Horseback Riding Trip in ANDALUSIA : THE SIERRA DE ANDUJAR & SIERRA MORENA

TRAIL RIDE IN ANDALUSIA
INDICATIVE ITINERARY *

Day 1 - Sunday: Arrival in Andalusia, meeting at the hotel in Andújar at the end of the afternoon. Presentation of your week, aperitif, dinner in a typical Andalusian tapas restaurant. Overnight at the Oleum hotel located in a 16th century palace !

Day 2 - Monday: Andújar - Tinajuela Mines - Andújar. Transfer to the farm to meet the horses. Today, the first part of your ride passes through olive groves, then enters the characteristic scrubland of this region. Lunch break at El Tropezón restaurant. You follow the Mestanza stream along paths that were already used in pre-Roman times to move towards the old facilities of the Tinajuela ¨mine. Return to your hotel in Andújar.

Day 3 - Tuesday: Andújar - "La Virgen de la Cabeza" Sanctuary. You head north to fully enter the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park where you discover the beauty of "Sierra Morena". You climb a narrow path, constantly climbing, between native shrub vegetation such as lentisk, rosemary and cistus. It is one of the most beautiful places in the region, where deer and fallow deer, among other species, are often encountered. Later, you cross a bridge built in the 18th century over the Jándula River and, with a bit of luck, you can see the colony of otters that live on the banks of this river. In the afternoon, you arrive at the village "Sanctuary" where the pilgrimage of the Virgen de la Cabeza is celebrated once a year with more than 3000 horses and riders who gather there. Dinner in an old inn and overnight at the Santuario hotel.

Day 4 - Wednesday: Sanctuary - "Monument of the Boar" - Encinarejo ¨Land of the Lynx¨ - Sanctuary. It is a natural area of exceptional environmental value since it is not difficult to observe the Iberian lynx, the deer, the imperial eagle and even the black vulture under the shelter of an area where the Mediterranean vegetation is dense and diverse with pines and eucalyptus. Following the bank of the river, you can reach the foot of the Encinarejo reservoir dam, a small reservoir that looks like a lake: one of the oldest in the Guadalquivir basin, inaugurated during the Second Republic with hydroelectric production as the main objective. In this place, there is a breeding of "Bison of Europe" which you can perhaps see. Tonight: You return to Hotel Santuario.

Day 5 - Thursday: Sanctuary - Marmolejo. You leave the Sanctuary by a path taken by pilgrims throughout the year, with particular intensity on the days preceding the last Sunday in April, the date of the pilgrimage. You enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the foothills of the mountains and the valley of the Yeguas River: the natural border between the provinces of Jaén and Córdoba. You arrive at the town of Marmolejo, around which streams diverge that flow east to the Jándula River, south to the Guadalquivir, and west to the Yeguas River. The latter marking the natural border with the province of Córdoba. You will then understand why Andújar means "abundance of water" with its mineral and medicinal water springs. In the evening: dinner and accommodation at the hotel "La Casa del Agua" or similar.

Day 6 - Friday: Marmolejo - La Ropera - Andújar. Your ride today runs along the banks of the Guadalquivir and the Jándula, occasionally plunging into a magnificent forest. The poplars, tamarisks, willows, oleanders and ashes that populate these shores provide refuge for animals, including many waterfowl. Picnic by the river. You then reach a Roman bridge. The "ten-eye" bridge has long been a historic passage for transhumant cattle between the Sierra Morena and the valley. Tasting dinner of local gastronomy in a restaurant in Andújar. Accommodation at the Oleum de Andújar hotel or similar.

Day 7 - Saturday: Andújar - Zumacares - Andújar. Today you discover a beautiful corner of the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park: the hill of Zumacares. An enclave where you can be amazed by the immense scenery offered by the Sierra Morena, as you advance through a perfect example of preserved Mediterranean forest. You have impressive views of the Sierra Magina, Jaén, and the whole valley. It is also possible to see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada: the Mulhacen and the Veleta on very clear days. The limestone formations of the mountain have created caves that once allowed the last bandits of the Sierra Morena to hide. Lunch at the restaurant "La Cadena". In the afternoon: guided tour of Arjona, a small town where you will discover its Iberian, Muslim and Jewish past, with the presence of the Templars in these lands. Dinner at a local restaurant and last night at Hotel Oleum de Andújar or similar.

Day 8 - Sunday: End of your horseback riding in Andalusia after breakfast. Transfer. 

* Indicative itinerary which may be subject to modifications if necessary.