Córdoba to Monterrubio – Camino Mozarabe

Cerro Muriano to Villaharta (19.9 km)
Due to a lack of accommodation in Cerro Muriano on Saturday night we repositioned from Córdoba to Cerro Muriano and walked from there to Villaharta.

It’s a very nice walk from Cerro Muriano to Villaharta

The old El Vacar railway station – the train doesn’t run anymore

Villaharta to Espiel (19.6 km)

Because we were unable to walk to long stages (38k, 25k, 32k) on the published Camino after Villaharta we decided to use the newer variant “por el Guadiato” via Espiel (20k), Belmez (27k) and Valsequillo (23k) to Monterrubio (23k) which was waymarked in 2014. We could not find any information about this route so we wrote a guide as we went – perhaps it will help future peregrinos (link).

Well the flowers like the rain!

The Camino tracks around this dam (Embalse de Puente Nuevo)

San Sebastián Church, Espiel – built in the 16th century

Espiel to Villanueva del Rey (15.3 km)

The icy cold water feels nice, really

Moss growing on trees beside the path

Pigs feeding on acorns will soon be the famous jamon serrano

Villanueva del Rey to Belmez
Days of mud and drizzle with a forecast of heavy rain defeated us so we took a bus 15 minutes to Belmez.

Belmez’s 10th century Arabic castle dominates the town

Stork nesting on the Belmez church bell tower, created in the 13th century following the Reconquest.

Belmez to Valsequillo (23.1 km)

We left Belmez in a heavy fog – careful where the Camino crosses a railway line

Still foggy hours later

After 19 km we stopped in the village bar at La Granjuela for lunch promising to return if there was no accommodation in Valsequillo 4km further on where the ayuntamiento (town council) had a house for visitors to stay. Well … the house was being renovated, so … the Mayor himself drove us back to La Granjuela and picked us up at 8 am next morning to take us back to Valsequillo to continue walking!