Updates
With thanks to all walkers who have sent us their suggested revisions/updates and with an extra special gracias to Laura Stevenson of the Club Alpino Italiano for her detailed suggestions after she and her colleagues walked the complete trail in April 2023, and to Malcom Maughan and Stephen Meldrum.
Updated GPX files are available to download.
Route summary table - Height gain/loss
Page 11
Under 'Day 4 Sedella – Alcaucín' the ascent is 860m and descent 1050m wrong way round in text).
Day 1 Maro to Frigiliana
Page 41, paragraph 1
Replace the line:
' ... the path angles left and climbs steeply before dividing by a marker post.'
with
'...the path angles left and climbs steeply before dividing by a marker post where a large arrow on a rock appears to indicate you should keep straight ahead. You, however, should turn left.'
Day 2 Frigiliana to Cómpeta
Page 46, line 2
The Santo Cristo restaurant has closed so change the second line to::
'Ignoring GR249 waymarking off to the left continue along the road for 170m then cut left up a steep footpath…’
Day 3 Cómpeta to Sedella
Page 54, final line
The cairn is no longer there so best to count out the 300m from Villa Markez.
Page 56
The track along the river has been given a facelift and the crossings have been improved by adding wooden bridges.
Day 4 Sedella to Alcaucín
Page 65
A reader sugegested that the path beyond the timing at 4hr 50min, which leads to the Collado del Pasaje, is tricky to follow. Having the GPX track will help navigation at this point, as it does at other points on this long and challenging day.
Day 5 Alcaucín to Ventas de Zafarraya
Page 68,Route Summary
Change 'Refreshments: none en route.' to 'Refreshments in Pilas de Algaida towards end of the walk.'
Page 73, end of second paragraph
The damaged GR7 sign is no longer there.
Day 6 Ventas de Zafarraya to Riogordo
Page 79, last paragraph
There are now six sets of galvanised metal gates.
Page 80, first and final paragraphs
The MA-157 has been renumbered. It is now the MA-4102.
Page 81, final paragraph, line 1
Change:
'where GR249 waymarking points right' to 'where GR249 waymarking points left'
Day 7 Riogordo to Villanueva de Cauche
Page 85, “Refreshments None en route"
There is now a bar that serves food, Venta los Moriscos, 7km from Riogordo next to Hotel Casona los Moriscos, Closed Mondays). Tel: 952 730 145
Page 88, paragraphs 1 and 2
Apparently there are no longer signs for 'Ruta la Molina'
Page 89, paragraph 2
Where it is written 'you pass to the right of a pile of painted white rocks.' A reader's feedback suggests that this should be left. The author thinks it's possible to pass to either side so change to simply 'you pass a pile of painted white rocks'
Day 8 Villanueva de Cauche to Villanueva de la Concepción
Pages 95/96
The whole track down to Villanueva de la Concepción has been upgraded and re-gravelled, rendering most of the author’s detailed directions unnecessary, whilst some of the loops mentioned in the text have been ironed out.
Page 97
The 'ramshackle shed' has been replaced with a new one.
Day 9 Villanueva de La Concepción to Valle de Abdalajís
Page 104, first paragraph
The A-437 has been renumbered. It is now the MA-4402.
Page 103
Two readers have said that the sign for La Escaleruela is no longer present.
Page 105, second paragraph
The structure of the signboard is still there but with no map
Day 10 Valle de Abdalajís to Carratraca via El Chorro
Page 115, final paragraph
Readers have written that they think the timing of 7hr 30min is optimistic and it would be better to allow 8hr 30min.
Day 14 Montejaque to Cortes de la Frontera
Page 145, paragraph 3.
Currently reads:
'Passing a pond and a sign "Fin de Sendero" you reach a metal gate with signs
for ‘Zona de Seguridad’ and "Prohibido el Paso"'.
The public footpath has been re-routed following a dispute with the farm owner who has been aggressive to walkers. You should divert here and follow the instructions below. This adds an extra few hundred metres to the total distance covered on this leg of the Coast to Coast Walk.
Replace the current text with:
'Reaching a pond and the Fin de Sendero sign turn right and walk parallel to a wall for 110m then turn left through a gate passing a second Fin de sendero sign.
Follow a path parallel to a wall topped by a fence as it angles right across open ground then climbs into the trees. After approx 150m of climbing close to the wall cut left through a gate signed Cortes (ignoring GR waymarking right) then descend on an indistinct path back to the flat plain. Up ahead you’ll see the Cortijo de Líbar. Angle right, leaving the trees, to reach a driveable track. Go right along the track which runs through an area of fenced saplings. As you pass the last row of fenced saplings angle 45 degrees left and cross to opposite side of the plain to the only section of wall visible in this direction. You reach a gap in the wall with a wire-and-post gate may be open/on the ground). Go through the gate and head up into the rocks …' then pick up notes in book at paragraph 4.
* The altered GPX file, taking this change into account, is available from the Cicerone website or from the author via www.guyhunterwatts.com Contact)
Day 15 Cortes de la Frontera to El Colmenar
Page 150, end paragraph 2
Should read cut RIGHT through the gate. In 2023 parts of the Casa de La Piedra were being restored, and a new signboard installed.
Page 153, paragraph 4
If you have trouble picking up the path beyond La Casa del Conde bear in mind that the Puente de los Alemanes is 275m southwest of the farmhouse, spanning the river in the gorge beneath you.
Day 16 El Colmenar to Jimena de la Frontera
Page 158, final paragraph
The path up through the trees beyond the gate tricky to open) has become quite overgrown. You could stick to the road up to the 20min timing. This adds approx. 1.4km/20min to the total distance/time of this leg).
Page 162, paragraph 3
Change timing from 2hr 35min to 3hr 20min
Day 18 Castillo de Castellar to Los Barrios
Page 179, paragraph 2
IMPORTANT! A new road and railway depot is being built beyond Castellar which has blocked access to the route as described in the book.
Ignore the instructions beginning 'Just beyond the bridge turn left…'
Instead, having crossed the bridge, continue on along the A-45 then follow the cycle path that runs just left of the road. Pick up intructions again on Page 180, paragraph 5, at timing 3hr.
* This increases the roadside walking by around 4km ie total for the day is now approx. 9km but there is no viable alternative. It’s some compensation that the pylons which line the edge of the road are favoured nesting sites with white storks, Ciconia ciconia. See inset in text in book.
This is the same route that the GR7 follows down/up the valley via the cycle path.
Page 163, final paragraph
Should read 'Some 20m before reaching a drainage channel turn right along a narrow path, ignoring a GR7 marker post indicating that the GR7 does NOT follow this route.'
Page 164 final sentence
Add to end of sentence, '….continue down a stony eroded track through a stand of cork oaks then, reaching a cairn, go right and continue to descend.'
Page 165, final paragraph
The Centro Ciudad sign points left at the fork, not right. The GPS follows the right branch ie you should keep right at the fork.
* One walker suggested you should check the location of your accommodation in Jimena before descending down through the village to the stage’s end point at La Plaza de la Constitución.
Day 17, Jimena de la Frontera to Castillo de Castellar
Page 171, paragraph 2
A reader suggests the sign for 'Castellar 14.5km’ is no longer there.
Page 173, paragraph 2
Change 'Take the left fork, sticking to the main track …' to 'Take the left fork, leaving the main track …'
Day 18, Castillo de Castellar to Los Barrios
Page 180, penultimate paragraph
The broad dirt track has been asphalted.
Day 19, Los Barrios to El Pelayo
Page 191, paragraph 4
A reader update suggests the cairn is no longer visible. Look instead for a Monte Repoblado sign just in from the track in order to locate the gate, beyond which the path becomes overgrown on the descent down to the first houses of El Pelayo.
If you wish to avoid this slightly tricky section you can continue on down the track to the N-340 then turn left into El Pelayo. But be aware that this diversion will add approx. 2.2km/35min to the total distance/timing of this leg.
Mobile phone coverage on the walk
As you would expect in any mountainous terrain there are sections on the Coast to Coast Walk where you should exepect to lose coverage. A reader sent this helpful list of points with no coverage:
Day 01 - in gorges traversed on middle section of walk
Day 02 - in gorge near Fábrica de Luz
Day 08 - close to Puente de Garrayo
Day 10 - in gorge near bridge marked ‘inundable’
Day 12 - in deeper part of the valley of the Río Turrón
Day 14 - in the Líbar Valley beyond the first pass
Day 15 - at the bottom of the Colmenar gorge
Day 16 - beyond Rancho de la Fuente del Río and in valley leading down to the shrine in the rock face
