma. A longish day at 32 kilometres although a total ascent of only 278 m meant it was not too taxing.
Staying at the Hotel Leon in a room which has a very smart red bathroom which I managed to cover with water when showering. Some of these smart modern designs are not always so functional.

Dolmen of Soto

17 February to Trigueros

After walking a few kilometres down the main road I joined up with an abandoned railway line (Antiguo Ferrocarril de la Compania de Azufre y Cobre, a railway originally used for suphur and copper mines). Many such lines have been converted to cycle and walking paths (Via Verdes) but not this one yet. Still I was able to follow it a few kilometres with only a few fallen pine trees to go around, as it past through orange groves in a green corridor, even over a small newly installed wooden bridge. Some mean spirited farmer stopped my progress with a high fence across the track blocking the way. I very much doubt he owned this piece of track and it spoilt it for people like me (I know others were following the old line as there were bicycle tyre marks and footprints). All was not lost however as a small, tarmaced, public road crossed the old railway a little before the obstructive fence.
This road took me through orange and olive groves, most protected (from what?) by high fences and barbed wire. It took me much of the way to Gibraleon which was a busy little town with multiple stork nests in the church tower.
I headed out on the main road to Trigueros and then took a chance on another small tarmaced road which wove in and out of fields and little settlements, these had small houses set in allotment sized gardens. At one point a man told me from his garden that I could not camp around here (at least that is what I think he said) I told him I was staying in a hotel at Trigeuros. I thought I would have to return past said man and retrace my steps for several miles when the tarmac stopped at a little group of houses, but it continued as a rough track for a few kilometres before becoming a drive-able road again at a solar farm.
Finally, I rejoined the main road and walked into Trigueros, after covering a total of 31.5 km. Not the prettiest of towns although there was an old convent and church (complete with funeral in progress) and a little chapel for St Anthony where I "lit" an electric candle for my trip. Hotel Cuidad Trigueros was not difficult to find as there were signs to it all over town. On old building with an attractive staircase (and a complimentary glass of orange wine), it had a smart, recently decorated interior and the owners spoke English, something I had not heard much of in my walk.

Walking between high fences

16 February to Bartolome de La Torre

After a cafe con leche at the Hotel Andalusia I headed east along a well used dirt track directly into the sun rising in a cloudless sky. Between the bright sunlight and dark shade it was difficult to see although the contrasts of light brought out the beauty of the trees and nearby hills. The path eventually returned to the main road, the continuing track on the gps being absent on the ground. After following the road a short distance another track with no gate, heading in the right direction through unfenced land, looked attractive. It took me several kilometres in the right direction through sunlit pine trees. For a short while it even joined a waymarked bike trail (BTT2). Sadly this eventually headed off north and to maintain an easterly direction the gps map indicated I must return to the main road. This required climbing over a padlocked gate, one definitely not designed to be climbed over.
Seeing little other option I walked down the main road for 9 km to Bartolome de La Torre, making the day's walk some 21.7 km long.
(In reviewing my route with the knowledge that there were cycle routes in the area I now realise I should have followed cycle route BTT3 to the south of the main A490 road or BTT4 going to the north. Both go from Villanueva to Bartolome avoiding the main road and I assume without any padlocked gates, see Cycle routes in Beturia )
Walking along the road I was hooted at a few times, I was not sure why as I was walking off the tarmac, although it later occurred to me that they were friendly hoots as sometimes a wave followed. I gained some pleasure from following the road as I spotted four stork nests alongside it on top of electricity pylons, complete with storks, in later days I realised they were actually quite common in the province of Huelva, nesting in church towers and even on cranes, but the first sight of these creatures caused me some excitement. I took photographs but my basic digital camera is such that the storks appear as just a few dots against an empty sky, or in some cases there was just empty blue sky when I was not fast enough.
Having checked into the Hostal Labadia I spent the rest of the afternoon around the town eventually finding (after waking several dogs on false starts) the 12th centuary tower which gives Bartolome de la Torre part of its name.
I also investigated the route I had intended to follow tomorrow. I had been hopeful as it was marked as a road rather than a track. Sadly after a kilometre my way was barred by a padlocked gate. On none of my previous walks in Spain have I seen so many padlocks and so much barbed wire. I felt unwelcome as a walker, which is a shame as the landscape is attractive especially at present with flowers coming out and everything green.

Stork and its nest on top of an electricity pylon

The tower at Bartolome de la Torre