Camino de Santiago from Seville - Ruta via de la Plata - Guillena to Castilblanco de los Arroyos

This route is part of the southern leg of Camino de Santiago in Seville province Etapa 3 from the town of Guillena to Castilblanco de los Arroyos.

It is an ideal hiking route/day excursion for residents, newcomers and visitors of Seville since both towns are accessible by regional public buses that leave from Plaza de Armas bus station at a very low cost.
Seville - Guillena 30mins under 2€
Castilblanco de los Arroyos - Seville 1hr 3€ (as of June 2021).
Bus schedules: Guillena, Castilblanco de los Arroyos

If you like to learn more about how to reach Guillena on the cheap, see our past blog entry Ruta del Agua- Guillena.

Once you reach Guillena be sure to get off at "Plaza 8 de Marzo" which is 2nd stop from the "main bus stop" in Guillena: Av. Pajanosas Piruli V.
See the image and map below:

After getting off, you need to walk about 2.5kms to the starting point of the trail by following below map. If you prefer turn-by-turn instructions, read Wikiloc info at the bottom of this post.

Upon reaching the starting point look for the signs as below.  The rest of the path is clearly marked (there are many yellow arrows on rocks, trees etc. at forks, intersections) which makes it impossible to get lost until Castilblanco.

This trail can be divided into 5 parts:

First part is from Guillena centre to the starting point which requires about 2.5kms walk on the shoulder of a regional highway.⛔ Atlhough there is ample to space to walk, applying extreme caution (watch out for inebriated drivers especially during weekend mornings😟) and wearing a reflective west 🚸 are highly recommended. Keep walking on the left since your "exit" is on the same side.

2nd part is where the trail begins which is surrounded by serene farmland with citrus, olive orchards and sunflower fields.

On a clear day facing southeast, you can spot many Seville landmarks!

3rd part along the trail is a historic natural area reserved by royal decrees since middle ages for grazing and transportation of livestock animals which also has numerous paths leading to an artifical dam (Embalse de Gergal) on the west side of the trail. This area has beautiful landscape, enjoyable characteristics and also warrants spending longer time there than the others.

4th part of the trail is surrounded by private farmland for animal grazing. Along this part hikers can observe friendly bulls 🐂, beautiful horses🐎, curious donkeys🐴 and during winter/early spring months don't be surprized to see and hear baby goats (kids)🐐.

 

Finally, the last fifth (about 4kms) requires walking on the shoulder of a regional highway until you reach Castilblanco. Unlike the first fifth, this path is clearly marked, safe, and away from passing by vehicles. Also along the way, there are several cozy rest areas which are under shade.

In the 5th part, if you don't want to walk all the way to Castilblanco or are late for the bus, you can take the return bus near La Colina (a suburb of Castilblanco) which is just in front of Meson de la Colina that has interesting decor and serves local delicacies. It is an ideal spot to get some refreshments and to use facilities (we're not sponsored by them but hey, they let us use washroom for free without any hassle and always with smiling faces 😀).
See picture below for the bus stop and Meson de la Colina.

If you make it all the way (and you should 👍 BTW), beautiful and historic town of Castilblanco de los Arroyos is waiting for you with her gracious residents and their amazing hospitality. They call Castilblanco de los Arroyos "Gate of Sierra Norte" and they are absolutely right! From this town many beautiful hiking routes can be enjoyed within Sierra Norte de Sevilla region.

Notes:
In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th parts you can observe many wild animals such as rabbits, birds, and bees🐝 during season. 🐇Rabbit spotting requires being super quiet (I've spotted a couple dozen during a single walk).

To rest and for having breaks, anywhere in the parts 2 and 3 are recommended since the other parts are surrounded by fencing (tight spaces) or the road (could be noisy at times).

Due to heat and lack of shade in some areas, I would recommend walking this trail during early morning hours (the earliest bus leaves Seville at 7 a.m.). At an average pace of 4kms per hour, enthusiastic hikers should be able to make to Castilblanco around noon when it is still cool to enjoy the town. Castilblanco is famous for its local bread and also houses an ethnographic museum.

Also, remember to check out and listen to beautiful storks by the municipality building and the church in the centre which are next to the main bus stop to Seville. Around this bus stop there are some amenities that would be useful for hikers: a water fountain, a small market and a small cafe/bar.

There is a water source along the trail within part 3 (see pictures below) and several proper fountains are also present in Castilblanco.

I've posted the route with turn-by-turn directions on Wikiloc app (free version lets you save/download trails) therefore you can follow us there also. 🏆

Hasta proxima and happy adventures!🚶


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.