The walk begins at the petrol station (la gasolinera)
on the outskirts of Gaucin.
It is on the main road, leading through the village
from Ronda to Algeciras.
There is plenty of parking space immediately opposite. From here
head into the village centre, first passing bar La Bodeguita Chaparro
then cafeteria La Cruz. At the zebra crossing swing left along a
narrow street. Pass the Molino del Carmen, and continue on through
the village, passing between the Unicaja bank and the Mercado de
Abastos.
Turn left at a sign for consultorio, You are now
in Calle Queipo de Llano. At the end of the street, just past house
no. 76, turn right; climb slightly and then after just 20 yards
swing left onto a track that immediately begins to descend. The
track drops down through groves of almonds, olives and carobs, skirting
round beneath the village. At a fork (25 minutes) by a large agave
cactus, bear right, swinging away from the fence.
The track continues to descend and passes beneath
a large white rectangular building. When you reach a grove of carob
and olive trees, don't swing left to a gate but continue straight
on and you'll come to a more open area of meadow. A fence now runs
to either side of the track.
Soon you pass a ruined farm to your left and just
past it the track narrows and becomes a path. This section of path
drops down and meets with another track (50 minutes), where you
should bear right, up towards a cypress tree.
Here the track divides. Turn right here, go gently
uphill, cross a (dry) stream) and, at the next junction, where there
are carob trees to your left and a pine tree to your right, turn
left to reach a large gate.
Squeeze by just to the right of this gate. Views
open out across the Genal valley to the mountain of La Crestelina.
Continue on down this track and pass a rocky area where bee-eaters
nest. Still descending, pass twice beneath the electricity lines
and you then come to a fork. Here bear sharply right (it is marked
by a cairn on the right) up towards the mountain of El Hacho. You
are following a recently bulldozed track. Soon you meet with a better
surface track where you should continue on your same course, climbing
slightly, between oak and pine trees.
You now head on up towards a pylon. Soon the path
becomes rockier. Follow the main track to the top of the hill and
when you reach a green pylon swing left and drop steeply downhill.
Look for the barrel-vaulted "ermita" beneath you. Again
there are lovely views of the Genal valley. You arrive at an open
area with the Chapel of Juan de Dios to the left (1 hour 20 minutes).
The chapel is the destination of a summer "romeria",
when the villagers bring the Santo Niño (the Christ Child)
down from Gaucin. This would be a good place to break for a picnic.
When you come to leave, head directly away from
the main entrance of the chapel and you'll pick up a wonderful old
section of track that passes just to the right of a huge carob tree
before climbing up between two almond groves.
Pass by an unusual group of modern buildings with
extraordinary wafer bricked columns to the left of the track. The
path comes up to meet with a better-defined track where you bear
left and continue climbing. Soon you'll see the Gaucin-Casares road
down beneath you.
At this point, where this track drops down the
hill to meet with the road and becomes contreted, you should swing
off right, at a small cairn, and pick up a track that climbs away
from the road. You are now walking along a section of Roman road.
Climb up and over a ridge. Gaucin comes into sight. You meet with
a better-surfaced track. Continue straight on up towards Gaucin,
following the line of pylons.
Prepare yourself for a steep climb! Pass by Finca
Alborrán to your left then El Nobo to your right. Continue
on up and after 300 yards keep left at a fork. Soon you meet with
a concrete road that leads up to a junction, where you should turn
left and go back through the village to your point of departure
(2 hours 25 minites).
