From Castiblanco de los Arroyos to Almadén de la Plata

Information

At this stage we will begin to see a little of the difficulty of this route, as well as the typical features of the Vía de la Plata. This section will pass through the almost thirty kilometres that separate Castiblanco de los Arroyos from the town of Almadén de la Plata; we will ride for a while on roads to face the ascent of Los Berrocales, and from here to the Alto del Calvario. All this accompanied by the already inescapable dehesas and the cattle hills of the area.

We start this route from Castiblanco de los Arroyos along the Avenida de Antonio Machado, which will take us for almost 15 kilometres along the hard shoulder of the SE-5405 on the way to Almadén de la Plata, surrounded by extensive pastures. This section does not have a lot of traffic, but, as always, we recommend that you take extreme precautions when walking along the verges. The profile of this stage is simple until it stops being so, since in the last 6 kilometres of this section we will begin to climb to reach the farm El Berrocal.

We will leave the road to cross the dehesa del Berrocal, with the beautiful landscapes of the Sierra Norte de Sevilla, specifically in a natural park of 177,000 hectares. Between smooth paths we leave behind the Cortijo de La Morilla, to head towards the abandoned village of El Berrocal, which, without passing through it, announces the arrival of the ascent of the hill of El Calvario, with a very pronounced height in which we will climb 100 metres in 300 metres in length. We reach the Alto del Calvario, where we can see the viewpoints over the pastures, and then go down through some stony stretches between smooth paths, which lead us to Almadén de la Plata.

To consider

Although long, the slopes of this stage are very punctual, and most of the stage runs along the road, so we recommend you to be cautious with the shoulders. It is very important to stock up in Castiblanco de los Arroyos, and that you carry enough water for the road, as you will not find points to stock up on quite a stretch, and remember that it is preferable to travel early to avoid the hottest hours before reaching Almadén de la Plata.