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 Tuesday
- 5 hrs walking. Departure
for your journey. Leave what you wish behind in your
room at the farm, your Seville clothes for example,
your room at the farm is yours for the week. Set off
swinging through the rolling country of centuries old
cork forest following the 
- , literally “packmen”, who smuggled goods
in from Portugal. Wonderful views both north and south
with the Templar castle of Cortegana dominant on the
skyline. Booted, Short-toed Eagles and Black Vultures
are common on this stretch. To arrive at Almonaster
for the night, a village with thousands of years of
history. On the hill outside you can visit the former
C1st Roman temple later converted by the Moors into
one of the very first mosques (early C9th) in western
Europe.
(You may always opt not to walk and get a lift with
us when we move your bags).
 Wednesday
- 5 hrs walking Pack a
picnic and spend the day walking along the southern
face of the sierra. Following the Alájar river
where you may be lucky to spot the elusive otter and
through the gorge of the flour mills. A wonderful day
out where you are unlikely to encounter another soul,
except perhaps a shepherd or mushroom gatherer from
the village. Finally to reach the lovely village of
Alajar, and to find your bags waiting for you at your
hotel. A very comfortable converted coaching inn and
dinner at José Carlos's restaurant, an old friend
of ours who always treats our guests with great warmth
and kindness and whose wife Manola is an excellent cook.
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 Thursday
- 4 hrs walking. Through the almost deserted village
of Los Madroñeros, to the village of Linares,
filled with orange trees with its washouse in the main
square. There is an excellent small restaurant where
you can enjoy lunch on the terrace before carrying on
through hillsides of aromatic cistus and rosemary, lavender
and thyme. After lunch good walking paths through the
olive groves and cork trees lead you to Aracena. Our
very pretty market town. Perhaps then a visit to the
Templar castle and Church on the hill above the town,
or the extraordinary limestone caves beneath, before
enjoying the evening paseo in this charming town.
Friday
- 5hrs walking. Your final days walk brings you back
to the farm - Finca
el Moro - a glorious
day with long views north. In spring through stands
of wild peonies with wood anemones hidden at your feet
and in autumn rich glowing colours of the pear and chestnut
trees and mushrooms galore - parasols, ceps, chanterelles..
Back to your room and dinner at the Finca
el Moro
Saturday After
breakfast to Seville. Lose yourself in the narrow twisting
streets filled with jasmine and bougainvillea. Palaces,
churches, and palm trees, the bargains to be found in
the ceramics quarter and flamenco music in the cafés.
A city still touched by its moorish past. Leave Seville
in your own time and we suggest if you don't already
know it that you stay overnight, we have a list of recommended
hotels we are happy to supply and can suggest places
not to miss, good restaurants and bars.
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