Benalúa to Guadix - PR-A 155 Trail

The Benalúa to Guadix - PR-A 155 Trail starts at a viewpoint known as Cerro Kabila, in the municipality of Benalúa, Granada province. After following a narrow cattle trail, we continue along a beaten track towards Guadix.

This gentle stroll lets us admire the landscape of the badlands in stark contrast to the fertile plains, with the Sierra Nevada massif as a backdrop. Part of the route runs along an abandoned railway line that once connected Guadix to eastern Spain. Further ahead we can see the Torre de Baza, a mediaeval watchtower that formed part of the region's defensive system.

Near Guadix Station, we can see some medieval defensive caves, around which this neighbourhood of caves has sprung up. Crossing the A-92 we reach a district known as Barrio de Cuevas de la Estación. A few minutes further on we reach the road to Murcia, where our route ends.

The key attractions of La Hoya de Guadix include its contrasting landscapes and rich heritage. The natural space occupied by the towns in this area are known as badlands. The landscape of the badlands was created by water eroding very feeble materials, such as clay, silt and sand, giving rise to a series of canyons and riverbeds, in sharp contrasts to the fertile plains that have been reclaimed from the desert thanks to age-old irrigation systems.

Benalúa was first mentioned in written sources immediately after the Christian conquest, when it was known as Menaluga, whose meaning remains a mystery. In Benalúa, as well as the old sugar factory complex, now the Town Hall, and other public buildings, we recommend visiting the neo-Mudéjar church, the Town Museum, the neighbourhoods of caves and the Mirador del Cerro Kabila viewpoint.

Guadix has existed since prehistoric times, but in Roman times the city was re-founded as a colony called Iulia Gemella Acci, when it became a key site in the region. Its old quarter is still home to the Muslim Alcazaba fortress and remains of the city wall, as well as an intricate, typically Moorish urban layout. The Christianisation of the city in public buildings make its historic site one of the richest in Andalusia.