New camino route in Andalucia - Ruta de Fray Leopoldo

[islandwalker]

Yesterday, a link popped up on my Wikiloc account that might interest others on the forum who are looking for a fall-winter-spring route in Andalucia. The Camino de Fray Leopoldo is a newly signposted route that runs from Alpandeire (a village near Ronda) to Granada. This is not a camino route that leads to Santiago, although you could reach Santiago by continuing on the Mozarabe from Granada. The route is based on the tracks that the Capuchin monk Fray Leopoldo walked between his monastery in Granada and his birthplace of Alpandeire in the Genal Valley near Ronda. The entire route is 224 km, broken into 10 stages.

Links:
Complete route Wikiloc gpx track
Individual stage gpx tracks
Biographical information on Fray Leopoldo, beatified in 2009
Instagram photos and videos of each stage

 

[Kiwi-family]

Do you know if there is accommodation along the route? (I know I could google, but you might know!)

 

[islandwalker]

Do you know if there is accommodation along the route?

Unfortunately, I know hardly anything about the new route. I tried looking for information before I posted, but I think it is maybe too new to have much online. On the Wikiloc page for the complete route it says, "Proyecto piloto del Camino de Fray Leopoldo de Alpandeire a Granada. Primer peregrinaje. Tracking original de Juan Fuentes Gómez. 2023." You could try emailing him through the Wikiloc website. The track posters are usually really good about replying. Or if you don't have a Wikiloc account, I'd be glad to email him for more information. I've walked in the general area of the route several times and know that several of the villages along the route do have small inexpensive hotels (or they did before covid), but I have no idea if this group (which seems to be associated with the Capuchins of Granada) is planning to have albergues. On the instagram page it says, "Proyecto en desarrollo con los Hnos. Capuchinos, la Dip. de Granada y Malaga, y los Aytos. implicados en la ruta (Alpandeire-Granada)", so maybe the local ayuntamientos would have information also.

 

[hieudovan]

Unfortunately, I know hardly anything about the new route. I tried looking for information before I posted, but I think it is maybe too new to have much online. On the Wikiloc page for the complete route it says, "Proyecto piloto del Camino de Fray Leopoldo de Alpandeire a Granada. Primer peregrinaje. Tracking original de Juan Fuentes Gómez. 2023." You could try emailing him through the Wikiloc website. The track posters are usually really good about replying. Or if you don't have a Wikiloc account, I'd be glad to email him for more information. I've walked in the general area of the route several times and know that several of the villages along the route do have small inexpensive hotels (or they did before covid), but I have no idea if this group (which seems to be associated with the Capuchins of Granada) is planning to have albergues. On the instagram page it says, "Proyecto en desarrollo con los Hnos. Capuchinos, la Dip. de Granada y Malaga, y los Aytos. implicados en la ruta (Alpandeire-Granada)", so maybe the local ayuntamientos would have information also.

I am planning to walk this route and would like more information. I don't expect albergues, but would like to know lodging information along the route and in the villages. I looked up the FB group and have asked to join. If you have information from this group or Juan Fuentes Gomez, I'd appreciate it. Thank you. Buen Camino.

 

[islandwalker]

I am planning to walk this route and would like more information. I don't expect albergues, but would like to know lodging information along the route and in the villages.

That is exciting news! I hope you will let us all know what the route is like as you walk it. I'll email Juan Fuentes Gomez tonight and let you know if he replies. I saw in the video clips on instagram that his group got their credentials stamped in the ayuntamientos in each village along the way, so there must be some local awareness of the route.

Re non-albergue accommodation, here are a few notes:
Stage 1 Alpandeire - Ronda - Jesús and Rosa will give you a warm welcome at Hotel La Casa Grande in Alpinedeire. Note that it is open only Wed-Sunday in the off-season. There is a box on their website where you can email them to make a direct reservation or ask questions. Also in Alpandeire, you can visit the house where Fray Leopoldo was born. The very interesting, low-key tour is conducted by a descendent of his birth family. The house is open on weekends and can be opened for visits during the week by calling the number on the door.
The track between Alpandeire and Ronda is quite beautiful and goes by several surprises: the cave where part of Francisco Rosi's 1984 version of Bizet’s Carmen starring Placido Domingo was filmed; a water deposit topped with Corinthian columns; and two 6000-year-old Neolithic burial dolmens. Ronda has accommodations of all kinds.
Stage 3 Serrato - Ardales The Hostal Restaurante El Cruce took good care of us when I broke my shoulder in a bike accident on the way into town.
Stage 4 Ardales - Valle de Abdalagís - You can break this stage at El Chorro where there are several places to stay, including camping cabins and a bunkhouse for all the rock climbers who go there, but you definitely need reservations now that the Caminito del Rey is so popular. If you are interested in seeing the ruins of Bobastro with structures dating from Roman to Muslim times, the track goes right by it a few km before the spectacular descent to El Chorro. Valle de Abdalagis has the Hostal Vista a la Sierra.
Stage 5 Valle de Abdalagís - Antequera brings you onto the Mozarabe from Malaga for the beautiful descent down La Escaleruela into Antequera where there are numerous hotels and a Mozarabe albergue. The dolmens in Antequera are fascinating to visit.
I've not walked Stage 2 or stages 6-10, so don't have any tips about them, sadly.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Ronda is gorgeous. It is a near antipode to Auckland to boot.

 

[islandwalker]

I'll email Juan Fuentes Gomez tonight and let you know if he replies.

Sadly, Juan Fuentes Gomez does not have an email link on Wikiloc. But I emailed the vicepostulador listed on the Fray Leopoldo website. I'll let you know if there is a reply.

 

[islandwalker]

Juan Fuentes Gomez responded immediately to the public post I entered on the wikiloc route page and kindly offered to answer any questions people may have. You can contact him in the comments section of that wikiloc page (near the bottom of the page). His answer:

Hola IslandWalker. Actualmente estamos en la fase piloto del proyecto, trabajando con las administraciones públicas y con Los Capuchinos para adecuar el camino, así como de fomentar y publicitarlo a través de los medios. La página web está en construcción, y se lanzará en los próximos meses. Con respecto a los albergues, hay localidades como Ronda, Riofrío (Loja) o Antequera en las que no tendrás problemas para encontrar albergues. En algunas localidades pequeñas, como Serrato o Villanueva Mesía tendrás que buscar alojamiento en pueblos cercanos. Este punto es uno que depende de las Diputaciones de Málaga y Granada, y sobre el que estamos esperando que nos contacten para ponernos a trabajar.
Y gracias por contactar . Si necesitas más información, te puedo aconsejar de manera personal cual fue nuestra experiencia al hacer el camino hace un par de meses.

Google translation:
Hello IslandWalker. We are currently in the pilot phase of the project, working with the public administrations and with Los Capuchinos to adapt the path, as well as promoting and publicizing it through the media. The website is under construction, and will be launched in the coming months. Regarding hostels, there are towns like Ronda, Riofrío (Loja) or Antequera where you won't have any problems finding hostels. In some small towns, such as Serrato or Villanueva Mesía, you will have to look for accommodation in nearby towns. This point is one that depends on the Provincial Councils of Malaga and Granada, and on which we are waiting for them to contact us to get to work.
And thanks for contacting. If you need more information, I can personally advise you on our experience on the Camino a couple of months ago.

 

[islandwalker]

I did a bit of checking on the two villages he mentions where he said you need to look nearby. It turns out there is a hotel in Huétor-Tájar, 4 km before Villanueva Mesía, and on the route of the camino.

For Serrato, Cortijo Nuevo Alojamiento Rural is 2.3 km west of the camino if you turn left at the junction 2 km before Serrato.

 

[Umwandert]

Obviously there is another stage called Ruta de Fray Leopoldo that leads to Alpandeire. When I read the OP's post, my memory rang, because the name of this new camino sounds similar to my own last name. I was sure that I had come across this camino last December while hiking along the Via Serrana.




I took this photo right in front of the Jimera de Líbar train station (which is the end of stage 4 of the Via Serrana). It shows the route between the train station and Alpandeire (12,6 km).

Since there is probably no public transport to Alpandeire (Rome2Rio recommends a taxi from Ronda), this stage could be a practical start for the Camino Fray Leopoldo to Granada. Estación de Jimera de Líbar is on the Algeciras-Ronda railway line with three trains per day from both directions.

I'm seriously thinking about walking this camino soon. I really like hilly terrain and visiting Ronda and Granada is very tempting.

 

[hieudovan]

Obviously there is another stage of the Ruta de Fray Leopoldo that leads to Alpandeire. When I read the OP's post, my memory rang, because the name of this new camino sounds similar to my own last name. I was sure that I had come across this camino last December while hiking along the Via Serrana.

View attachment 156908


I took this photo right in front of the Jimera de Líbar train station (which is the end of stage 4 of the Via Serrana). It shows the route between the train station and Alpandeire (12,6 km).

Since there is probably no public transport to Alpandeire (Rome2Rio recommends a taxi from Ronda), this stage could be a practical start for the Ruta de Fray Leopoldo to Granada. Estación de Jimera de Líbar is on the Algeciras-Ronda railway line with three trains per day from both directions.

I'm seriously thinking about walking this camino soon. I really like hilly terrain and visiting Ronda and Granada is very tempting.

I was surprised when I initially googled the Camino de Fray Leopoldo, I got the Ruta de Fray Leopoldo, Atajate to Alpandeire. I knew it was not the Camino as it's only 12.6 km. However, I'm glad to find out about the Ruta. Initially I had planned on walking the Camino, from Alpandeire to Granada. However, after learning about the Ruta, I plan on starting at Atajate. Please post when you find out more information on the Ruta (Atajate to Alpandeire) and Camino (Alpandeire to Granada). I look forward to hearing more information on the Ruta and Camino after you have walked it. Buen camino.

 

[islandwalker]

Obviously there is another stage called Ruta de Fray Leopoldo that leads to Alpandeire.

@Umwandert is absolutely right. This earlier Ruta de Fray Leopoldo (also signposted as the PR-A 258 Atajate a Jimera de Líbar) connecting Jimera de Libar, Atajate, and Alpandeire existed before the new Camino from Alpandeire to Granada was laid out. The older route is a very nice walk indeed - water, canyons, great views - and would make a great first stage for anyone wanting to walk up to Alpandeire. You can either take the train from Ronda to Jimera de Libar or you could walk the Via Serrana stages in reverse. If you have a little extra time, a short detour can be walked from Benaojan to Cueva de la Pileta to see the remarkable prehistoric cave paintings.

 

[hieudovan]

When I walk this trail, I will be flying into Spain from California. I assume that it would be best to fly to Málaga then take the train to the Jimera de Líbar train station. I plan to buy a Tarjeta Dorada and ask about how to book a train ticket from Málaga Airport to the Jimera de Líbar train station. I would appreciate it very much if you have information or ideas on how to do this. It'll be my first experience with Tarjeta Dorada and train travel in Spain.

As an aside, the big incentive for me to walk Via de Fray Leopoldo is because one of my granddaughters will be working in Adra, a small seaside town in Andalucía. I will visit her after walking to Grenada. Buen camino.

 

[islandwalker]

a train ticket from Málaga Airport to the Jimera de Líbar train station.

It sounds like this is going to be a very special time for you! How great to be able to meet your granddaughter in Adra. You'll have lots of stories to tell her.

Re the trains, maybe you've already started by checking options on Rome2Rio...? To get from the main train station in downtown Malaga to Jimera de Libar, you need to change trains at the Antequera-Santa Ana station just outside of Antequera. (Or for anyone who wants a really long walk in the area, it is possible walk directly from the Malaga airport to Jimera de Libar on the Gran Senda de Malaga - 10 stages - )

Since this is camino is so new and you will be one of the first to walk it, it would be great if you could be in contact with Juan Fuentes Gomez. You can contact him through the Wikiloc page linked in post #8 above. We walked a new camino last spring (the Ruta del Argar desde Almeria) and found that the waymarks were few and far between, so knowing how to follow the track on Wikiloc was essential. Have you used Wikiloc before?

I'll look forward to reading your reports on the forum!

 

[hieudovan]

Thank you islandwalker. I am just starting to gather information. I would like to learn about Wikiloc since I need it to navigate this new "camino" and to contact Juan Fuentes Gomez. I plan to use Google and Youtube to learn about Wikiloc. Do you have resources that you can point me to? I am impressed with your many travels/walks. Buen camino.

 

[islandwalker]

Do you have resources that you can point me to?

That sounds great. I sent you a private message with some thoughts. Just click on the envelope symbol at the top right of your computer screen or at the top middle of your phone. That will take you to the conversation I started with you.

 

[Bachibouzouk]

@Umwandert is absolutely right. This earlier Ruta de Fray Leopoldo (also signposted as the PR-A 258 Atajate a Jimera de Líbar) connecting Jimera de Libar, Atajate, and Alpandeire existed before the new Camino from Alpandeire to Granada was laid out. The older route is a very nice walk indeed - water, canyons, great views - and would make a great first stage for anyone wanting to walk up to Alpandeire. You can either take the train from Ronda to Jimera de Libar or you could walk the Via Serrana stages in reverse. If you have a little extra time, a short detour can be walked from Benaojan to Cueva de la Pileta to see the remarkable prehistoric cave paintings.

islandwalker/Umwandert

Am I reading this correctly?

1) you could walk from Tarifa to Granada by joining the Ruta de Fray Leopoldo somewhere around Jimera de Libar?

2) from Ronda, along the Ruta de Fray Leopoldo, El Caminito del Rey would be about a two/three day walk? I know the Caminito del Rey has become something of tourist high spot since it re-opened but I'd still like to see it. I'm assuming the walk between Ronda and El Chorro is worth undertaking?

Just when you thought your Camino plans were crystalizing clearly, Forum members come along and heedlessly mess up your best laid plans! Anyone else got any bright ideas?

;-)

 

[islandwalker]

islandwalker/Umwandert

Am I reading this correctly?

Yes, indeed, that is correct, on paper at least. I don't know of anyone who has actually walked the new part of the route (from Ronda to Granada), but the earlier parts are all well-established.

From Tarifa to Algeciras is great coastal scenery. The Via Serrana to Jimera de Libar (or Ronda) has a really special day out of El Colmenar, and the day from Jimera de Libar to Alpandeire on the "old" Camino de Fray Leopoldo is particularly nice. The route I've used between Ronda and El Chorro is the Gran Senda de Malaga - a spectacular walk through the Sierra de las Nieves National Park (Spain's newest) over the Lifa Pass to El Burgo (https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/gran-senda-de-malaga-gr-249-etapa-23-el-burgo-ronda-58023381) and then Ardales (https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-sender...aga-gr-249-etapa-22-ardales-el-burgo-58023235), where you would rejoin the Camino de Fray Leopoldo and arrive directly in El Chorro the next day. El Chorro is where you board the shuttle for the Northern terminus departure point of the Caminito del Rey; at the end of your walk, you'll be back in El Chorro. By the way, I've heard you need to make reservations to walk the Caminito months in advance.

It sounds like a marvelous route. Let me know if I can answer any questions. We've walked the trails in that area on four different trips, and in fact, are headed back there this spring.

 

[islandwalker]

@Bachibouzouk, here's a bit more specific information on the Jimera de Libar to El Chorro portion of the route:

Original Ruta de Fray Leopoldo: Jimera de Libar to Ronda (2 days)

Jimera de Libar to Alpandeire​

Alpandeire to Ronda or this route which takes you by more dolmens and has less road walking​

Ronda to Ardales (2 days)
Option A Ronda to Ardales via the new Ruta del Fray Leopoldo

Ronda to Serrato​

Serrato to Ardales​

Option B Ronda to Ardales via Puerto de Lifa on the Gran Senda de Malaga/GR 249 (2 days) - stages used by the group that walked the Camino in 2023 - see below; goes through the new national park Sierra de Las Nieves; less road walking; El Burgo has a hotel, Serrato does not.

Ronda to El Burgo​

El Burgo to Ardales​

Ardales to El Chorro (1 day)

El Chorro to Granada (6 days) See links below

While perusing routes on Wikiloc, I stumbled across a complete track done by a group walking the entire Camino Fray Leopoldo in October 2023. They are local and seem to have a close connection to the route. I see that they chose to walk Option B above, via Puerto de Lifa. They also have a website with lots of information (more than I have seen anywhere else) about the route. At the bottom of the main page, they give links to individual pages for each stage - where they stayed overnight, where they ate, history of sites along the way, maps, photos, etc. It's like having a guidebook to the route. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in walking the Ruta Fray Leopoldo.
ETAPAS DE LA RUTA DE FRAY LEOPOLDO:

• Etapa 1: De Alpandeire a la Estación de Jimera de Líbar - 15,59 kms.
• Etapa 2: De la Estación de Jimera de Líbar a Ronda - 21,28 kms.
  • Variante: De Alpandeire a Ronda - 23,38 kms.
• Etapa 3: De Ronda a El Burgo - 27,81 kms.
• Etapa 4: De El Burgo a Ardales - 24,18 kms.
• Etapa 5: De Ardales al Valle de Abdalajís - 28,65 kms.
• Etapa 6: Del Valle de Abdalajís a Antequera - 24,71 kms.
• Etapa 7: De Antequera a Archidona - 25,95 kms.
• Etapa 8: De Archidona a Riofrío - 24,47 kms.
• Etapa 9: De Riofrío a Villanueva Mesía - 25,08 kms.
• Etapa 10: De Villanueva Mesía al Cruce de Chauchina - 29,53 kms.
• Etapa 11: Del Cruce de Chauchina a Granada 23,39 kms.

Have you used Wikiloc before? If not, here are some ideas, thanks to various forum users.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/using-wikiloc.855/ Click on the orange download button in the upper right.

 

[Bachibouzouk]

Thanks for all that invaluable information, islandwalker. And thanks for your time in putting it all together.

My plans for 2025 have been (are) a model of muddled and confused thinking. I started off with a Catalan Camino up to Puente de la Reina in mind. Then got side-tracked by Umwamdert's Andalusian Caminos and thought a Via Augusta, Via Serrana and Camino Estrecho loop might be a goer. Whilst looking into that one I read various posts that somewhat put me off the Via Augusta. Then I came across one of your posts that seemed to suggest (I can no longer locate it) that it is possible to walk from Tarifa to Ronda via Los Barrios rather than San Roque (a variant to the early part of the Serrana?) and on to Granada.

So today's plan is to set out from Cadiz along the Estrecho and then follow the Serrana to Seville with a side walk to El Chorro for the Caminito del Rey (following Option B above from Ronda). Or it might be .......

There's no such thing as too much information. Until, of course, you need to make a decision!

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Wow! A route that goes through three architecturally fascinating places: Rhonda, Antequera, and Granada!

 

[islandwalker]

Thanks for all that invaluable information, islandwalker. And thanks for your time in putting it all together.

Then I came across one of your posts that seemed to suggest (I can no longer locate it) that it is possible to walk from Tarifa to Ronda via Los Barrios rather than San Roque (a variant to the early part of the Serrana?) and on to Granada.

You are welcome, @Bachibouzouk. It's a small return for how helpful your postings on the Ruta del Argar north from Lorca were to us, especially your comment about the existence of an alternative route after Moratalla. Now I'll be looking forward to reading the reports from your new walk!

The route via Los Barrios avoids having to enter Algeciras; it cuts up into Los Alcornocales Parque Natural at either El Bujeo on the TransAndalus (a mountain bike route that is just as good for walkers) or El Pelayo on Guy Hunter Watt's Coast to Coast route, and it has wonderful views. If you are lucky, it also provides the chance of running into traditional cork cutters. The gpx tracks for various other stages of the Coast-to-Coast route might come in handy for you. They can be downloaded from the Cicerone Press website or Wikiloc.

If you have time and are interested, the Baelo Claudia Roman ruins at Bolonia (20 km north of Tarifa) are "the most complete Roman urban complex in the entire Iberian Peninsula." (Closed Mondays)

Wishing you a grand walk!

 

[Bachibouzouk]

If you have time and are interested, the Baelo Claudia Roman ruins at Bolonia (20 km north of Tarifa) are "the most complete Roman urban complex in the entire Iberian Peninsula." (Closed Mondays)

Absolutely. Exactly the sort of information I appreciate from this Forum. And it's virtually on route - not that far from El Lentiscal.

Think I'm leaning towards your Los Barrios/Castellar de la Frontera variant (circumventing Algeciras) unless someone comes up with a persuasive argument for the San Roque/San Martin del Tesorillo route.