Beginning of the trail.
This section of the trail may be the remains of an old Roman road, but I can´t confirm that.
Television tower at the highest point of the trail. This is doubtlessly the one from which Pope Innocent III called for the crusade (see blog).
On the top of this hill are the ruins of an old Muslim castle (Castillo de Castro Ferral). This castle guarded the defile of La Losa, a critical pass through the Sierra Morena to the southern part of Spain.
Historical details.
Closer view of Castillo de Castro Ferral.
View from Castillo de Castro Ferral.
Lunch by the ruined wall of Castillo de Castro Ferral.
The rock formation behind me is Los Órganos, named for its resemblance to organ pipes.
Description of the viewpoint, for those interested in details.
Natural rock formation, or remains of ancient walls? After closer inspection, I decided they were natural.
I was trying to give an impression of the steep slope that we descended into the arroyo (see the hiker further up the hill). With 30+ people in the group, it was nearly impossible to take pictures which didn't include fellow hikers.
During the final leg through the arroyo, we crossed a number of these alarmingly narrow bridges. It looks as if it may have had posts and rails at some time in the past.
Finally, a view of the highway where the bus was to pick us up.
This sign took me by surprise...we're in Spain, after all! Another sign of increasing anglicization.
A pretty little statue just across from the restaurant where we had the inevitable drinks before loading onto the bus for the drive home.
Plaque at the base of the statue. It reads, "The Teresian Institute erected this statue of María Santísima in 1959. Here, María Josefa Segovia gave her last Mariana lesson (about María?) in the land of Andalucía." María Josefa Segovia died in 1957, and is going through the process of beatification.
