The 'Peñas Blancas' Route is the La Zarza route and takes its name from the toponym of our Sierra, having been designed to showcase the best of our natural heritage (flora, fauna, and landscape), ethn... (plus +)

The 'Peñas Blancas' Route is the La Zarza route and takes its name from the toponym of our Sierra, having been designed to showcase the best of our natural heritage (flora, fauna, and landscape), ethnographic (mines, agricultural elements) and historical-cultural (cave paintings, hermitage, church). From an environmental point of view, the route crosses the ZEPA of the 'Embalse de Alange y Sierra de Peñas Blancas' of great landscape value (mountain-island in the middle of agricultural plains), floristic (habitats, small botanical endemisms and orchids) and faunistic (birds of prey and cliff-dwelling birds). The Sierra de Juan Bueno and the Pinar de los Valencines are also outstanding places. An essential element of ethnographic and cultural interest is the Tierrablanca Mine of La Zapatera or 'janbueno', a huge open-pit deposit of kaolin or sericitic slate, of special significance in terms of the identity and idiosyncrasy of the people of La Zarza ('los tierrablanqueros'). It is also worth highlighting the hillside olive groves located at the foot of mountains and hills, bordered by stone walls ('majanos') and dotted with thousands of almond trees. In the upper part of the Sierra, remains of some huts and shepherd's huts (goatherds) can be observed. The historical-archaeological heritage includes the shelters and cave paintings of La Calderita, one of the most outstanding manifestations of schematic rock art. As outstanding historical-artistic achievements of the urban layout, there are the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Snows (18th century), where the 'crowned' image of our patron saint and her magnificent silver carriage stand out, the Parish Church of San Martín de Tours (16th century), the statue in homage to the tierrablanqueros and Zarza muleteers, as well as some large ancestral and heraldic houses. In short, all these elements and values make up a route of great attraction and interest from every point of view. Enjoy it. Buen camino friends!! NOTE: Every year, around October 12th (the nearest Sunday), the local hunting society carries out a hunting activity in the mountain where the trail runs. For precaution and coexistence of activities, we ask hikers to consult FEXME or the City Council of La Zarza about the situation of transit along the trail.
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