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Spain - Ronda - Route 9 - To the Gorge of the Fan (Geology in its splendour).

Zuz
2006-02-16 20:01:31

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Introduction
An enchanting walk in one of the least known areas around Ronda. We see a landscape typical of how the Ronda countryside used to be with a balance between man and nature. Unfortunately the contamination of the Sijuela stream due to uncontrolled tipping adds a sad note.

Without any kind of doubt, the works done to recover this stream, will bring its splendour back.

Description
We start from the Almocabar Gate in the San Francisco district near to a drinking water fountain.

We take the Algeciras road following Torrejones street, on the right we pass a stone tower with a cross known as the Predicatorio. It is said that Friar Diego José used to preach here. The tower served as part of an acuaduct in medieval times bringing water from the Arena spring. The friar's remains are kept in an urn in the Church of la Paz, where resides the Virgen de la Paz, patron saint of Ronda.

About 100 meters on from the tower we come to two tracks on the right. The first goes to the Virgen de la Cabeza route 8. and we take the second, passing a house with a small pinsapo outside, known as the Sijuela path, the initial part of this route coincides with the path to Cortes of la Frontera. We pass olive trees and about 1 Km. from the start of the track we must stay to the left without taking two tracks to the right that we see ( optional departure point 1). The landscape of olive trees changes to that of Holm and Gall Oaks and in spring a multitude of flowers line the way and birdsong fills the air. Ignoring all turnings to the right we reach Saint Isabel spring but unfortunately it is fenced off.

On the left hand side of the path we see spectacular cliffs inhabited by birds of prey and rock martins. The rock is a conglomerate of sand and limestone known as molasa and large sections have separated from the cliff face.

After passing a farmhouse with a stone tower like the ones we have already seen we soon ...