The Mountain Balcony

Ermita de la Hoz Circular Hiki...

Ermita de la Hoz Circular Hiking Route

DOWNLOAD WAYPOINTS

DOWNLOAD TRACKS

NAME OF ROUTE

TYPE OF ROUTE

ERMITA DE LA HOZ CIRCULAR ROUTE

CIRCULAR

STARTING POINT

ALTITUDE (M)

Kilometre 52.7 of the JH-7155 from Mogón or Charco del Aceite, where a lane leads downwards off to the right, if you are coming from Puente de los Agustines or Charco del Aceite.

920

ARRIVAL POINT

ALTITUDE (M)

As above

920

TOTAL DISTANCE (M): 6200 (PLUS 4200 TO TOPAERO VIEWING POINT AND BACK)

Asphalted or paved sections (m): 4800	22.58% of total
Tracks, forest paths or watercourses (m): 5430	77.42% of total
Footpaths (m):	% of total
Drovers' roads/bridlepaths (m):	% of total

ESTIMATED WALKING TIME

2 hours 15 minutes. Additional walk to the Topaero Viewing Point and back: 1 hour 15 minutes

TYPE OF TERRAIN (ROCKY, SANDY, ETC.)

Sandy and rocky

TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT: 230 M

Cumulative ascent	380 m
Cumulative descent	393 m

DIFFICULTY ACCORDING TO ENVIRONMENT, ROUTE, PROGRESS AND EFFORT

	ENVIRONMENT: the severity of the natural environment.	1
	ROUTE: orientating yourself on the route.	1
	PROGRESS: the difficulty of progressing along the route.	1
	EFFORT: the amount of effort needed.	2

ACCESSIBILITY

Horseback, bicycle and on foot

MAPS

IGN topographical maps of ANDALUSIA (1:25,000), page 21

WAYPOINTS (IN SEQUENCE OF OUTWARD LEG)

Short Name	Description	Coordinates	Elevation (m)
1	Start	30S x=513586 y=4224449	920
2	Panoramic Views	30S x=513932 y=4225249	852
3	Ermita de la Hoz Buildings	30S x=513500 y=4225817	787
4	Casa Cuadros Building	30S x=512801 y=4225314	859
5	Umbría de Aguilar Trail	30S x=512652 y=4225164	898
6	Exit to Asphalted Road	30S x=512742 y=4224936	978
7	Salida a pista asfaltada	30S x=513216 y=4225128	994

LINKS WITH OTHER ROUTES

The La Albarda route begins very close to this trail

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Approximately 440 metres from Los Cerezos controlled camping area, in the direction of Peinero Cave, you will find a forest trail leading down towards the right that passes through picturesque forests of pines, holm oaks and strawberry trees, garlanded with ferns. In the opposite direction is the Piedra del Enjambre, a peak that rises to a majestic 1360 metres and lies within the area known as La Albarda.
400 metres from the start you will pass a barrier preventing vehicle access to the trail, which you will be able to walk past at the side without any difficulty. A little further ahead you will see olive trees interspersed with pines, evidence of the difficulty of cultivating this species in an area where the woodland is ever-encroaching. Now that modern agricultural methods are based on high levels of production, little by little the woods take back the land given over to the least productive olive groves and eventually they are abandoned entirely.
Further on, to your right, you will see a fenced-in olive grove alongside an irrigation meter: from here you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area, taking in the peaks of Lancha del Tosero, Caballo Torraso (1726 metres) and Caballo de la Albarda in the south, Arroyo María ravine, Poyo ("ledge" or "shelf") de las Andaragascas and the peaks of Las Culebras, Las Grajas and La Veleta in the east, and the Risca del Guijarrón crag with its lookout hut perching on the peak in the northeast, on the other side of the Guadalquivir Valley. Along this stretch of the route you will also spot a number of smaller paths leading off into the olive groves: you should ignore these and keep to the main track.
Approximately 2.4 kilometres from the start you will reach the buildings that make up the Ermita de la Hoz, a small country home that is still inhabited. In this location there was once an ermita, a hermitage, which gave the house its name, though no trace of it remains today. Before reaching the house, to your left you will see a number of vegetable gardens and fruit orchards; this route does not, however, enter the grounds of the house but continues on between the first and second entrances to the grounds. Now you must turn left, leaving the house on your right, and follow the track that leads off from the main trail that brought you to the house. This track leads upwards, wending between olive groves. As you progress up this track you will notice other paths, in poor condition, leading into the olive groves, although you should ignore these and continue to follow the track.
After passing a small slope and an area of flat ground you will notice that the track forks to the left, approximately 2.8 kilometres from the starting point of the route. Continue straight ahead and the track begins to turn to the left, providing views of the enormous boulder known as the Piedra de la Be and the hill of the Loma de la Be, gradually approaching the Fuente del Topaero stream. Later, approximately 3.4 kilometres from the start, you will reach another fork: take the track which lies ahead and curves away to the left, leaving to your right a stream and the Estrechos de la Hoz farm. This spot is also home to a spring once used for washing, situated underneath a holm oak and numerous fruit trees.
The trail will curve very sharply to the left, and then sharply to the right, before continuing to ascend and passing on the left-hand side the track leading to Casa Cuadros farm, which is flanked by holm oaks that are over a century old. At this stage you will have walked 3.8 kilometres from the starting point. Once you have passed the farm the track forks again; take the trail leading off to the right, which ascends in a zig-zag fashion up the side of the peak of Umbría del Aguilar.
On the left-hand side you will pass a curved stretch of land that is lush with vegetation, owing to the stream that flows through it. Further on, at kilometre 4.1, the track will join a trail that appears from the right and you will continue on towards the left.
This trail will take you to the asphalted road that leads back to the start of the route. Once you have reached the road and walked on to kilometre 4.8 you have two options: if you turn right and carry on walking for a further 2 kilometres you will reach the Topaero mirador, or viewing point, which boasts exceptional views over the surrounding area; and if you turn left you will return to the starting point of the route after approximately 1.4 kilometres.

ELEVATION PROFILE

POINTS OF INTEREST

MUNICIPALITY/IES

Villanueva del Arzobispo

COUNTY/IES

Las Villas

NEARBY RECREATION AND SPORTS AREAS

Los Cerezos Controlled Camping Area

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST (ARCHITECTURAL, HISTORICAL/CULTURAL AND GEOLOGICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL)

It is worth visiting Los Cerezos Controlled Camping Area, situated 440 metres on from the starting point of the route, in order to enjoy its fresh, crystal-clear waters set against a charming backdrop of diverse trees. Nearby is the Casa de Arroyo Martín, an old house which boasts both a hundred-year-old holm oak and an antique bread oven.

MAP

Plan your trip, explore the website and add your content to the Log.

View / Print