Route length: 6.5 km. Duration: 2 hours (approximately). Location: Between La Zarza and Alange. Difficulty: Medium-Low. Season: All year round. Recommendations: Suitable footwear, comfortable and ligh... (plus +)

Route length: 6.5 km. Duration: 2 hours (approximately). Location: Between La Zarza and Alange. Difficulty: Medium-Low. Season: All year round. Recommendations: Suitable footwear, comfortable and light clothing. La Jabata is a small valley located on the sunny side of the Sierra de Peñas Blancas. The route starts from the Tourist Office to walk through the beautiful Paseo de las Huertas, which borders the well-kept therapeutic gardens of the Alange Spa. It continues with the ascent through the typical slopes of the town, such as Calle Ermita, which shows on the left the Hermitage of San Bartolomé (16th century), a sacred place that holds history of Romans, Visigoths, and Mozarabs, to continue climbing one of the steepest slopes, Calle Luis Chamizo, where the houses show their sidewalks, access promontories to the houses to level the terrain, forming part of the popular architecture of this town. Climbing this slope, the reservoir begins to be visible behind the walker until La Mesilla is reached, a flat part at the top of the hill on which Alange is located, and the most modern part of the town. From this point, the route leaves the urban area along the path that begins to climb towards the Sierra de Peñas Blancas, glimpsing its striking quartzite crests in the background. The large inland sea of Alange will be present during almost the entire ascent, until reaching a eucalyptus grove where the Cancho de los Enamorados is immersed. At the end of the eucalyptus grove, the route reaches the Puerto de Palomas, an important bird migration area as it is the lowest point of the mountain range of Peñas Blancas, where the difference between its shady side on the left and its sunny side on the right can be seen. At this point, the path forks and becomes a trail, having to continue on the right. A very narrow path that begins to descend among olive groves towards the Arroyo de las Madilas with majestic stone walls terracing the slope on the left. After crossing the stream, continue along a path parallel to the same stream, passing by a pond and reaching a sheep and goat farm where an old stone shed can be seen. At this point, it is necessary to open a gate, which must be closed again, to climb the Cerro de la Moneda along a path surrounded by rockrose, Spanish broom, Spanish oregano, and kermes oak. Another gate must be opened to begin the descent through private olive groves until reaching the main path that runs through the Jabata Valley. To the left of the path is the Huerta Morisca de la Jabata, an olive grove that preserves a domed well, waterwheel, aqueduct, channels, and pools over 400 years old. From this point, the reservoir and the Cerro del Castillo de la Culebra can be seen again, indicating that Alange is nearby. After crossing the Palomas Road, the path will cross the Arroyo de la Mandilas again at another point, leaving the Huerto Moral on the right, another Moorish orchard where orange trees predominate and which preserves a well and pool. Once the Palomas Road has been crossed for the second time, the Tierroblanquero Mine appears on the left of the trail, an old quarry for the extraction of sericitic slate or kaolin, popularly known as white earth. The route returns to the urban area, meets again with the Hermitage of San Bartolomé and continues along Calle Baños to enjoy the Spring that supplies the Spa known as Fuente del Baño, the Public Washhouse, the Pilar de los Burros, or the community sidewalks that elevate the sidewalk several meters above the street. Calle Nueva leads back to the Paseo de las Huertas, thus reaching the starting point. THE ENVIRONMENT Vegetation typical of sunny and shady areas with a great diversity of orchid species in their flowering season, highlighting the Serapias perez-chiscanoi, an endemic species of the Guadiana valley where we find the largest population in the world in Alange. Also noteworthy are the stands of Serapias cordigera. Among the birds, the pale swift, black and blonde wheatear, the Thekla lark, golden eagle, long-tailed tits, griffon vulture, warbler, hoopoe, blue rock thrush, little owls, golden oriole, and rock bunting can be observed. We will also see some foxes, badgers, weasels, and genets.
(minus -)