Aracena sits on a particularly high, rugged section of the Sierra, and the country that stretches away to the west is some of the most scenic in the region. The next day we decided to explore some of this picturesque landscape, just as village fairs and Christmas cheer were taking over. Heading out on winding A-470 east of Aracena you almost immediately are surrounded by deep forests stretching as far as the eye can see. There’s little sign of human activity other than cork oak trees diligently stripped of their bark to keep wine tasting good. This is a totally sustainable practise that doesn’t damage the trees and is much better for the environment than any ‘plastic’ cork you could come by. The bark steadily regrows and a few years later it can be harvested again.
Mountains rose steeply to the north of the road but to the south, in the valleys, lay the two tiny historic villages of Linares de la Sierra and Alajar. Both are quiet, pretty rural communities with cobbled streets, centred around their respective picturesque churches and both are connected to Aracena by a walking trail that would make a lovely day’s exploration.
From Alajar we headed North up a twisting mountain route over the spine of the mountains towards the little town of Fuenteheridos. Due to the fact we were travelling on a budget we’d brought our little Primus camping stove along to cook dinners, so, once we found a suitable little park with a table and benches, we sat down amongst the trees overlooking the next quaint little village, Castano del Robledo. With southern Spanish weather good enough for the outdoors year round, this is a great way to save money on a journey without cutting down on the pleasure.
Next on the list was the town of Jabugo, even more of a ‘ham’ centre than Aracena, although I have to say the place didn’t have much else to offer than its reputation for ham connoisseurs. We were getting pretty knackered by this point but decided to make one last push to check out the Castle overlooking the town of Cortegana. This last effort paid off, as the castle, a true ‘Game of Thrones’ affair, is spectacular, sighted on top of an isolated solitary hill with awesome 360-degree views stretching away towards the Portuguese border. The region’s medieval inhabitants really knew where to build their castles!
On our final full day we decided to head east, out towards the town of Zufre, about 30km from Aracena. The hills in this region are less dramatic and forests not quite as dense, but the countryside is still very lovely. The town is one of the prettiest in the region, both for its twisting cobbled streets, elegant church, plazas and, perhaps chiefly, because of its wonderful location. The town is set high on a cliff edge with sweeping views over the lush valley all the way down to the Zufre reservoir. The Paseo is an elegant park with a couple of nice cafés and ‘best in the house’ views over the valley. It’s a great place to chill, have a drink and watch local life unfold.
At this point I think we felt like we’d taken in about as many picture-perfect villages as we could manage over our time in the Sierra Morena and we headed back towards Corteconcepcion for a relaxed afternoon. On the way back, we cooked up lunch in a rustic little park outside Puerto Moral. Post lunch a short wander up the road allowed me to say ‘hi’ to some of the Sierra Morena’s most iconic residents, the black pigs- the source of the Jamon Iberico. I’m not a major meat eater, so the ham isn’t really here or there for me, but I can see why the ham is so good. The pigs have a wonderful existence compared to those in the terrible industrial factory farms found throughout Europe. Here in the Sierra Morena, the sight of contented looking pigs snuffling round in the forest munching acorns, foraging and stretching their legs is ubiquitous. It’s a life a factory farmed pig in the UK could only dream of! I left the curious pigs in their field to sunbathe and headed back to our place for another chilled evening. The next day we headed home.
The Sierra Morena has a gentle, easy going beauty far removed from the hustle and stress that most people associate with ‘modern’ living. By comparison, on my return to ‘post-Christmas’ Granada I think I felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people on the streets. These gentle hills are a place that’s famous for its riot of spring flowers and one day I’d like to return again to walk some of its little trodden trails. It’s a region that has a huge potential for eco-tourism, but is only just beginning to experiment with these concepts.
I would heartily recommend you explore this region yourselves!
