Sierra de Cazorla

Without a whole lot going on in the month of March and me becoming more and more aware of the financial restraints that I may have during my travels this summer and upon returning home in July, it was a wonderfully cheap way to spend a day in the mountains here in Jaen. The area that I am referring to is the Sierra de Cazorla, a mountain range very near Baeza and a national park of Spain.

We set out around 11:00 on a Sunday morning headed for our destination. In our group were Ellen, Caroline, Justi, Mary Beth (from Úbeda), Miguel Angel, Jose, Lola (Justi and Miguel Angel’s dog), and myself. The drive took us about an hour and a half and would have taken much less if it weren’t for our getting a little lost at one point and Lola throwing up in the backseat almost ten times. Not an exaggeration. It was her first car trip and we were constantly turning on those mountain roads. She didn’t handle it well. Luckily though, as we found ourselves a little bit lost, we ended up at the Parador de Cazorla, a very fancy mountain hotel and restaurant. After taking a couple of pictures and stopping for coffee, we were back on our way.

When we arrived at our spot for most of the afternoon, we unpacked our things and set up at a picnic table near the grills. The area was a big open picnic spot with the origin of the Guadalquivir River off to the side. Children played soccer while various friends and families enjoyed the day. There was also a steady flow of nearby residents coming to fill their water jugs with the water straight from the mountain. After spending some time relaxing by the water, we got our food out and began preparing our barbecue. We had salmon, pork, beef, and many other snacks and drinks to enjoy the afternoon. For the most part, us men cooked while the girls prepared the picnic area and relaxed. When the food was finally done, we enjoyed a wonderful meal and then a short rest and siesta in the grass nearby.

To finish up our time here, we embarked on a hike up the mountain to a lookout point called La Garganta del Diablo (The Throat of the Devil). It was not too long of a hike and when we arrived, we were rewarded with an incredible view of the valley below and the mountains beyond. We decided to sit for awhile and enjoy the sights and the sun as it began to set. Finally, we returned to our cars for the return trip home. After stopping for a drink in the town of Cazorla nearby, we completed our day’s journey at around 9:00 that night. The end to a wonderful day in the mountains.