Via Serrana or Mózarabe from Málaga?

[peregrina2000]

I’ve read the great threads here and sources like Maggie’s blog, but just cannot choose between these two routes. In either case, I will be adding on a second part (Invierno, Sanabrés or Zamorano-Portugués, but I’m leaving that dilemma for later), so that I will walk into Santiago next year (said with fingers crossed and a huge dose of hope).

Rather than throw out my initial reactions and thoughts, I’ll just leave this as a clean slate and ask for opinions from anyone who has walked one or both.

Thanks to all, buen camino, Laurie

 

[AJGuillaume]

We walked the Mozárabe from Málaga, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
You might check out our reports on FindPenguins.

 

[MesaWalker]

We just finished the Via Serrana from La Linea to Sevilla a few days ago. Stunningly beautiful. We didn't see another pilgrim the entire time - that might be a pro or con.

There is construction underway on some of the railway tunnels on the stage leaving Olvera. If you decide to go, be sure to check that status before leaving Olvera - we got lucky and some persuasive German cyclists convinced the construction workers to let us all through a closed tunnel.

Waymarking varied greatly, and we referred to both Johnny Walker's write up and GPS (we used a track we found on the Dutch Confranternity website) frequently. If beauty of nature and solitude call to you, we couldn't recommend it more.

 

[islandwalker]

What a nice dilemma to have. I've walked parts of both routes and they each have marvelous stages. And now there is a third option to add to the mix. If you end up walking the Via Serrana, you could pick up the Ruta Fray Leopoldo at Estacion Jimera de Libar, walk up to the Genal Valley village of Alpandeire, and follow the new Camino de Fray Leopoldo from there into Ronda where you would rejoin the Serrana.

 

[peregrina2000]

We walked the Mozárabe from Málaga, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
You might check out our reports on FindPenguins.

I have read every single word you have written about your Mozárabe, both here and on FindPenguins, but the problem is that nothing you say gives me any reason to choose one over the other.

We just finished the Via Serrana from La Linea to Sevilla a few days ago. Stunningly beautiful. We didn't see another pilgrim the entire time - that might be a pro or con.

There is construction underway on some of the railway tunnels on the stage leaving Olvera. If you decide to go, be sure to check that status before leaving Olvera - we got lucky and some persuasive German cyclists convinced the construction workers to let us all through a closed tunnel.

Thanks, MesaWalker,
The lack of pilgrims is not a factor, I have walked many solitary caminos. I have a buddy who will probably walk the same stages as I do, so I will have company at night, but I love love love walking alone.

I had seen your comment about the tunnels somewhere on the forum and had made a note. My camino won’t happen till spring 2024, though, so I am hoping the problem will have disappeared by then.

If you end up walking the Via Serrana, you could pick up the Ruta Fray Leopoldo at Estacion Jimera de Libar, walk up to the Genal Valley village of Alpandeire, and follow the new Camino de Fray Leopoldo from there into Ronda where you would rejoin the Serrana.

Always happy to get more options, though it makes my head spin. So, if I’m right, it looks like Jimena de Libar to Ronda is one stage on the Serrana. Jimena de Libar to Alpandeire is a well-marked trail (lots of wikiloc), and Alpandeire to Ronda is on Fray Leopoldo’s camino. So that would add a day, not at all a bad thing since I likely will have time! I’ve read your thread about the Fray Leopoldo route and it looks lovely, but still in the planning stages. These two stages (Jimena to Alpandeire and Alpandeire to Ronda) seem very straightforward.

Can you compare these two options, @islandwalker? Any reason to add a day getting into Ronda?

Thanks to everyone!

 

[islandwalker]

Can you compare these two options, @islandwalker? Any reason to add a day getting into Ronda?

Well, both routes into Ronda are wonderful - you can't go wrong! If you stay on the Via Serrana, you have a nice section in the Rio Guardiaro Valley going past Benaojan. (There is actually another option here if you have any particular interest in prehistoric cave paintings and that is crossing the river to the west bank so you can visit Cueva de la Pileta on the way into Benaojan.)

If you take the two-day option, you first traverse an arroyo that feels remote and beautiful and then from Atajate to Alpandeire you get to see the Genal Valley from the top. The next day you walk a higher level route into Ronda with some very nice geologic formations. Our journal shows that stage in reverse.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, your pictures are gorgeous for both of those stages via Alpandeire. As are the ones from Jimera to Benaojan. As are @jungleboy’s for his stage on the Serrana into Ronda…. And he wrote that the day was the “best one yet.”

It seems like if I do go with the Serrana, it really boils down to whether I want two beautiful days into Ronda or one! That’s a very good option to have.

Maybe this pushes me a bit towards the Via Serrana, but I remember reading lots of good things about the Málaga route, too. Luckily I have many months to obsess about this.

 

[MesaWalker]

Good luck deciding! Sounds like you can't go wrong.

 

[LTfit]

Both options sound great to me although the Serrana reports and pictures I've seen left a particular impression. What a tough decision haha. You're far ahead of me as far as 2024 is concerned although I'm leaning towards a walk with more pilgrims than this summer on the Olvidado (not hard as only met 2 on day 16 and one on my last day).

 

[islandwalker]

Maybe this pushes me a bit towards the Via Serrana, but I remember reading lots of good things about the Málaga route, too. Luckily I have many months to obsess about this.

The Malaga route has the gorgeous descent into Antequerra via La Escaleruela at the edge of El Torcal, so that makes it a decision between two great routes. You'll enjoy either one!

 

[AlanSykes]

I'm voting that you take the Málaga route, for the possibly selfish reason that I'm thinking of it for next year and could use a reliable trailblazer. Also, I think it sounds great. But I do have to admit the Serrana is one of my all time favourites.

The shadow of the Ponte Nueve at Ronda:

 

[sebastian606]

We just finished the Via Serrana from La Linea to Sevilla a few days ago. Stunningly beautiful. We didn't see another pilgrim the entire time - that might be a pro or con.

There is construction underway on some of the railway tunnels on the stage leaving Olvera. If you decide to go, be sure to check that status before leaving Olvera - we got lucky and some persuasive German cyclists convinced the construction workers to let us all through a closed tunnel.

Waymarking varied greatly, and we referred to both Johnny Walker's write up and GPS (we used a track we found on the Dutch Confranternity website) frequently. If beauty of nature and solitude call to you, we couldn't recommend it more.

How difficult was this route?

 

[MesaWalker]

How difficult was this route?

Others can weigh in too, but there were some pretty challenging days, especially the day through the the Parque Natural that has quite a few steep ascents and descents. You'd want to be in shape. Johnny Walker's write up provides for either a 10-day or 14-day itinerary. We did it in 10, but some of the longer days would be avoided with the 14-day version.

 

[AJGuillaume]

I have read every single word you have written about your Mozárabe, both here and on FindPenguins, but the problem is that nothing you say gives me any reason to choose one over the other.

True. And that's because I haven't walked the Via Serrana....

The Malaga route has the gorgeous descent into Antequerra via La Escaleruela at the edge of El Torcal, so that makes it a decision between two great routes. You'll enjoy either one!

That stage between Villanueva de la Concepción and Antequera is definitely a highlight of the Mozárabe from Málaga.

However, you sparked an idea in my mind. And we might walk the Via Serrana, but that will happen after you made your decision

Next year, we're returning to the Mozárabe, doing just the portion between Almería and Granada, but with a two week break as hospitaleros in Abla during the last two weeks of April.

After Granada, and a visit to the grandchildren in Málaga, we have a bit more than two weeks before we head across from Spain to Switzerland to see Rachel's family.

And during those two weeks, I thought we might be tempted by the Via Serrana. We would do the 14 day version, or call it 15, as we would spend an extra night in Ronda.

So I have an important question for the Via Serrana veterans: is a departure from La Linea de la Concepción on 14 May too late?

¡Gracias! ¡Buen Camino!

 

[islandwalker]

is a departure from La Linea de la Concepción on 14 May too late?

Well...as you already know, it will in all likelihood be hot by afternoon, but the nice thing about most of the stages as far as Ronda (I haven't walked beyond Ronda) is that unlike the Mozarabe and Argar stages in Almeria, you will generally find plenty of big leafy trees providing a spot to rest in the shade. If it turned out to be too hot for you to want to continue after Ronda, you could make a last minute decision to swing back to the Genal Valley (a 20 km walk south from Ronda on the Camino de Fray Leopoldo in reverse), and walk the route of the Gran Vuelta Valle del Genal under the shade of the abundant chestnut trees.

 

[jungleboy]

Fun choice! I can't speak for the Mozárabe but I think the middle stages of the Vía Serrana in particular are quite special.

As are @jungleboy’s for his stage on the Serrana into Ronda…. And he wrote that the day was the “best one yet.”

Interesting to look back on that comment now as it was the stage after the famous canyon (which was also fabulous). I loved the mountain scenery and rural paths on the day into Ronda and the distant views of the city were also great because from afar you can really understand the topography of such an unusual place. And then Ronda itself was great to explore in the afternoon.

 

[Kiwi-family]

How about both/and? Walk the Via Serrana and then take a bus or a flight from Seville to Almeria and walk the Mozarabe.....as that ends in Zamora, it would just seem right to head straight across the city onto the Zamorano-Portugués, which solves that dilemna for you nicely! Then you can tell the rest of us which of your two options ended up being your favourite. Win win all round.

 

[peregrina2000]

How about both/and? Walk the Via Serrana and then take a bus or a flight from Seville to Almeria and walk the Mozarabe.....as that ends in Zamora, it would just seem right to head straight across the city onto the Zamorano-Portugués, which solves that dilemna for you nicely! Then you can tell the rest of us which of your two options ended up being your favourite. Win win all round.

Well, that option is eliminated because of time constraints at home. I just don’t have more than a month to walk anymore. But I would love to do that!

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, both routes into Ronda are wonderful - you can't go wrong! If you stay on the Via Serrana, you have a nice section in the Rio Guardiaro Valley going past Benaojan. (There is actually another option here if you have any particular interest in prehistoric cave paintings and that is crossing the river to the west bank so you can visit Cueva de la Pileta on the way into Benaojan.)

If you take the two-day option, you first traverse an arroyo that feels remote and beautiful and then from Atajate to Alpandeire you get to see the Genal Valley from the top. The next day you walk a higher level route into Ronda with some very nice geologic formations. Our journal shows that stage in reverse.

Thanks to those who offered opinions, I'm leaning towards Serrana. I am starting to take a look at tracks, distances, etc.

@islandwalker, am I right that the distances on the Leopoldo alternative are Jimena-Alpandeire (14-ish km) - Ronda (20 -24km)?

I know it’s all beautiful, but if you were trying to be careful with your days, in your opinion would this justify a “splurge” extra day? Both in terms of terrain and the destination of Alpandeire. One consideration being that I LOVE walking in mountains.

Another consideration may be that I definitely want to have enough time in Ronda in the afternoon to follow some of your wikiloc routes around town. I was there years ago and remember loving it. Is my memory right that there are Arab baths down at the bottom?

 

[islandwalker]

I know it’s all beautiful, but if you were trying to be careful with your days, in your opinion would this justify a “splurge” extra day? Both in terms of terrain and the destination of Alpandeire. One consideration being that I LOVE walking in mountains.

After much discussion between the two of us, we can't settle on any definitive conclusion! Note that the final two km into Ronda are the same on both routes. Here are some points to consider:
Via Serrana into Ronda: 16.83 km 752 m elevation gain

• Beautiful views of the high sierra across the Rio Guardiaro to the west.
• Option of staying or eating in Benaojan if the weather is horrible (but the bridge into the station area is washed out, and you can only cross the steppingstones at low water. There is another bridge to the upper part of the village farther on.)
• The track is never above 500 meters, so you are more or less in the bottom of the canyon looking up (but it’s a great view up).
• You get to stay on the official route so you can comment on it later when people ask you what it is like.
• Goes through Estacion de Jimera de Libar, not the village itself. There is a campground with cabins to rent in the area.
• note that if the river is high and you cannot follow the river trail out of town just north of the station in Estacion de Jimera de Libar (as has happened to us twice), there is another easy way to get to the trail. See the map and photos near the bottom of this page.

Ruta de Fray Leopoldo into Ronda 33.47km (2.3km shorter if you don't go all the way into Alpandeire to stay overnight) 1440 m of elevation gain (see note near end of track text; given track is in reverse, so the descent in that direction is the ascent in the direction you'd be walking)

• Lets you take a route high in the mountains that divide the valleys of the Rio Guadiaro and the Rio Genal
• Goes higher in the mountains - up to 1008 meters at the Encinas Borrachas Pass - and feels more remote
• Goes through the villages of Jimera de Libar, Atajate, and Alpandeire, all with places to eat and sleep
• Great small hotel in Alpandeire that caters to walkers and serves delicious meals
• Allows a visit the home of Fray Leopoldo if desired
• Takes two days instead of one if you stay overnight in Alpandeire; I would find it impossible to walk this in one day, but you might be able to
• Passes two megalithic dolmen
• Track up to the pass may be slippery in bad weather

In Ronda: the Arab baths are still there. The walls were badly damaged in the recent floods, but the baths themselves were not. On the other side of the bridge, the walk down to the mills below the bridge is stunning - great views of the bridge from the bottom. You can walk right under it.

 

[peregrina2000]

Wow, thanks, @islandwalker. The decision isn’t any easier, but at least I know that either way is great! I think it will come down to how much time I have, because the “goes higher in the mountains” is a real draw!

 

[Saunterr]

A great tool for anticipating the weather between La Linea and Seville:

https://caminoweather.com/via_serrana/