Aznalmara Castle (Tavizna)

If you followed the walk to the source of the river Hondón http://www.luzhomes.com/en/walks2.php you may remember seeing the apparently impenetrable Castillo de Aznalmara perched high on a crag. Well, if you are reasonably fit, now is your chance to visit this castle which for hundreds of years would have dominated and defended one of the main routes from Granada, Ronda and the Mediterranean to Arcos, Cadiz and the Atlantic. For the less fit, do the walk anyway and just sit at the base of the crag and have a picnic. Even without the final effort the views are incredible! Take the A-373 from El Bosque to Ubrique and about halfway between the two you will find a hamlet called Tavizna on the left. Take the first entrance and almost immediately you will find a bar on your right called Venta los Fresnos (very pleasant people so worth a coffee now or a beer on the way back). It doesn’t actually have a sign but it’s about the first building you’ll see with anything that resembles a car park!

If you look directly opposite you will see the castle. Leave the car somewhere in the vicinity of the bar and right opposite you will see a track leading off into the hamlet (follow the sign for El Huertezuelo). After a couple of pleasant but unspectacular kilometres you will reach a small bridge over the River Tavizna (this is the same water granny cooled her feet in on the River Hondón walk so best not to drink it!). Just over the stream you will find the entrance to El Huertezuelo, a rural B&B, which you pass (with the B&B on your left and the river on your right). Follow the path into a short stretch of woodland that will eventually bring you back to the stream at a point where you have to cross via some stepping stones. Test them with your stick as they are not all as firm as they look… Once over the stream bear left up the old river bed and then scramble up the bank on your right and you will find yourself in a small flat meadow (good place for the first refreshment break) If you stand at the entrance to this clearing with the river on your left there are three paths out. The obvious path ( but not the right one for the castle!) is at the far end right in front of you. This leads to the ruins of an old mill, which is worth a visit for views of the pond and maybe a few fish, newts or frogs (sadly, as with the River Majaceite, I fear the otters may have disappeared as water levels have dropped). Back in the clearing, in order to reach the castle you need to look instead for a narrow path that heads steeply uphill (marked by a big tree with a sign saying “Coto Privado de Caza”). After climbing for a while, always keeping the river down on your left and the castle high above you on the right, the path drops down again and eventually comes almost back to the river bank. At this point you will see a steep sparsely vegetated area on your right and the castle very high above you. Just follow the easiest route up towards the castle, eventually aiming for a point at the bottom of the crag where you can see a steep, rock-strewn gully in front of you and a white farmhouse some way below you on your left. This is a good place to stop and get your breath back but save the sandwiches for the castle itself as it gives you longer to enjoy your achievement and the views!
If you are impetuous, brave, an experienced climber or just plain stupid, head straight up the gully and scale the vertical wall. Those of us with any sense will slowly pick our way about halfway up the gully and look for a small path on the right just behind a large rock and under a large tree which leads you to the first of the defensive walls built from large limestone blocks and typically over a metre thick. Don’t follow the person in front too closely as loose rocks often come tumbling down. Once beyond the first defensive ring, the path is easier. You will have to climb over the odd rock but eventually you will make it to the castle and some absolutely amazing views to Benaocaz, Salto del Cabrero, Sierra del Endrinal, Sierra del Pinar, etc. Now, as you stand there sweating and panting and cursing your rucksack, imagine trying to do the whole thing in medieval armour with the inhabitants of the castle pelting you with rocks, arrows and boiling oil!
The castle itself is not particularly well preserved but there are significant remains that give an idea of the scale of the defenses, enhanced by the use of the position itself with almost vertical cliffs on three sides.The castle was built on the site of a primitive Iberian hill fort but historical records show it being of particular importance during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries when, despite its impenetrable appearance, it actually changed hands several times in the battle for supremacy between the Moors and the Christians fighting to reconquer Spain.
When you are ready to make the return journey, make your way slowly back down the gully where you will find a good stick is essential to stop you losing your footing. You can either return by the same route or preferably head down towards the white farmhouse and just before you reach it you will pick up a path heading right, past a semi-derelict cowshed into the woods. This descends fairly steeply and quickly brings you back to the little clearing from where you cross the river and return to the car.
This circular route is about 9 kms if you start from Venta de los Fresnos. If you want to shorten the route you can take the car (slowly!) along the track as far as El Huertezuelo and start the walk there. This reduces the hike to about 5 kms but given the climb to the castle it is still quite challenging.

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