Walking in high summer, Acequias de Poqueira

Capileira is like Trevélez a good starting point for a walk in the summer because of its altitude (1,436 metres). A number of years ago there were eight waymarked routes in the Poqueira valley, and each one was signposted with a different colour. One of our favourites was the ´yellow´ route, the Acequias del Poqueira. A few days ago, we found out that the waymarking of the routes in this area has changed. The walk ´Acequias de Poqueira´ has remained the same, but it is now an official Pequeño Recorrido, the PR-A 23. It has been newly signposted with yellow-and-white and signs with the name of the walk on some crucial points. A large board at the starting point gives now information on this itinerary of about sixteen kilometres.

The first part of the route we did in company of a farmer on his way to his cortijo. He said he was now the only person in Capileira to go with his mule to his farm where he still has a herd of goats. Until reaching his cortijo, he talked animatedly about the past and the present, his family and his farm. We continued along the river Naute trying to imagine what this area looked like in earlier times when the land around the ruined cortijos was still being cultivated. The Cortijo las Tomas at 2,100 metres is the highest farm building on this route. It is also a junction of paths, one continues another four hundred metres uphill to the manned refuge, the Refugio Poqueira. We continued on the waymarked path in easterly direction that winds around the contours between the Acequia Alta and Acequia Baja for four kilometres. It was a clear day, so in front of us we could see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance and to the right we had good views of the highest mountains of Spain. On an information board just past the Corrales de Pitres, it is explained which mountains you can see from this point. Quite surprisingly we were the only hikers to enjoy these impressive panoramic views on a Sunday with the perfect walking weather. The path passes many springs, rivers and acequias, so there was still some verdant growth that attracts lots of butterflies. It is definitely a route we can recommend, also in high summer. It is well waymarked and information on this walk incl gps track can be found on the website of the Consejería de Medio Ambiente of the Junta de Andalucía.

Walking in high summer 2009

´El Paraje´ is situated at 1,400 metres and is therefore always cooler than the coast or the cities. Nevertheless it can be quite warm for serious walking in the summer. We advise people to leave early and enjoy the higher parts of the Sierra Nevada. A recently tested summer walk climbs from Trevélez up to the Alto del Chorillo at 2,720 metres. With fantastic views on the Poqueira valley, it takes the path south into the direction of Alto del Portillo. Before reaching this point, at about 2,400 metres it connects with the ´pista forestal´. Following this track down 2 kilometres it connects with the GR240 or Sulayr at the Prados de las Juncias. The Sulayr brings you back to Trevélez. This proofed to be a beautiful circular walk of about 25 kilometres. With a map of the area it is possible to do this walk as there a wooden posts almost all along the way. A descripton is therefore not really needed.

Sendero Local La Solana in Murtas

A few days ago we checked out a Sendero Local in de Sierra de la Contraviesa. ´La Solana´ is a circular route of 4,2 kilometres that starts just off the road that links Murtas with Mecina Tedel. It offers magnificent scenery almost from the start. You follow a track that skirts round to the left of the Pico de Molino de Viento with views of the Alpujarra villages and the Sierra Nevada. Further along beautiful views towards the sea can be enjoyed on clear days. At the end of the route a small path takes you back to the village of Murtas. The number and diversity of wild flowers on this route is amazing this time of the year. In February when the almonds are blossoming it will also be a very pleasant stroll. The small circular walk is well signposted and can be done without the description from the publication of the Senderos Locales or the GPS track and map from the website of Alpujarra Turística.


Related keywords: Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, trektocht, standplaats vakantie, hiking, trekking, Berchules, B&B, hotel, wanderungen

Jornadas Etnológicas de Lobras y Tímar 2009

The cultural organization of Lobras and Tímar organizes for the fifth time ethnological days. This year they will take place in the school of Lobras on the 1st and 2nd of May. The theme is wine: ´a paseo por la historia del vino´, translated as a ´stroll through the history of wine´. The programme can be found on the website of the Asociacíon Cultural y Etnológica ´Acequia de los Castaños´.

Water distribution at the Cima del Tejar

This post is a serial to the articles: Publication on the acequias de careo from the Alpujarra and Walking along the Acequia de Mecina.
In the Guidebook on the Gran Recorrido Sendero Sulayr published by Editorial Penibética, there is a text on the Acequia de Mecina. It says that it is worthwhile to follow the water down on the days that the ´acequiero´ is distributing the water at the different simas. A sima or cima is a flat area where the water finally infiltrates.
We called the acequiero responsible for this careo canal to ask which days the water would run down as far as the Cima del Tejar where the Acequia de Mecina ends. He explained that this is in the spring four days a month, and that the 25th of April would be next day.
So yesterday with the sound of the music and fireworks of the San Marcos festivities coming up from Bérchules, we walked up. About forty metres below the cima, we heard the beautiful sound of water. We couldn´t believe our eyes when we walked further up. The sight of swampy green grass and small waterfalls and streams everywhere was magnificent.
It is amazing to give it a thought that this ingenious system has enabled people to drink water from the fountains in the village of Mecina Bombarón for at least a thousand years. The profession of acequiero has existed from the Muslim period up to the present. These are the persons that are authorised to control the floodgates and that are in charge of distributing the water at the different simas. We did not have the chance to meet the acequiero of the Acequia de Mecina yesterday, but this is a good reason to walk up another day when ´le toca el agua´ again. As we think that the system of this acequia de careo is really something you should see instead of read about, we made a selection of photos. These photos illustrate the system from the beginning – where it starts taking water from the Río Grande de Bérchules – to 7,5 kilometres further down, just below the Cima del Tejar where the water is distributed.


Related links:
-Dina-mar: Galería fotográfica de los Careos de las Alpujarras