The Mozarabic Route to Santiago de Compostela
The Mozarabic Way to Santiago de Compostela recreates the network of paths traveled by the Mozarabs, Christians who lived during the Middle Ages in the south of the Peninsula during Muslim domination. These Christians did not lose their faith and continued to make pilgrimages to the tomb of the Apostle, but after the conquest of Granada, these routes began to fade. With the rise of the different roads to the Galician city, the routes were recovered by the different Associations of the Camino de Santiago, among which that of Córdoba stands out, which was in charge of recovering the route through this province.
The design of the path was carried out according to historical and practical criteria and overlaps with important paths of the past and livestock routes such as the Cañada Real Soriana, the old paths from Córdoba to Toledo or the Vía del Azogue between Córdoba and Almadén. Once past the region of Los Pedroches, the Camino Mozárabe crosses Badajoz to connect with the Vía de la Plata in Mérida. The survival of a good part of the routes mentioned has meant that the route has been traced in an eminently practical way through areas of great scenic beauty and heritage.
The Route
The Camino Mozárabe is designed with three starting points: Almería, Málaga and Jaén. The route is unified in Baena, where the routes that come from the three cities mentioned meet. From there it crosses the entire countryside of Córdoba, Sierra Morena and Los Pedroches. After leaving Los Pedroches, it heads through the province of Badajoz to Mérida and, from there, along the Vía de la Plata, it reaches Galicia and Santiago.
The Phase
The Alcaracejos Mozárabe stage begins in Villaharta and is one of the longest and toughest of the entire route to Santiago de Compostela. It runs through the terms of Villaharta, Pozoblanco, Espiel and Alcaracejos. The term of Alcaracejos limits with that of Espiel past the Ford of Guadalbarbo or Ford of Venta Arenales. From there and up to the Lorito stream, the path forms the boundary between Alcaracejos and Espiel. The stage is 37 kilometers long and this means that there are pilgrims who prefer to cover it twice. Between Villaharta and Puerto del Calatraveño and between the port and Alcaracejos. This is one of the reasons why Alcaracejos Mozárabe emerged, which aims to offer different options and alternatives to all those who want to get to know this most unique territory in different options and formats.
