FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE
In the footsteps of the old muleteers
Villages offer a journey into the past
The great extension of the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche has not prevented its villages have been joined, over time, by roads and trails. So are the many rural villages. Both those that are currently populated, even those that time emptied, and have remained as witnesses of a rural life in danger of extinction.
A route through the villages of Alájar, Almonaster or Cortegana transports the traveler to the history, in some cases still alive, of these lands and their livelihood, mainly agricultural in a traditional way. On your walk you may still meet a muleteer, in charge of transporting goods where the motor vehicle does not yet pass.
In its main villages it is absolutely essential to enter, to know the Peña de Arias Montano de Alájar, chosen by the great humanist of the sixteenth century for his retirement, the Castle of Cortegana or the Mosque of Almonaster la Real, the only Andalusian mosque that has been preserved almost intact in Spain in a rural area.
Equally important are also other towns, such as Aroche, where the historical heritage is its main value, with the Roman site of Turóbrica, next to the Hermitage of San Mamés, or the old town, full of vestiges of medieval times, including its castle. Aracena also offers an important cultural and historical heritage, such as its own historic center, which can be visited on a guided tour through Doñana Aracena Aventura.ana Aracena Aventura, the Castle, from the 12th century and Muslim origin, the first settlement that gave rise to the current population, or the Gruta de las Maravillas itself, a geological treasure still alive today.
Going from one rural nucleus to another on foot, through marked routes led by expert walkers (Lynxaia, Vestigia, Babel Nature or Doñana Aracena Aventura), is one of the great ecotourism pleasures offered by this space. On this route, traditional architecture, livelihoods, customs and ancient trades blend together, speaking to the visitor of a recent past that recalls other times when nature and man merged in the path of life.