Travel Guides

Walking in Andalucia : 36 routes in Andalucia's Natural Parks

by Guy Hunter-Watts

Explore 36 graded walks across Andalucia's six finest natural parks Andalucia's natural and national parks protect some of the most beautiful walking landscapes in southern Spain, from the cork oak forests of Los Alcornocales and the limestone peaks of Grazalema to the high Alpujarras villages of the Sierra Nevada and the ancient woodlands of Cazorla. All six parks share a slice of the magnificent Cordillera Bética and can be enjoyed comfortably from mid-September through to mid-June. Written by Guy Hunter-Watts, who lived and worked in Andalucia for over 30 years, this comprehensive guidebook describes 36 graded walks ranging from 4 to 21km (2 to 13 miles), taking 2 to 7 hours across six of southern Spain's finest protected landscapes. Six walks are dedicated to each park—covering Aracena, Grazalema, Los Alcornocales and Gaucín, La Axarquía, Las Alpujarras in the Sierra Nevada, and Cazorla—with most routes circular and graded easy to medium/difficult. The book combines clear route descriptions with local knowledge and practical planning information to help you explore with confidence. Every walk is illustrated with 1:50,000 maps, and GPX files are available to download, giving you reliable navigation through the parks' varied terrain on paper or digitally. Detailed information on bases and facilities covers accommodation in and around the protected villages of Aracena, Grazalema, Bubión, Cómpeta, Jimena de la Frontera, and Cazorla. Local points of interest are woven throughout, including Moorish-era mountain villages, cork oak forests, river gorges, and the Poqueira Gorge and Río Borosa, adding rich context to every walk. Sized to fit easily in a jacket pocket, this is a practical and lightweight companion for a full day out in Andalucia's natural parks.

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