I feel sure that the most pleasant days I have had in Spain have been those spent on foot. Walking through mesmerising countryside. Strolling through stunning cities.
Discovering hidden gems simply by putting one foot in front of the other.
It can be hard work. Especially if you live, as I do, surrounded by mountains. No walk is flat for very long.
But the sheer variety of landscape throughout Spain means that you can experience all manner of walking terrain in the space of a day, let alone a week. I’m not a serious walker, but I’ve met those who are.
What is clear is that whether you walk Spain for 30 minutes or an entire day; you’ll be glad you did take a hike.
Walking the GR7
There are some very well known walks all over Spain. And yet there is so much space to head for that you need not meet anyone else on your stroll, if that is what you would prefer. But on some walks it is inevitable that you will meet like minded people en route.
The GR7 is a popular route that goes far and wide, including through my village and others in the ever so pretty Lecrín Valley.
Walking lonely but no clouds
The initials GR stand for ‘Gran Recorrido’ (long journey). Where possible this route avoids roads and traffic. The GR7 actualy goes through many other European countries.
Within Spain it crosses the provinces of Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Almeria and Córdoba. A distance of around 1250 kilometres. That presumes, of course, that you wouldn’t get lost en route. And, in my experience, everyone gets lost at least once.
Some parts of the GR7 are superbly signposted, others the direction in which to head is left to your imagination or the toss of a coin. I’m sure that at some locations mischievous people have deliberately painted arrows on the wall with the intention of leading you astray.
In theory, if there are no wooden signs for you to read, you should be following red and white paint markings on walls and/or the floor. If you go wrong you will end up on the land of a bemused, world weary looking farmer. But, fear not, he’s used to it.
You would be wise to have the best map available or the book called Walking the GR7. The main thing is that you take in the stunning scenery on offer in Andalucia. Whichever section of the GR7 you opt for, there will be memorable views to be savoured.
Restabal in the Lecrín Valley is on the GR7
Walking in La Alpujarra
I confess that lack of time is only one reason I haven’t walked as much in Spain as I would like. It’s now got to the point whereby I have found myself walking with people twenty years older than me only to discover they are much fitter than I. They are striding ahead while I lag on behind. It is shaming. But, it seems, I am not alone.
Jeremy and Jenni Rabjohns run WalkAlpujarra.
Jeremy reassures me: “People joining a group of walkers often do worry about, ‘Will I cope, they all look super fit.’
“But they are probably all thinking the same. Any guide worth his or her salt will plan a walk to suit the abilities of the group. Tortoises as well as its hares. What you are capable of depends very much on the speed at which you try to do it. Your guide will know about all that and you might surprise yourself.
Walking La Alpujarra
That’s for sure. La Alpujarra is vast and varied but the views are stupendous almost everywhere.
So if i can find the time and motivation to join an organised walk, what should I do in advance to make me feel as though I fit in with all those people with tight thighs, walking aids and organised backpacks? What mistakes do walkers in Spain make?
Jeremy says: “The best preparation is to take advice from someone who has done it before. People generally have thought and planned well, so amongst our clients we don’t see any problems.
“However, we do see hikers out and about that worry us a little and this is often because they have read books that make it all sound easy. That word is to to be avoided when talking about walking in this area. In particular people need to be more aware of the fact that if you walk uphill for half a day the climate can change from Mediterranean to awful, regardless of the month.”
Be prepared then. That takes me back!
Autumn in La Alpujarra
I have often felt guilty when driving through areas such as La Alpujarra. Why don’t I just leave the car parked and set off for hours, and not minutes. In which case, which part of this mountainous area should a relative novice to serious walking head for.
Jeremy Rabjohns says: “In Spring and Autumn I would choose the Carihuelas in La Táha. You can access it from the villages of Busquístar, Ferreirola or Fondales. It is possible to enjoy a good circular walk to last half, or the entire day, using these spectacularly engineered and ancient routes.
“The walk has dramatic beauty, history, a little adventure and a bar or two. The Carihuelas are serpentine, cobbled trading routes in use since roman times or earlier. They provide a relatively easy way of crossing the dramatic gorge of the río Trevélez.
In the hotter months perhaps the best venue would be Trevélez itself , which has a cooler and fresher situation and also has the benefit of being central to the whole walking area.”
For my own part, i try not to go out of my front door in the heat of July and August so I doubt you’ll find me walking far at that time of the year in southern Spain. Up’t north maybe.
I have walked in the Sierra Nevada mountains, an area I shall feature on more closely shortly. I have walked in the countryside of almost all provinces in Spain (and there you were calling me a couch potato). I love walking through the rolling hills of one of the least discovered parts of Spain, the superb La Rioja.
Walking Picos de Europa
But there is one area I have driven through that I would like to explore on foot. But I’m not sure if I am up to the task.
High church, Picos de Europa
That is the Picos de Europa mountains. Can there be more stunning scenery in Spain?
The province of Asturias is delightful and, along with Cantabria, is a good place to base yourself for a holiday that would include a visit to the Picos de Europa.
Up in the Picos the air is so fresh and cool that walking need not be a sweaty affair.
Many walking guides claim that, ironically, it is often the elderly who are the fittest walkers. They say that the 80 year old walkers often have more get up and go whereas, for the twenty somethings; their get up and go has, well, gone!
I guess that must be partly due to experience and part a reflection on the more sedentary lifestyle of many people these days. And i include myself in that group.
Mike and Lisa run Picos Rock and Snow, for the more adventurous types, but spend much of their time taking people on walks through this territory.
Mike reflects on what impresses the walkers. He says: “For some its the flora. Nobody fails to be moved by the magnificent colours of spring. For others it’s the birds and butterflies they see. Everybody is awestruck by the majestic huge walls , flanked by wild woodlands of oak and beach. It’s a J.R. Tolkien like setting with a character that has been relatively underdeveloped.
Energetic walkers stroll past some lazy cows!
Mike also tells me that walking the Picos de Europa is a world away from the landscape those who climb mountains in Britain are used to. He says: “The biggest danger for relatively experienced and fit walkers from Britain comes because they are used to navigating their way around British mountains in poor visability and weather conditions. They think they can do the same here. You cannot. The maps are not accurate enough and the ground is too complicated.
A view to savour from the Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada
Blimey! Maybe, for me at least, the best view of the Picos de Europa is through the car window.
It is time I got out there once again and undertook some decent pace walking. I am told that not far from me, at the magnificent Monachil near Granada, there is a straightforward eight kilometre walk that requires no climbing. It does have one or two of those bridges that swing a little but, hey, I am a big boy now. I can handle it.
I enjoy walking Spain and I would love to do much more of it so meandering around Monachil sounds like a good first step to getting fit again.
In the meantime I shall make do with walking the dog a few kilometres through and around my valley while looking up at the mountains that I must never take for granted. A bit like the tapas bars I am usually heading for.
*additional photography courtesy of Walk Alpujarra and The Picos de Europa & Picos Rock and Snow websites.
