Tíjola: the GR 142

There are three GR (Gran Recorrido) long-distance hiking trails that traverse the Alpujarra. The GR-240, known as the Sulayr, is a 300 km circular route that runs within the National Park borders in the mountains above the highest villages at about 1,800 m altitude. We have walked or cycled portions of it in the past, but will probably not access it on this trip. The GR 7 starts in Tarifa and finishes in Athens, traveling through the highest Alpujarra villages on the way (like Cañar at 1014 m where we are headed tomorrow). We will likely walk several stages of the GR 7 on this trip. The GR 142, also known as the Sendero Medieval, begins in the village just west of us, Lanjarón, and ends in Fiñana (where it happens to intersect with the Camino Mozárabe). This runs through the lowest level villages in the Alpujarra (like Tíjola at 325 m, where we are now). We have followed its distinctive red and white markings several times this week, including today. In fact, our entire walk today was on the GR 142.

In earlier times, this would have been a dirt track, but now this particular portion has been turned into a narrow paved lane. One morning, as we were walking along it looking at our notes and trying to figure out whether the building in front of us was actually the old Molino del Ramon or not, a woman drinking coffee on a balcony above us called down to ask if we needed help. We explained our project to her and she came down to point things out. This turned into an hour long conversation with Almudena. It seems like she is related to all 100 or so people in Tíjola and thus was able to tell us about the history of the area. She pointed out that the pavement on which we were currently standing used to be the front patio of her grandmother’s house. When the provincial officials turned the dirt path into a paved lane, everyone in Tíjola lost part of their property. As the conversation continued, we came to admire the longevity of Almudena’s neighbors. To one side was a man of 93 still working in his fields, and on the other side, a man of 104 who died recently but maintained his orchard until his last years.

This morning, the lane was heavily used. There were walkers like us headed into Órgiva for supplies, local residents traveling in cars or tractors to their fields in the vega, cyclists on electric bikes, the motorist in the Morgan we saw at the gas station in Órgiva last week, and a gentleman we have seen several times swinging by on his bike, pulling a trailer with an awning and a comfortable seat for his dog!

Thinking of the man driving the Morgan, we’ve seen him pulling into his garage so we know he lives near here. Today we stopped to read the plaque on his house, as we’ve been doing with all the houses and old cortijos along the GR, and had a good laugh at what it said. (See the photos.)

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