Off the beaten track in Andalucia - Estepa and El Torcal de Antequera

Tuesday

The rain has cleared overnight and the temperature has dropped. We pack up and leave Castro suites in Osuna where we were really most comfortable. Our first stop today is after just 20 minutes by car, in Estepa. It’s easy to find parking in a side street and we walk up the hill towards the Conjunto Monumental. Once again, it’s all closed, because it’s not the weekend, because it’s low season. The area is till nice from the outside, the Alcazaba, the churches, the mirador, a friendly lady in the tourist office who puts up with my halting attempts at Spanish. The air is sparkling fresh and cold but the sun on the southeast side is already soothing. 

We head down to the centre of the town, looking in at another Casino, modern this time, and then wander into the church of the Assuncion. Estepa has 9 churches and with a Bono costing 3 euros you can visit all of them, as a matter of fact some are closed, some are free anyway and the main two interesting ones are the churches of the Carmen and the Assuncion. We don’t mind paying 3 euros, the money is for the local Caritas anyway. The Assuncion church has a stunning painted vault over the altar as well as a beautiful camarin which has been lovingly restored.

We are lucky in the church of Carmen because the custodian is a very knowledgeable and friendly lady called Carmen who tells us something of the history and main points of interest of the church, bringing it to life: the Carmen shown without the child and dressed in brown, the elaborate wrought iron pulpit, the statue of the ‘good’ Judas, patron saint of lost Causes. She is very kind and helpful and I’m sure we will remember this church more than many others because of meeting her.

It's getting on for twelve when we head back to the car. Our next stop is Antequera, where Casa Meson Diego conveniently now has a Cerveceria on the outskirts. It opens at 12.30 but even at 12.45 we are a little too early for tapas but we make good use of the time with canas and olives. Then it’s time for tapas. In the end we pay just 9,20 euros for 3 canas, 4 tapas of Boqueron in vinaigre, adobo, merluza al limon and crocchetta di marisco, one black coffee and one caffè con leche. Wow!

We are now ready to face el Torcal, another of the places we dreamed of during the Covid years and when for other reasons, we couldn’t make it back to Andalucia. The weather is splendid, absolutely clear blue sky, sun, wind which ripples the fields of still green wheat as we drive up through Boca la asno. 

We are surprised to see a lot of cars parked up at the Visitor’s centres. We remember our cold excursions to el Torcal before and this time we are well wrapped up to face a wind chill factor of well below zero. Well, on paper, because actually except for one point it’s not too bad at all. Not even the wind can blow in all directions and in a few places where it’s sheltered, it is very pleasant.

After a false turn after the first few hundred meters we get back on track on what used to be the red trail and head towards the sombrero. This is the path we took on our second visit to Torcal in 2018. We only meet another couple and this time manage to spot four ammonites. It’s a real success to reach the sombrero considering all that has happened in the intervening almost 6 years. It means something more than just taking a photo of the sombrero. We walk slowly, the environment is just so spectacular and it’s the first time we’ve seen it on such a beautiful day and it’s about 5 o’clock by the time we get back to the car.

I’ve booked for the night in Archidona. We hadn’t booked this night before because we weren’t sure whether or not the weather would have been acceptable for Torcal, the alternative would have been a return to Cordoba. Archidona isn’t far but I have to squeeze into a parking space on a steep slope with cars passing continuously and the Fiat500 beeping furiously when I'm still metres from an obstacle. I lose my cool. I lose it even more when I discover we have to drag our luggage up steps and then up a steep hill around to the back of the building where there are lots of free parking spaces on a flat quiet road. Oh dear. Am I in need of food? After depositing our stuff we have  a quick look at Archidona, which is very quiet and small although the octagonal ‘square’ is pretty. 

Then it’s off to Mercadona where we buy too many boquerones which I fry. The miracle lunchtime digestion of boquerones in vinagre, adobo, freezing Cruzcampo and caffè con leche isn’t repeated in the chilly apartment and I sleep 'lightly'!

Nevertheless, a fantastic day.