Walking the GR7 in Andalucia

Scenery from cool forests to arid plains, historic towns, castles and white Berber villages all add to the enjoyment of walking the GR7 long-distance route through some of the less well-known parts of Andalucía. Complete route description and accommodation details to aid with route planning.

With white sand beaches, pine forests, semi-arid desert badlands, snow-capped peaks, fertile plains, traditional agricultural villages, lush expansive river valleys, olive groves and rolling hills of cork woodland, the 1163km of the GR7 in Andalucía take you on a journey through one of the most geographically varied regions on the Iberian peninsula, and possibly even Europe.

The scenically diverse route starts at the southernmost tip of Spain on the coast at Tarifa, and meanders through the province of Cádiz before splitting into two in the Málaga province. Both routes are part of the official GR7 so here the walker has the choice of taking the Northern Fork which heads through Córdoba and Jaén provinces, or the Southern Fork which passes through Almería and Granada. The whole northern route is 711.5km long and takes 34 to 41 days. The southern route is 719.8km and takes 35 to 42 days. The routes rejoin at Puebla de Don Fadrique, the last town in the Andalucian section of the GR7 and the end of this guide. From here the route continues into the region of Murcia. On its journey through Andalucía, the GR7 crosses through seven stunning natural parks and the Sierra Nevada national park, home to mainland Spain’s highest peak, Mulhacén.

Andalucía has many faces. It is perhaps most famous amongst holidaymakers for its coastline – a haven for sunseekers but now somewhat spoilt by over-development. The GR7 offers the opportunity to see another of its faces. You will explore little-visited hidden gems, enjoy the natural parks and visit unspoilt peaceful villages. And you can take part in positive rural tourism, supporting small communities by staying and eating in family-run hotels, restaurants and guesthouses.

The GR7 is also a great journey through history and cultures of the past and present. As the southernmost part of Spain, Andalucía is the cultural and geographical borderland between Europe and Africa, connecting the Mediterr-anean with the Atlantic Ocean. It is infused with romance as the place of the Moors’ last stand and has long been an inspiration to artists and writers. Grand fortresses and watchtowers bring to life aspects of the eight centuries of Arab rule and there are also some internationally significant prehistoric sites.

ABOUT ANDALUCIA

Andalucía is the most southerly of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities and has both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. It has its own regional administration, the Junta de Andalucía, based in its capital, Seville, and its other major cities are Granada and Córdoba. At 87,300km2 it is the second largest region and is divided into eight provinces, six of which the GR7 passes through.

Despite being the most populous of the autonomous communities (with 7.4 million people), much of the land is still uncultivated or being farmed in traditional ways. About half of Andalucía is mountainous, a third of it at altitudes greater than 600m and including 46 peaks over 1000m. It is home to two of the highest peaks of the Iberian peninsula in the Sierra Nevada mountains: Mulhacén (3481m) and Veleta (3398m).

Thanks to regional and national government initiatives over the last two decades, Andalucía now has a significant programme of environmental protection with almost a fifth of its area under some form of protection. There are 24 natural parks, 28 natural reserves, 32 natural areas and two national parks – the route passes through one of these, the Sierra Nevada, as well as through seven natural parks.

Historically, Andalucía has been a poor region, particularly as a result of the latifundio land ownership system, dating back to the Roman era, in which a few rich gentry owned vast tracts of land worked by poverty-stricken landless peasants. Until recently there were far sharper, more rigid class distinctions in Andalucía than in the north of the country and often class relations were marked by conflict, with many rebellions over the years.

ABOUT THE ROUTE

The GR7 is one of many waymarked long-distance routes across Europe known as ‘GR’, which in Spain stands for Gran Recorrido. Wherever possible they avoid tarmac roads and traffic, instead taking ancient routes including old trade routes, caminos reales (wider routes now protected by royal decree), bridlepaths and even goat tracks. There is an overview map of the route in Andalucía at the beginning of this book. There is a total of 1163km of waymarked GR7 route through the provinces of  Cádiz, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada and Almería and the route is described here from west to east.

The GR7 is the Spanish part of a much longer trans-European route, the E4, which you will sometimes see mentioned on signboards. This passes through Andalucía, Murcia and Valencia before leaving Spain for France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus. The E4 is over 10,000km long and one of 11 long-distance European walking routes (E1-11) which link existing national and local route networks.

The GR7 in Andalucía is a long-distance and challenging route and it is possible to walk the entire length of it (on one of the two routes) in around 40 days. However, it is also varied and versatile and can be broken into shorter sections of many different kinds, offering something for most walkers. While there are many long, strenuous days, ranging from 15 to 35km, there are also plenty of short sections that could make pleasant day trips or be combined for longer routes. Most sections do not travel far from facilities and civilisation, but there are options to walk longer sections through natural parks with enticing diversions to climb peaks or explore some of Spain’s most beautiful wild spaces further. In some of these more remote sections, or to shorten longer days, a tent becomes essential. Otherwise accommodation can be found on the rest of the route, and the remote sections avoided by using public transport if desired. The route is suitable for walkers of a reasonable level of fitness and there are only a few sections with very steep ascents. However, the possibility of high temperates, the weight of a tent and the need to be able to navigate in certain places should be taken into account when deciding which sections to walk and when.

This guide will help the walker make these decisions, dividing the route into potential day walks, detailing all the facilities available and summarising the terrain, height and landscape. A summary of all the routes, including this information, can be found in Appendix 1.

Deciding which sections to walk

Walkers need to decide which of the two GR7 routes in Andalucía to take. Both are part of the official waymarked route, which divides at Villanueva del Cauche in Málaga province. The Northern Fork heads through Córdoba and Jaén provinces whilst the Southern Fork passes through Almería and Granada. The routes rejoin at Puebla de Don Fadrique, the last town on the GR7 in Andalucía.

The book is divided into three sections: Part 1 describes the first section of the route, before the split; Part 2 describes the Northern Fork; and Part 3 describes the Southern Fork. It is possible to walk the entirety of the 711.5km Northern Route (Part 1 plus the Northern Fork) in 34 to 41 days. The Southern Route (Part 1 plus the Southern Fork) is 719.8km long and takes 35 to 42 days to walk. The table above summarises these routes.

Northern Fork

The Northern Fork is the lesser-known of the two options and takes you into beautiful unspoilt areas not yet on the tourist trail, along winding tracks and paths through the olive groves, mountains and natural parks of Córdoba and Jaén.

In Córdoba you follow pretty, old woodland paths in the Parque Natural de la Sierra Subbética, with stunning views across the Subbética mountains, and visit the small town of Rute, famed for its liqueur – anís – and Priego de Córdoba, a striking historic town on a plateau. In Jaén the route takes you through the most important mountain ranges in the province: the Sierra Sur, the Sierra Mágina and the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas. You get a taste of the beautiful natural wild spaces in the province, especially in the sections which pass through the the largest natural park in Andalucía, the Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas and the Parque Natural de la Sierra Mágina. You also pass through picturesque historic towns and villages including Alcalá la Real, dominated by its eighth-century castle, and the vibrant and beautiful Cazorla. The route then crosses over into the Granada province to join up with the Southern Fork of the GR7 in Puebla de Don Fadrique.

Southern Fork

At the divide in Málaga province, the Southern Fork heads into the hills along the foot of the Sierra de las Cabras and down into the province of Granada. The route in Granada is best known for the section in the Alpujarras with its pretty winding ancient paths joining the dots between tiny whitewashed Berber villages and breathtaking views of snowy peaks. However its less-walked sections are also memorable – from the wild green expanses of three natural parks to the immense sun-baked desert landscapes of the altiplano.

En route, you pass through towns and villages with a rich history including the beautiful town of Alhama de Granada with its dramatic gorge and relaxing balneario (spa bath) and the villages of the Alpujarras, such as Lanjarón. This fork also crosses briefly into Almería province, through Bayárcal, its highest village at 1255m, and then climbs further to pass over the highest part of the GR7, at the pine-forested pass of Puerto de la Ragua (2000m).