Jaen and the Rivers of Axarquia
NOW THAT SUMMER IS OVER, IT IS A PERFECT TIME TO VENTURE DEEPER INTO THE ANDALUCIAN COUNTRYSIDE, AND DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF THIS DIVERSE PROVINCE.
JAEN – Nature lovers will find everything they are looking for in the National Park of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas: tranquility, landscapes full of life and also of history. This enormous area was one of the first in Andalucia to be declared a National Park and it is the most extensive protected area in Spain and the second largest in Europe, covering 210,000 hectares. It is as large as the province of Vizcaya and its landscapes are perfectly conserved: the waters are clean, the woodland is dense, the summits cloudless and several of them are more than 2,000 meters above sea level.
Amid these mountains there are numerous attractions for travellers who are interested in the sort of countryside, which combines nature in its purest state with traditional and historical villages and towns. Mountain bike enthusiasts will appreciate the bridle paths, which were traditionally used for communications between the villages. Lovers of history and architecture will find scatterings of castles and towers as well as the native architecture of each village and art lovers will be especially delighted with the Zabaleta Museum in Quesada, which is dedicated to Rafael Zabaleta, an artist who was born in the town.
This park is famous for being one of Spain’s birdwatching paradises. Fans of adventure sports such as climbing, potholing, rafting, canoeing and hang-gliding will find this one of the best places to practice their favourite sports, and every July the town of Segura de la Sierra plays host to the International Art Festival.
These mountain roads are ideal for drivers and motorcyclists who enjoy a quiet drive through stunning countryside.
THE RIVERS OF THE AXARQUIA – The river Chillar and its tributary the Higueron offer one of the most entertaining ways to keep cool and do a little walking all through the summer.
One of the best ways to practice hiking in Malaga is to follow the courses of the most abundant rivers of the Sierra de Almijara, the Chillar and the Higueron. The first, the Chillar, is without doubt one of the most well known rivers in Malaga, and outside the province. It’s not surprising as the river runs through some of the most unusual countryside in Andalucia.
To follow the course you will have to take an amphibious route, in other words expect to alternate between walking along the bank and in the river itself. Just walking in the river with the gentle touch of the cool water is well worth the effort. The sights make it all worthwhile – beautiful countryside, sheer walls of limestone with tumbling waterfalls and deep pools of crystal clear water will make you think you are in another world. There are other unusual sights such as the peculiar ”cahorros”, that gorges that have been carved out by the river Chillar through the passage of time.
