Dear all
What wonderful weather we had on Sunday, for our walk from Marchena. I know the area around Marchena does not appear too interesting and this may well have put a number of people off going on the walk, but from the start of the walk it only takes about 5 minutes before you are walking in a pine forest, on an old mule track meandering around the hill side as it slowly climbs towards the Camino forestal running below the Sierra del Manar. With no great distance to travel and a meal booked at the Mezquita restaurant we were able to travel slowly, stopping frequently to admire the unfolding views around us. Including the frequent stops the walk took about 3 hours.
Our walk this coming Sunday the 28th, is a tapa included walk, and is classed as easy and suitable for Olwyn. The walk sets off from Padul and crosses the valley floor of what once was the bed of the lagoon. Hopefully we may see signs of the old Roman road which skirted along the edge of the lagoon. There are a number of options available for the return journey, short, medium or longer. A decision to which one we take will depend on who turns up.
On our return to Padul we are invited to Quina's house for tapa, so usual rules apply, bring a plate of tapa and a bottle.
The Vale of Padul.
The Vale of Padul was formed when the Padul-Dúrcal-Nigüelas, fault line dropped. In the past a large expanse of water formed a lagoon, which was fed by underground springs the most important of which is the Dark Eye. In the 19th century the lagoon was drained so that arable crops could be grown. It also stopped the malaria from infected mosquito’s.
The water was channelled through dykes that transferred the water to the Bridge of Cozvíjar, before running off into the River Dúrcal.
The southern edge of the vale is very rocky and in the past a road used to run along the edge of the lagoon and it was used by merchants and invading armies, as a way of access from the coast to the interior. And you can still see engraved into the rock the marks left by the wheels of the carts and carriages which travelled along this route many years ago.
We start the walk from Quina’s house (The Pilarillo) and we travel via the Camino of the Mills, before arriving at the Evil Fountain. We will stop here to drink water and to look at the old carriage tracks on the old road from Almuñecar that continues along in the direction of Granada.
Our route continues along the road passing the Ajia peat bogs before we arrives at the Bridge of Cozvíjar, where the dykes drain the Vale.
We return to the Evil Fountain and then take a road that crosses the Vale before arriving at the Aguadero peat bog. This area is home to the renowned Padul waterfowl sanctuary, bring your own bird book because I can’t tell one duck from another, the walk is an easy one and should take about three hours. We return to El Pilarillo (Quina’s house) for the traditional dish "Pot of San Antón".
We will meet at 10 am in Padul on the main street by the traffic lights (where the street widens out)
Many thanks to Quina for the research and walk description.
The flickr site is a photographic record of our walks.
We have had another exceptionally dry and hot week, but the weather forecast this week is for a much cooler spell, and hopefully a drop of rain. The Dutch guy I wrote about last week, must have got into trouble with his wife, either that or I am in trouble because neither he or his Mother in law turned up this week. I will try and smooth things over again, by offering him another 12 months free membership.
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