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Outings in Mazarron - Route No.5 |
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Outings in Mazarron - Route No.5 |
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DIFFICULTY:- THIS ROUTE CAN ONLY BE EXPLORED ON FOOT. THERE IS A FAIR SLOPE TOWARDS THE GYPSUM OVENS AND LATER THE PATH PRACTICALLY DISAPPEARS. THE DESCENT TOWARDS THE SEA IS VERY ROUGH AND STEEP. NOT A ROUTE FOR THE FAINTHEARTED. |
MAPS:- UNFORTUNATELY THIS ROUTE SPANS THREE MAPS AND FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE YOU WILL NEED 976-ll (MAZARRON), 976-lll (CAŅADA DE GALLEGO) AND 976-lV (PUERTO DE MAZARRON) START POINT 976-ll GR470616 FINISH POINT 976-lV GR 461585 (APPROX) |
1. To find the start take the Mazarron to Aguilas road N-332, and start to measure the distance after passing the turning to Bolnuevo. After about 1.6Km the road rises suddenly, round an S-bend. Just after the bend you will see an old house on the left, set back a little from the road. The track starts here.
2. The first section crosses dry agricultural land which is practically abandoned and used for grazing sheep and goats.
3. The path enters a ravine of metamorphic rocks; quartz and dolomites are just some of the minerals found here. Paths on either side of the ravine were used in olden times to transport gypsum in trolleys, produced in ovens higher up the mountain.
4. The vegetation changes to mediterranean pine at La Cuenca de Algezares, which is a water capture area for the ravine we have just left.
5. Remains of gypsum ovens and cottages can be seen here. Gypsum was mined in many places locally before road communication improved; local production ceased when gypsum of better quality could be transported from Lorca.
6. The path fades away completely and you should continue up the ravine by visual reference to Collado de la Paridera. There are stunning views along the coast as you reach the top.
7. The descent to Marina de Ifre commences; the path is difficult to find and very steep (we failed to find it at all on two occasions). The slopes at La Fuente de Juan Rodriguez have been reforested with cypress trees.
8. The landscape changes to tomato greenhouses as the path continues to descend towards the coast.
9. The path ends at Casas de Calaleņo where remains of a Roman foundry can be found. This and similar installations were possibly the reason for previous deforestation of the area, as an energy source.
10. On joining the coastal track you can choose to go to Bolnuevo or La Caņada Gallega to finish your walk.
Mazarron.Com notes:-
This route has been attempted on two occasions in January and February
2000. The ascent to the gypsum ovens is fine and a pleasant stroll. Mazarron
Com route markers 
have been placed at intervals along the path which is a bit vauge
in places, but really it is impossible to get lost. Someone else has also painted
some white arrows. However, after the gypsum ovens it is a different story and
on both the occasions mentioned our explorers lost the path completely and ended
up scrambling through rocky undergrowth..
Mazarron Com route markers have been placed where we suppose the start of this
section commences (ie at Point 6) but after this the explorer is on his own.
Visual references are difficult because of forestation - take a map and compass
and make regular references where you can
This side of the mountain is North facing and we were impressed with the abundance of succulent plants and colourful lichens found above the gypsum ovens. It is worth exploring a little just to see these. A pleasant alternative to crossing the mountains would be to picnic at the gypsum ovens, explore the locality a little and return by the same route.
Mazarron.com
