An Escape from Seville to Pure Nature: Ruta del Agua - Guillena

Hiking near Seville is what we all dream of so, today we will be following the Guillena portion of the "Ruta del Agua" by the Gergal lake which is an artificial dam that provides drinking water to greater Seville area.

The town of Guillena is less than half an hour away by commuter bus from Plaza de Armas station, Seville. The bus service is frequent and affordable. At the time of writing this, the bus departs from Platform #38. To keep your journey low cost please read my very first blog post (link will open in a new tab) about the green commuter pass (bonobus). You can also pay in cash although you will be paying a slightly higher fare.

I left on a Friday morning with the first bus of the day to cover most of the track while it is still cool(er). For bus schedule click here.

After a 25min bus ride we reach the town of Guillena and get-off at Avenida Pajanosas stop.

After a bit of stretching, hydrating, tightening the belts of our lightly loaded packs, we begin our 45 minute trek to the starting point (Parking Ruta del Agua) which means a 4km walk on a country road without a shoulder (for pedestrians to walk on) but thankfully not busy.
⚠ Extreme caution, a reflective vest and proper flashing lights are highly recommended.

 

The road was quite dusty and there were also animal manure, dried roadkill (mostly slugs) on the road so it is advisable to cover your food items and water bottles/dispensers from the dust that cars passing by spread.

Upon reaching the parking lot where we will begin our hike, one can learn that a bike rental service is also available.
📍This route is very popular amongst mountain bikers. A weekend hike should be avoided, therefore.

 

 

 

The terrain is gravel with easy to ascend, low elevation. It is approximately 15km long (3+ hours non-stop) and for a round trip double the time/distance.
But if desired, one can return back at any point to shorten the trip to make it more convenient.

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Meditterenean flora: To die for!

Looking at the direction of Seville.

Several rest areas like above (called refugios) are scattered along the route.

Tons of these little benches under the shade pop-up unexpectedly for you to rest.

The more you walk, the more exceptional the scenery gets.

Zero noise of "the civilization"🔇

Ahh🐳. It truly is an escape from everything at the end.

Those who are brave and resilient to tackle the full 15km, the restaurant
(La Cantina, Guillena Ruta Del Agua) is waiting for you.
You will also be rewarded with an exceptional scenery, combined with nice smell of pine trees.
Upon resting a bit, it is very hard to leave the area and head back.

For the return trip, if you don't want to repeat the same track you can walk back following the country road, aptly named "Camino de la Ruta del Agua", where many reach the restaurant by car.
There are very few vehicles making the trip that far so consider the road, all yours.
It is hard to make out from the poor mobile phone camera picture but you can see some Seville landmarks, Torre Sevilla, bridges etc. while walking back.

It is a 13km long walk (shorter than the former) to Guillena but the first kilometer until you reach the "peak" is quite steep and a bit tiring especially after a 19km hike however, serenity of the road, birds, many hopping rabbits along the way and livestock calmly spying on you makes the effort worthwhile.
This is also a quite dusty country road so, same precations as earlier should be observed.

Things to note:
1. Once you leave Guillena, there is nothing around to buy water or food until you reach the end point (in the restaurant) so, carry your supplies accordingly. If the restaurant is closed for whatever reason there are 2 vending machines that can dispense pop and water (couldn't see a snack/candy machine) so carry enough change (1,50€ for a can of soda).

2. 🏊It is not possible at all to reach to water anywhere. Bathing, toe dipping etc. are strictly prohibited. There are signs (with some lenghty legalize) everywhere warning hikers not to leave the path and try to swim etc. Most of the track is fenced and/or any exit/path is deliberately blocked with thick bushes. I read recently on a local newspaper website that a strict policy of hefty fines are in effect for offenders. 

3. If you factor in additional 8km hike to the bus stop (with return trip) in Guillena, expect to walk up to 40km on the same day. To eliviate the pain and suffering, changing to a fresh pair of socks and shirts/t-shirts in one of the rest areas may help tremendously along with proper hydration the day prior. As always, sun protection is a must!

4. 📵After the 10th km on the path and including in the restaurant area at km 15, my cheap mobile phone lost signal and there was no coverage for me (Lowi-Vodafone) so having the off-line version of Google maps may be beneficial, although the navigation feature will not be available. But if you are following the original track, no need to worry since tons of "tourist" signs everywhere to guide you until you walk back to an area where you can receive a signal.
Also your mobile phone consumes its battery more than usual while constantly searching for a signal (especially in low or no signal areas) therefore putting it in "flight mode"at the beginning will save the juice of your battery tremendeously.

5. If driving with more than one car, it is possible to drop-off all participants at the first parking lot and drive all cars up to the restaurant where there is free parking. And carpool back with one of the cars to the starting point. Once you reach the restaurant area (rinse and repeat-carpool).

Hasta proxima!

I hope this blog post has been useful and will also inspire you to go outdoors to get lost in the nature.
If you have other places in mind please mention them in the comments or contact me if you like to share with others using this blog.
If you've tried this route and want to share tips, give more advice or make corrections, please use the comments section or send me a message.

Best Places in Seville to enjoy Orange Blossoms (Azahares) II: Tablada, Old Aerodrome Runway

Today we are walking to Tablada, Old Aerodrome Runway by the river Guadalquivir. There are many ways to access this path, well-known by cycling enthusiasts, but we will be entering from Vega de Triana Park which is in the most western part of Triana. Easiest access is from Avenida de Coria. See map at the end of this post. It is about 12kms long with the return trip so dress accordingly and bring enough water since there won't be any water or food along the way.

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Spring is in its full force in Seville during March so there are surprizes hidden everywhere for those who wake up early and get-out(doors)!

This is how the path looks within the park grounds. This part is about a km long.

Until we exit the park area, the surface will be gravel. Slippery for those who cycle but it will get better once we exit the park. It is flat all the way.

Some say this is the easiest way to cross to Camas but I have my doubts :)

During a 10 minute hike we walk under 4 bridges: 2 highway, 1 pedestrian and 1 "subway" line. The road noise is (somewhat) annoying but once you pass these 4 obstacles you will be out in the clear.

Another surprize gift from mother nature without expecting anything in return!

One last look at the "civilization".

We are now ready to enjoy nature and the road noise is now gone.

As it is the theme of this post, the path is full of surprizes. Can we call this a "millenial tree"? A backpack for reference to guestimate the actual dimensions of this amazing lifeform.

Many others are lined-up for us to envy their resilience. Has Christopher Columbus or Alfonso X also seen these?

We, 21st century consumer slaves, take it for granted but nature instantly reminds us that life (and death) are always random out in the nature.

After a short break time to say good bye to these giants and continue our journey.

Well, after a good 45min hike from our starting point, we have reached our destination where (seemingly abandoned) orange orchards are. The smell of the flowers are incredible.

Citrus is possibly one of  the few plants where fruit and flower can co-exist at the same time on the same branch of the tree. Don't try to bite the oranges. They are the bitter ones.

Well, another nice surprize! Considering many different types of flowers all around I say they got the best location.

Another short break to enjoy a nice spring day!

At the tip of our hiking route (see map below) we come across another creek which will not let us cross to the other side but makes up for that excuse by providing us a rainforest like foliage.

Another pleasant surprize.

We are now officially at the city limits of Seville.

Ready to discover the old airport.

Here it is: the runway! Huge and deep chunk of endless concrete with Seville and San Juan Alto in the background.

Interesting scenery on the way back.

And here is the final surprize of this post. Some "figlets" :)

The map as promised. Dotted part is optional and you will definitely need some kind of sun and mosquito protection. An alternate exit would be behind the Feria grounds which will take you to Los Remedios-Puente de Delicias if you follow the newly built, green pedestrian bridge.

Things to note:
1. Unless you are trying to go to this hike on weekends, I would say it is prudent to have a hiking buddy with you since the area is very isolated and there are free roaming horses, as well as herds of sheep at times. 

2. There is constant cell-phone signal in all of the areas. I confirmed it with my on-line classical radio which was streaming without any hiccups.

3. During weekends, there might be a lot of cyclists as well as "families" enjoying the area. My favorite time is during weekdays, late morning, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. window since not many people will be there and on your way back, you can also take advantage of the shade that trees along the river provide.

4. If you are curious about the history of this area see below website (in English).
http://www.thefirstairraces.net/meetings/se1004/events.php

Hasta proxima!

I hope this blog post has been useful and will also inspire you to go outdoors to get lost in the nature.
If you have other places in mind please mention them in the comments or contact me if you like to share with others using this blog.
If you've tried this route and want to share tips, give more advice or make corrections, please use the comments section or send me a message.

Best Places in Seville to enjoy Orange Blossoms (Azahares) I: Triana, Barrio Leon

 

When Seville is mentioned, one of the first things that comes to mind is its oranges. The bitter ones that you can't (shouldn't) bite. As a very fortunate result, from as early as mid-February to all the way to mid-April at times, the orange blossoms can be enjoyed all around the city.

From its posh, well-manicured streets to impoverished housing complexes, one of the few things fellow Sevilla residents probably enjoy equally (albeit some with an emptier stomach) is the refreshing smell of these orange blossoms since on almost all sidewalks these trees are planted throughout the city.
Photo Credit: ABC Sevilla

In these series of blog posts, we will be sharing with the newcomers and visitors to Seville the areas one can enjoy this natural wonder while on foot. The first area happens to be where the author of this post currently resides: Barrio Leon, Triana.

Located in the most western "outskirts" of Triana, this little oasis of suburbia once belonged to a farmer called Jose Leon Leon hence the name of the neigbourhood. Most of the streets are also named after this family's offspring. A lot of the heritage buildings are townhouse style, 2 storey structures from 1920ties, and some with little gardens in front,  even some with bronze structures and some others with private internal courtyards and almost all buildings are covered with some intricate tile work.
There are also some hidden gems such as a couple chapels, a pottery studio, and a home-style cooking restaurant which makes it an ideal area to stroll to get away from the regular hustle and bustle of Triana to enjoy the songs of the local birds during various times of the day during spring.

Here are some more pictures to enjoy. And imagine when in season the lemon and orange blossoms provide quite an amazing feast of aromas due to density and close proximity of the trees to the sidewalk. Earthy and refreshing, they are waiting for you to take it all in.

Also, if you were wondering what happens to all those oranges, they are harvested a couple of weeks after the 3 Kings Festival by temporary municipal workers which create scenes like these "orange rivers" above :)

Here is a "rough" map of the area and if you follow the blue arrow you can also cross to a park called "Parque de la Vega de Triana" which is one of the most open areas in this part of the city for cycling or jogging. You can also sneak in to a hiking path that will take you all the way to the old airport in Seville along the main stream of the river Gualdalquivir.
Although this park is surrounded by some highways, which may be noisy at times, thanks to plenty of birds that occupy this park and their songs that suppress the road noise, there are many interesting bits to enjoy including a local (huerta) where some lucky residents can grow their own fruits and vegetables.

Hasta proxima!

I hope this blog post has been useful and will also inspire you to go outdoors to get lost in the nature.
If you have other places in mind please mention them in the comments or contact me if you like to share with others using this blog.
If you've tried this route and want to share tips, give more advice or make corrections, please use the comments section or send me a message.