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Ronda to Benaojan train station
Overall ascent: 230 metres/ 540‘.
Starting from Ronda's famous bridge, head south along the A-369 which soon drops down to ta small roundabout. With the old town walls behind you, ignore the C-3 road to Marbella to your left, and follow the Calle de los Torrejones to the south. Continue uphill for about 700m until you reach a small crossroads nearly at the edge of town. The trail to your right is the Camino de las Cortes de la Frontera, which very quickly forks. Take the marked, left hand fork.
The trail is wide enough to allow cars by, and passes through an area of small fields with scattered olives and other fruit trees. Keep your eyes open here for shrikes, larks, finches and other birds, plus many species of butterflies. It soon drops down to a wooded glen, where the trail forks, at a stone wall topped by a wire fence. Local guidebooks are a bit confusing here. The marked trail straight ahead goes to a cave system, but for Benaojan you need to take the right fork. You soon leave the wooded area and get back into open country again. Ahead of you rises a long ridge, with a farmhouse visible about mid-way up the slope. The trail turns sharp right just at the farm entrance and climbs the slope to the right of the farm. The trail was cleared recently when I last hiked this in early 2011. It is very muddy in wet weather. Once on this section it is a straight-forward climb to the ridge top, and a long slope downhill to the road. Ahead of you is a large building down by the road, which from a distance looks like it might be the train station. Not so - it is just a fine private house.
Once on the road turn left and walk about 300m as far as the bridge, then drop down the path beside the bridge to the river-side trail below. Follow this upstream for about a kilometer, where a footbridge takes you across to the river and train line to the village - the station is about 100m to your right. There are a number of small restaurants and a bar at the station. The trains for Ronda stop here about every two hours, so if you just miss one (as we did) be prepared for a wait.
Ronda to Benaojan train station
Overview: 16 km/10 miles, easy hike, good tracks.
Map:
Allow 5 hours, more if you are nature-watching.
Species of note: Hoopoe, wood lark, serins, booted eagle, alpine swifts
Accommodation: Ronda has a wonderful Parador situated right above the gorge, but two smaller hotels which I have tried and loved are the Hotel San Gabriel and the Hotel Alavera de los Banos. Both had come to me from reliable sources and lived up to the recommendations. They each have great character.
Accommodation: Ronda has a wonderful Parador situated right above the gorge, but two smaller hotels which I have tried and loved are the Hotel San Gabriel and the Hotel Alavera de los Banos. Both had come to me from reliable sources and lived up to the recommendations. They each have great character.
Ronda is an interesting quirky town in the mountain sof southern Spain, set on a high plateau and surrounded by a ring of mountains. It is famous for its dramatic gorge, but few visitors take the time to explore the lovely lane-ways, quiet viewpoints, caves and more.
Starting from Ronda's famous bridge, head south along the A-369 which soon drops down to ta small roundabout. With the old town walls behind you, ignore the C-3 road to Marbella to your left, and follow the Calle de los Torrejones to the south. Continue uphill for about 700m until you reach a small crossroads nearly at the edge of town. The trail to your right is the Camino de las Cortes de la Frontera, which very quickly forks. Take the marked, left hand fork.
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Once on the road turn left and walk about 300m as far as the bridge, then drop down the path beside the bridge to the river-side trail below. Follow this upstream for about a kilometer, where a footbridge takes you across to the river and train line to the village - the station is about 100m to your right. There are a number of small restaurants and a bar at the station. The trains for Ronda stop here about every two hours, so if you just miss one (as we did) be prepared for a wait.
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