Today is attempt number two to reach Castillo de Castellar. Yesterday morning, we had already left our hotel for a stunning walk through the hills, when we arrived at a closed gate after 13 kilometers. Here in Spain, hiking means you'll regularly to go through fences and cross wildlife barriers if you follow routes, as most land is privately owned. But on top of a hill overlooking the reservoir at the bottom of Castillo de Castellar, where we had just arranged to spend the night in a castle, a large landowner decided not to allow anyone on his property anymore. A large fence, closed with four padlocks, stands in the middle of the path. The fencing to the left and right goes on for as long as we can see. On the map we can't really see how far exactly, but to the right it runs towards a large wind farm and next to it is a large dump and waste processing site. If we have to go around that, we'll be almost back in Los Barrios where we left this morning. To go left seems to be the only possibility. As we start to head that side, it doesn't take long before a Jeep comes driving across the property on the other side of the fence. He stops, but speaks no English. We try in Spanish. In any case, we are not allowed to cross the grounds, that much is clear. And the side we chose is even further around than going back. And that, according to Google, is another 30 kilometers or so.
That brings us to 45 kilometers. That's too far anyway, but even more because it's noon already. We try to follow the fence in the other direction to see if we can get between the wind farm and the estate, but that isn't possible either. We soon encounter a security company's car with drones along the path, and a little further on the other side of the fence another jeep. It's really a well-guarded piece of land, you don't just walk over it unseen. So we hike back to where we left off this morning, map out a new route and try again tomorrow.
This morning we walk the first 5 kilometers through Los Barrios and the meadows we walked yesterday. Certainly the stretch through the greenery is stunning in the morning, so that's not bad at all. It's a green hilly terrain that reminds us a bit of the Limburg hills on a spring morning in May. Fresh green grass, lots of flowers, cows and a few donkeys. And it's lovely weather for walking. The vests are already off, but it's not too hot yet. We could go on like this for a while. But alas, once we are on the new route, it runs on asphalt. At first on a small road between the hills, but when we get to the GR7 hiking trail in the valley, we have to walk for kilometers along a big road without much of a view. Fortunately there's a cycle path and the asphalt does run fast, but the hard surface takes a lot of energy. We keep our spirits up with old Irish skipper songs haha. We normally don't listen to music on our phones, we prefer to enjoy the sounds of nature or the silence around us. But along such a busy road, some music can provide just the energy needed.
Time passes quickly and at the town of La Almoraima we can get off the main road and follow a smaller road to Castillo de Castellar. It's another 7 kilometers or so. Along the road is a small path we can follow, which is a bit easier on the feet. A little further on, we turn into the old cobbled road to Castillo de Castellar. This also runs parallel to the new tarmac road, but through greenery. Past old oaks, eucalyptus trees and the yellow captivating mimosa. We can see the beautiful castle village on top of the mountain in front of us. The route was pretty flat from the time we reached the main road until here, but from here it's still quite a climb up to the castle. The sun is shining brightly and the temperature has well exceeded 20 degrees, so it takes some hard work to get to the top. However, the higher we get, the more beautiful the view becomes. The castle above us and the vast hills towards the sea below. Magnificent! Once at the top, we cannot miss our accommodation. At the entrance to this large walled village from the 13th century stands the castle. It houses our hotel for the night, truly a unique place. The hotel in the castle with thick old walls, and the restaurant a street away in a pretty white house. In the evening, we walk through the narrow streets with houses that are almost all still inhabited. Many by artists, and an occasional Airbnb. From our room we have a magnificent view over the hills and the lake we saw yesterday. Now we know what it looks like on this side. Gorgeous!
