The route begins at the Zapatón river interpretation center, leaving the town via the Liebre path, among olive crops and ancient lime kilns previously mentioned by Madoz in his Historical Statistical ... (plus +)
The route begins at the Zapatón river interpretation center, leaving the town via the Liebre path, among olive crops and ancient lime kilns previously mentioned by Madoz in his Historical Statistical Geographical Dictionary of 1850. This activity existed until the mid-20th century, when cement and industrial kilns ended this type of artisanal economy. They mainly produced brown lime for mortar or masonry and to a lesser extent for whitewashing homes. Limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) was placed on a bed of wood and subjected to calcination at temperatures between 700º and 900º C for three days, to convert the calcium carbonate of the rock into quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO).
The route continues among holm oaks and brooms, surpassing the Liebre spring to take the BA157 road for 600 meters and turn onto the Pizarreras path, where the layout becomes a linear stretch leading to the slate quarry, which will need to be retraced. The quarry, one of the oldest in Spain, is located on an outcrop belonging to the Gévora unit, of middle Devonian age, nestled within the so-called São Mamede-La Codosera synclinorium, consisting of very compact pelitic-graphitic slates, black in color, with a very smooth and homogeneous surface.
Returning to the previously described point, take the southern direction on the Puerto de las Carretas path, which, accompanied by holm oaks and cork oaks, crosses the EX-214 road until it joins the EX-214 road again to merge into the PR-BA 104 via the Mariblanca path. Both separate at the height of the Montijo path, by which the route surpasses the Melón well, from where the dolmen of Piedra Hincada can be seen in the distance, to head towards the end of the itinerary.
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