Vía Serrana from Gibraltar

[alansykes]

As an alterntive to the Vía Augusta from Cádiz (or Algeciras), it is apparently possible to walk from La Línea de la Concepción to Seville, taking about 234km.

It sounds like a great add-on to the Vía de la Plata. The route goes through or past San Roque, Jimena de la Frontera, part of the Sierra de Grazelema natural park, Ronda (one of my favourite places on earth), vulture colonies at Peñón de Zaframagón, joining the Augusta at Utrera, a day from Seville, with 30-odd km on the Vía Verde de la Sierra, and four churches of Santiago en route.

I wonder if any forum members have walked it - the main advantage (for me) over the Vía Augusta is that it's clearly a lot less flat. The Asociación Gaditana Jacobea has produced a useful looking guide to the route, and also posted the stages on wikiloc. I'm committed to the Mozárabe from Almería this year, but the Serrana/Plata is looking likely for 2017

 

[Canuck]

I wonder if any forum members have walked it

I did last April-May from La Linea de la Concepcion(after a visit to Gibraltar) with my wife, before moving on to the Rota Vicentina in Portugal.
It's a beautiful camino, very well marked with plently of affordable commercial accommodations.
We haven't met anybody other than a couple of Sunday walkers.
This camino is truly a hidden gem.
Enjoy!
Jean-Marc

 

[elizason]

As an alterntive to the Vía Augusta from Cádiz (or Algeciras), it is apparently possible to walk from La Línea de la Concepción to Seville, taking about 234km.

It sounds like a great add-on to the Vía de la Plata. The route goes through or past San Roque, Jimena de la Frontera, part of the Sierra de Grazelema natural park, Ronda (one of my favourite places on earth), vulture colonies at Peñón de Zaframagón, joining the Augusta at Utrera, a day from Seville, with 30-odd km on the Vía Verde de la Sierra, and four churches of Santiago en route.

I wonder if any forum members have walked it - the main advantage (for me) over the Vía Augusta is that it's clearly a lot less flat. The Asociación Gaditana Jacobea has produced a useful looking guide to the route, and also posted the stages on wikiloc. I'm committed to the Mozárabe from Almería this year, but the Serrana/Plata is looking likely for 2017

Thank you for posting this.
Hello Alan,
I will have time Feb,Mar or April 2017 and am very excited about doing Via de la Plata.
This sounds like a wonderful addition.
Thanks much for sharing !
All the best,
Eliza

 

[george.g]

Hi Alan.
Last year I walked from Cadiz, if you follow the Serrana route you will probably stop in Utrera as I did, it may be a good idea to give the Pension Higalgo 11 ( suggested by the Cadiz amigos) a miss, its above a bar favored by the local youth, LOUD music till very late. Check Tripadvisor.
I must say the Via Serrana looks good and if I hadn't more or less decided on the Mozarabe from Almeria for my next camino in '17, would probably have considered it, '18 perhaps??
Regards,
George

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi Alan, I have walked the GR7, which coincides with a fair chunk of this camino at least until Ronda, albeit a few (12) years ago. The stretch between Jimena de la Frontera and Ronda was seriously challenging. The Cicerone guide to the GR7 suggests 36k, IMO a significant underestimate. There are no facilities (apart from the odd tree ) until Ubrique the old Venta at the A373 / A375 junction was a private house when I got there. The roman road up to Benacoaz was worth the previous days pain and the Meson that you can see as you finish the climb to the village did one of the best menu I have ever enjoyed. If you would like more old notes from a dusty attic just let me know.

And happy planning

 

[alansykes]

Hi Alan, I have walked the GR7, which coincides with a fair chunk of this camino at least until Ronda, albeit a few (12) years ago. The stretch between Jimena de la Frontera and Ronda was seriously challenging. The Cicerone guide to the GR7 suggests 36k, IMO a significant underestimate. There are no facilities (apart from the odd tree ) until Ubrique the old Venta at the A373 / A375 junction was a private house when I got there. The roman road up to Benacoaz was worth the previous days pain and the Meson that you can see as you finish the climb to the village did one of the best menu I have ever enjoyed. If you would like more old notes from a dusty attic just let me know.

And happy planning

Dusty old attic notes very gratefully received. The asociación's wikiloc trails suggest going from Jimena de la Frontera to Ronda via El Colmenar and Jimera de Líbar, taking 3 days to cover 58km (and about 2000m of ascent).

Hi Alan.
Last year I walked from Cadiz, if you follow the Serrana route you will probably stop in Utrera as I did, it may be a good idea to give the Pension Higalgo 11 ( suggested by the Cadiz amigos) a miss, its above a bar favored by the local youth, LOUD music till very late. Check Tripadvisor.
I must say the Via Serrana looks good and if I hadn't more or less decided on the Mozarabe from Almeria for my next camino in '17, would probably have considered it, '18 perhaps??
Regards,
George

Thanks George. I shall do my best to avoid Utrera's Hidalgo, possibly going on to Alcalá de Guadaíra, where there is an albergue mundicamino praises for its "excelente trato y atención muy humanitaria".

Feeling slightly self-indulgent planning the camino after next, but also really looking forward to heading out of Almería this autumn.

 

[george.g]

Hi Alan,
Are you planning to post your Mozarabe progress anywhere? While I walked Malaga - Cordoba - Merida with Maggie last year (check out her great blogg), current info on the Almeria - Cordoba section would be a help for my planning for next year.
Nowt wrong with thinking about the camino after next in my book.
Regards
George

 

[Tincatinker]

The asociación's wikiloc trails suggest going from Jimena de la Frontera to Ronda via El Colmenar and Jimera de Líbar, taking 3 days to cover 58km (and about 2000m of ascent).

The GR7, well waymarked as I recall, goes Jimena - Ubrique - Villaluengo del Rosario - Montejaque - Ronda. About 90k and a similar ascent. Typically of a GR very little is on road, also typically some of the road avoidance bits can be cheerfully avoided.

 

[25 characters is too shor]

Hello there, I plan to walk the Via Seranna next April all going well.. I will be beginning in Tarife heading east back toward El Pelayo stage 1 and onto Algeciras stage 2. My query here is the walk from here to La Linea Conception. Looking at Google maps it looks like a long way around to have to get there going via Los Barrios even skirting away around the outside of San Roque. Any info on the most direct route (barring a ferry across the bay) from Algeciras to La Linea would be greatly accepted.

 

[25 characters is too shor]

Hold the press I've found another map which squeezes it down to 32k. That'll do nicely. Thanks for a great and informative thread.

 

[patrickelvin]

Hi Alan, I have walked the GR7, which coincides with a fair chunk of this camino at least until Ronda, albeit a few (12) years ago. The stretch between Jimena de la Frontera and Ronda was seriously challenging. The Cicerone guide to the GR7 suggests 36k, IMO a significant underestimate. There are no facilities (apart from the odd tree ) until Ubrique the old Venta at the A373 / A375 junction was a private house when I got there. The roman road up to Benacoaz was worth the previous days pain and the Meson that you can see as you finish the climb to the village did one of the best menu I have ever enjoyed. If you would like more old notes from a dusty attic just let me know.

And happy planning

 

[patrickelvin]

You will find the GR7 and serrana part company at Jimena , and the tough part of the GR7 starts there. The GR 7 goes through more exciting countryside while Serrana ambles gently up the Guadiaro valley joining t he GR 141 at Colmenar and has an exciting section there. Is there a recognised website for the Serrana ?

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi, its fun when these old threads pop back into life! I'm not aware of a website though the Asociación Gaditana Jacobea may have something worth surfing.

 

[KinkyOne]

I have only this one:
https://www.jimenadelafrontera.es/ruta-via-serrana
It includes downloadable/printable flyer (folleto).