New from September 2014 guided walks in Andalucia, Spain

VILLANUEVA DEL TRABUCO, Spain - June 14, 2014 - PRLog -- Do you like walking in the countryside in the UK but have had enough of the rain then come walking with us in the beautiful countryside here in Andalucia, Spain. We provide day walks or a weeks package, lasting between 2 to 6 hours  which can be organised to suit your requirements. We guide walks from September through to June only, because July and August are too hot to walk. Local accommodation, cheap flights and car hire can be found from our website at www.atrekinthesun.com or contact us by email at info@atrekinthesun.com for more information.

Examples of some of our walks.

Walk 1 Ascend Hacho
The Ascent of Hacho: A 4 hour guided walk to the top of Hacho (1024m).
We will meet in Villanueva del Trabuco at 9 am and drive to the start of the walk in Loja.
The walk is hard for the first hour being quite a steep ascent but after that the going gets easier and you are rewarded for the hard work with splendid views. The descent is easier along good tracks ending up in the town where you can buy refreshments at a nice bar. Followed by a 30 minute walk again along a good track back to the car.

Walk 2 Loja to Cascada de las Chorreras
Loja to Cascada de las Chorreras. Take a dip in the waterfall if you are brave enough. This is an easy 2 hour flat walk ideal for the summer weather. Refreshments can be had on the return journey at bar Dos Hermanos in Venta Santa Barbara.  Meet at 9am in Villanueva del Trabuco to drive to the start in Loja.

Walk3 Charco del Negro
This walk is in the remote hills of the Sierra de Loja, sharing the space with massive wind turbines. Meet at 9am in Villanueva del Trabuco to drive to the start in Loja. The walk takes you past Charco del Negro and Cueva Hora before ascending up to the boardwalk and mirador then back to the start. The walk will take around 3 hours and there is nowhere to get refreshments on the walk so bring plenty of water and a snack if required.

Villanueva del Trabuco (our base)

The River Guadalhorce and Higueral run through the village, offering many lovely country walks along their banks. In the town centre there are many pretty areas to found, like the oldest quarter, el Bario de los Villares. This area captures all that is typically Andaluz, with the smart little whitewashed houses lining the steep narrow streets. The splash of brightly coloured flowers, spilling out of the well tended terra cotta window boxes, make a walk through the village a real delight.

The heart of the village is the Plaza de Prado, where you will find most of the shops. This is also where most people tend to gather for social events or simply to meet up for a chat with friends and neighbours. This main square is also where you will find the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), as well as the renowned fountain known as the 'Fuente de los tres Caños'. The water from this fountain, which is said never to dry up (even in times of drought), is apparently one of the best sources of water in the province.

Although this is not one of the oldest villages in the area, some historians say that there are signs of Roman settlements here. The first documented evidence of Villanueva del Trabuco dates back to 1620, when reference is made to a large area of pasture land called Trabuco, which then belonged to the municipal area of Archidona. About a hundred years later Carlos III decided to repopulate some Andalucian areas with foreign colonies of Catholics and Germans, and in 1808 Trabuco became segregated from Archidona.

Villanueva del Trabuco, in the far eastern side of the Antequera area, nestles at the foot of the Gorda and San Jorge Mountains, which provide very beautiful surrounding scenery to the village and the fields around it. There is a lovely river side walk which leads up the Sierra de San Jorge (San Jorge Mountain). In contrast to the steep rise, the foothills form a soft landscape of olive groves and wheat fields, dotted with houses and farmhouses. The rivers and water springs present in the area, add to the lush landscape, enriched with different species of poplars and ash trees, which provide welcome shade for a long lazy summer day in the country.

Local Produce

The olive oil, as well as the flour for bread is still made in the old fashioned way, without additives or new processes. So it is worth buying some pure olive oil and sampling the local bread during your visit.

Many of the other hand made crafts have been lost, apart from the wrought iron work and bamboo and basket weaving. Much of the basketwork is used for collecting the olives during the harvest time (from December to February).

Fiestas and Festivals

Candelmas
The fiesta of Candelmas is celebrated in the village on the 1st of February and then at the end of the month there are colourful Carnival celebrations.

Easter Week
Easter week is a particularly pretty time to visit, when the village streets are alive with processions and tradition. A particularly good time to go is after 8.p.m. on the Thursday and Friday when the Semana Santa (Holy week) has its most important porcessions.

San Marcos
On the 25th April the San Marcos festivities see the whole village taking to the countryside for a huge picnic to celebrate the patron saint of the 'campo' (countryside).

The first week of June lights up with festivities, followed a few days later by the San Antonio quarter of the village organizes a festival in honour of the patron saint. This is followed by two days of celebrations for the night of San Juan.

Annual Fair
Towards the end of the hot month of August the village celebrates is annual fair, which dates back to 1853, when it was considered the most important cattle fair in the region.

About Us
We are Cyril & Chris and are enjoying life in Spain. We will be leading the walks and have both been walking for over 30 years the last 8 of which have been in Spain. In the past we have walked in Nepal, New Zealand, The Alps, French & Spanish Pyrenees, Morocco, Italy and of course all over the UK.

Come and enjoy a beautiful walking holiday with us.