Labyrinth of Silence

Meet up in Cuevas de Cañart. Briefing

In the second half of the 12th century, the Order of the Knights Templar conquered this land acquired a distinct historical-legendary dimension. Cuevas de Cañart became once a mystical location and religious center with two monasteries. The monastery of the Servitas monks ('servants of Mary'), just outside the built-up area, and the second one, that of the Concepcionistas Franciscanas, in Baroque style from the 17th century.

Cuevas de Cañart located at an altitude of 816; population 70 inhabitants; declared cultural heritage in 1982.

GR8 Guadalope River and Puente de La Fonseca. Meeting point El Raspador.

19 km.

What is attractive even enchanting, about solitude?. Today we walk to Guadalope River, set out into the ravine, forest, small settlements.

The first section, from Cuevas de Cañart to La Algecira (Alyazira /The island) shows us cultivated olive grove among the bareness of the neighbouring hills. The second leg introduces us inside the river bank forest, embrace by broken boulders and scarps. And the final narrative landscape, climbing up to the meeting point, an open space which must move the spectator either to joy or to sadness, to melancholy or to light-heartedness.

Silence reigns over all the views. Hiking on this landscape give us first and foremost the expectation of an encounter with the magnificence of natura.

Montoro de Mezquita. The seven - died pilgrims’ story. Organos de Montoro.

18 km.

The legend of San Pedro de la Roqueta goes back to the 14th century when Villarluengo was struck by the plague and a drought. Seven men from the village went on a pilgrimage to Rome. When they returned from Rome to the ermita, one of the pilgrims died at the ermita and the other six on the way back to Villarluengo. At the place where they died, a cross has been erected.

On April 25, 1354, the day of San Marcos, finally the desired rain came and since then there is an annual procession to the ermita. On the way to the ermita there are singing and praying. The procession ends with a joint meal.

Aliaga to Montoro de Mezquita on boards.

22 km.

Guadalope river provides a wet ring around Aliaga village and highlights geological folds and its former Mesozoic embayment 220-65 million years ago. Estrechos de Aliaga run through these stratigraphic formations to connect Hoz Mala, El Infierno and finally with Valloré de Montoro. From inside the ravines spotting water-powered flour mills, paper mills and hydroelectric mills to outside where the creative mind find itself lost in motion through the longer sound of “garganta” until the horizon.

River Pitarque Ravine; pine forests, oaks, moorlands. Contrasted landscapes. Cantavieja.

18 km.

You first walk to the springs of the Pitarque river. The path gradually goes up through a shady, moist gorge. The vegetation here is lush. Maples, walnuts, hazel trees constitute one of best Mediterranean river bank forest of the area.

Further on, the landscape changes abruptly: it becomes drier, barren and rougher. Along pine forests the way goes up to Santos Adones top at 1675 m highest point of the trek. Then the village of Cañada de Benatanduz appears, lying on the edge of a steep rock and surrounded by a deep ravine. It is quiet and lonely and you have a beautiful view of surrounding. Later and getting by car, you can see the contours of Cantavieja village, strategically located on top of the cliff, featuring its former wealth and power -stronghold of the Carlist rebel Ramón Cabrera, The Tiger of El Maestrazgo.

La Iglesuela del Cid a Templar village laid on The Way of El Cid The Knight. Circular: Dry stone walling trail.

11 km.

People across untold generations have left traces in the mountains. One of the most common cultural memories is awakened by dry stone walling huts. They give evidence of the mountain landscape significance. After 1850 farm activity stagnated because of war and migration from rural districts. Even so, the natural resources of the plateaus still have importance. Every year herds of sheep or cows are released into the pastures.

Mirambel village: a jewell inside the walls.

15 km.

Beautiful route over mountain ridges and ravines to the village with the poetic name Mirambel. Old farmhouses lie like solitary anchorages in the empty land, which is intersected by a patchwork of dry stone walls.

Through the nuns' gate you walk into Mirambel: a cultural-historical monument, where hardly anything has changed since the Middle Ages. Here takes the relationship between man and nature, culture, religion and civilization. It was these qualities in “La Venta de Mirambel” (Pio Baroja) the aim to give the far higher and deeper truth of mental vision, rather than that of the physical facts.

Transfer to bus connection / hired car / train station.

Farewell.