Overview
A week of self-guided walking in the Sierra de Aracena, which is part of the larger Sierra Morena range in Andalucía. Its glories are also protected by Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park status, where walkers delight in remote trails through ancient Andalucía. Enjoy shady walks through cork oak forests where the local black pigs feast on acorns, and saunter along streams that link one ancient village to the next. You can also feast on the region’s culinary culture at Arrieros, a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Or soak up its Islamic heritage at a local hammam in Linares de la Sierra. Stay in a mix of small, locally-owned hotels and cottages, with luggage transfers included.
- Alájar
- Aracena
- Galaroza
- Gruta de las Maravillas
- Jamón Museum
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Alájar
Arrive in Alájar, located in the heart of Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. Your accommodation for the next three nights is located outside the village in a beautiful rural area. Depending upon the time of your arrival, there is the option to take a short circular walk around Alájar. In the evening, there is a welcome three-course dinner, with a bottle of wine.
- Accommodation: Molino Río Alájar or similar in Alájar
- Optional walk: 5km
- Meals: dinner
Day 2: Circular walk to Linares de la Sierra | 12.3km
Start by following the route towards Los Madroñeros, a semi-abandoned hamlet with more cats than people. Continue towards Linares de la Sierra. Linares de la Sierra has a hammam or traditional baths, and you should let the accommodation know if you would like to make a reservation in advance. From Linares de la Sierra, continue the route towards Mirador a Linares de la Sierra viewpoint and, from there, follow Barranco del Hoyo towards Alájar.
- Accommodation: Molino Río Alájar or similar in Alájar
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 12.3km ↑400m ↓377m
Day 3: Circular gorge walk | 13.5km
This circular walk takes you through cork oak forests, olive and chestnut groves and dehesas (a form of land typical of south-eastern Spain used mainly for animal farming) where you may see the famous indigenous black pigs feasting on acorns. From the accommodation, head towards a stream called Santa Ana, which you then follow almost entirely to Barranco del Gato. Continue on by following the Alájar stream back to your accommodation.
- Accommodation: Molino Río Alájar or similar in Alájar
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 13.5km ↑316m ↓323m
Day 4: Alájar – Galaroza | 15.5km
Start by walking towards Santa Ana and, from there, head over the hills to Castaño del Robledo. Then continue through woodlands of elms, poplars, alders, cork oaks and chestnuts, in an area that’s also good for birding. Your final destination for today is the village of Galaroza, characterised by its white-washed houses and pebble-covered streets.
- Accommodation: Hotel Rural 12 Caños or similar in Galaroza
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 15.5km ↑49m ↓488m
Day 5: Circular walk to Valdelarco | 16.9km
Start by climbing to the top of the village where you get a great view over the region. Continue across a valley filled with chestnut and fruit trees, then walk up to the highest point of the walk, in the the village of Valdelarco, with a population of only 250 people. From Valdelarco, follow partly the route along Barranco de Navahermosa back to Galaroza.
- Accommodation: Hotel Rural 12 Caños or similar in Galaroza
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 16.9km ↑544m ↓527m
Day 6: Galaroza – Aracena | 18.8km
Today’s walk starts through more woodland, then opening out into areas of gorse and heather. The route then descends to Aracena, the natural park’s main town. For lovers of jamón serrano, we recommend visiting the Jamón Museum to learn all about the production of this Spanish delicacy. The Gruta de las Maravillas (Grotto of Wonders), a cave system of over 2km is also a must.
- Accommodation: Hotel Convento Aracena or similar in Aracena
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 18.8km ↑587m ↓438m
Day 7: Circular walk to Corteconcepción | 18.6km
Today’s route is an 18km circular walk to Corteconcepción, taking you through the Mari Mateo Valley and riverfront woodlands. Start by walking to Mirador de Castañuelo viewpoint and then continue to the small hamlet of Carboneras. The route then continues to Corteconcepción with a small detour to visit Los Molinos waterfall. From Cortecocepción, follow the route back to Aracena.
- Accommodation: Hotel Convento Aracena or similar in Aracena
- Meals: breakfast
- Walking for the day: 18.6km ↑599m ↓590m
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast or extra nights available on request.
- Meals: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels and cottages. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. Private cottages have a fully-equipped kitchen and living room.
Click to view our default hotels for this trip
- Molino Río Alájar (Alájar)
- Hotel Rural 12 Caños (Galaroza)
- Hotel Convento Aracena (Aracena)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
All breakfasts and one dinner are included in the trip. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or from restaurants in the town where you stay overnight. Although Alájar has six restaurants, dinner is only possible on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Alternatively, the local bars offer cold tapas during the week.
Difficulty and terrain
We rate the difficulty level as easy to moderate with daily distances ranging between 12 and 18km. All through walking paths with occasional road crossing, and well-signed all the way (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you only to follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed instructions and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available all year round, except for July and August. The best time to visit the region is in April, May and October) when the weather is warm and pleasant with average temperatures that fall between 20C and 26C.
The flexibility of self-guided walking holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Spain.
Getting there
Click to view travel options and route planner
Our recommended airport for this tour is Seville Airport (SVQ).
Arrive in Alájar:
- From Seville, there is a daily bus leaving from Plaza de Armas station departing at 16.00 (Monday to Friday) to Alájar (2h), this journey has a change of buses in Aracena. For more information and tickets visit Damas or use the Omio planner above. Once in Alájar, you meet our driver who transfers you to your accommodation.
- On Saturdays and Sundays there is a bus from Plaza de Armas station departing at 9.00 to Aracena (1h 35mins). For more information and tickets visit Damas or use the Omio planner above. From Aracena you can book a transfer with us to take you to Alájar.
Departure from Aracena:
- There is a daily bus from Aracena to Seville (1h 03mins) the bus leaves Aracena at 07.45 on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays at 18.15. For more information and tickets visit Damas or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms
- 7 breakfast
- 3-course dinner and a bottle of wine on day one
- Luggage transfers between accommodations (one piece of luggage per person up to 23kg)
- Digital documentation including roadbook and GPX tracks
- 24/7 Phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connection land transfers
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Drinks and other meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own – upon request only
- Extra nights available on request
- Dinner at Molino Río Alájar on days four to six (must be preordered and to be paid for locally)
- Transfers from/to Seville
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
