The Sierra and Baza Natural Park in the province of Granada has numerous routes that show its natural beauty and also the peak of Santa Barbara at 2269 meters height, being the highest summit in the Park.
From Baza, we get to this route that runs along the bottom of the Sierra, showing us geological formations and an important collection of the flora of the park. The beginning starts in the town of Baza where we have to take the road to Siete Fuentes and continue along the Camino de la Sierra until we get to a footpath labelled as GR-7. This route features aromatic plants and was formerly used by the icemen, a profession now disused and which was dedicated to storing ice in the mountains and then marketing it.
This route is sheltered from the wind by the high mountains that surround it; it runs along the stream Arroyo de Bodurria. As the name of the path indicates, we will find trees up to 300 years old, 'black poplars', which populate the forest of Arroyo de Bodurria in Sierra de Baza. We also find during our route abandoned old stone houses which were once occupied by the ancient inhabitants of the area.
Continuing the path of ancient poplars, this path will take us to the forest of 'La Carrasquilla' after passing through an ancient urban centre known as Casas de Santaolalla where during the mid-twentieth century up to 60 families lived. The tour will take us to the top of the Arroyo Bodurria and can be done all year, avoiding if possible the rainy seasons due to its proximity to Arroyo Bodurria that crosses several times. To get there, we have to take the road to Escullar to km. 24, where we will take the forest road to 'Mirador de Barea'. We continue to walk to the creek where our tour begins.
This route starts in the village of Benacebada in the municipality of Baza and has a length of 10 km. We will discover ancient paths that show us the rich vegetation of the area.
Along this route that runs through a high mountain valley, we visit the ancient smelting ore and the oldest Pine in the natural park known as 'Pino de la Señora' (Pine of the Lady). To get there, we take the A-92 to km 318.5 where we take the deviation to 'Venta Vicario', after which we will find a path that will lead us to the N-342 to a small bridge, where the route starts along which we ascend parallel to Arroyo del Baul.
From the Visitor Centre Sierra de Baza Natural Park, we access this trail of 12 km length where you can enjoy beautiful views of great ecological value. If you decide on this route, we recommend avoiding the winter due to the presence of snow and difficult access.
We recommend taking the road to Baza, a town to which we get after skirting the city of Granada to the north and passing through the Natural Park of Sierra de Huetor and Guadix. If needed, Malagacar offers car hire at Malaga airport with GPS; with this extra, it will be easier to find the right road.
In the map below, you can see in greater detail the route to take:
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