Cartajima - Camino del Molino de la Máquina (Valle del Genal)

Camino del Molino de la Máquina provides a pleasant out-and-back walk through the chestnut groves south of Cartajima. The track has some cemented sections but is mostly dirt with no obstacles of any kind.

You will likely see activity in the chestnut groves. Farmers come and go on their ATV’s. Depending on the season, trees need pruning or grafting, cuttings need to be burned, branches need to be propped up to encourage their direction of growth, or the chestnuts need to be harvested. The purpose of the pruning and grafting is to make the trees more productive. Shaded branches will not produce fruit, so trees in commercial plots are kept low. Some trees are pruned several feet above the ground, while others are cut off right at the stump. Thin new branches are often supported by stakes or a tripod. All of these tasks add interest to the walk, as do the views back up to the terraced fields of Cartajima or across the Rio Genal Valley to the village of Pujerra.

Notes
On the IGN topo map, it looks like a loop trip can be made by combining the Camino del Molino de la Máquina with the PR that connects Cartajima with Pujerra. However, although the connecting track shows clearly on the map, we could not locate it on the ground. It appears to have been plowed up at its eastern end.

Walk 19 of a long-distance walk through the Serranía de Ronda
From our journal:
Along the walk, we noticed how much the types of trees have changed since we started. Around Alpandeire, we walked mainly in cork oak country. Around Faraján, the views were of almond orchards. Around Júzcar, we were mainly focused on the mountains and didn’t pay too much attention to the trees. Here, it is clear that chestnut groves dominate. But not in the way I expected... 90% of the photos of the Genal Valley that I saw when I was planning the trip showed autumn scenes of hillsides bathed in color. Since we are here in spring, I knew we wouldn’t see golden foliage, but I did picture lots of trees covered with green leaves. However, it turns out that February is too early for the leaves to be out, so what we are seeing instead are bare hillsides full of unusually shaped trees with thick stump-like trunks and tiny stick-like branches. This is because the trees are pruned and grafted over the winter to make sure they will be the best producers they can possibly be. The chestnut industry is the number one business here in the Upper Genal Valley, and much effort is put into keeping it a viable way of making a living.

Possibilities for eating/sleeping
A stay at Hotel Los Castanos in Cartajima is a wonderful treat for a walker. Di and John are ready to help you choose suitable trails and even offer delivery and pick-up service to and from trailheads. Their hearty breakfasts and delicious dinners are just what a walker needs.

Cartajima also has two food shops and a pharmacy, handy for walkers needing to resupply.

Resources
Chestnut groves in the Genal Valley
www.fedamon.com/senderos/prs/archivospdf/malaga/PR-A%20224_infosenderos_web.pdf

A threat to the chestnut industry www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43377056

Ayuntamiento de Cartajima
www.cartajima.es

Previous day’s walk: Júzcar - Cartajima - PR-A 224
www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/juzcar-cartajima-pr-a-224-valle-del-genal-79957402

Next day’s walk: Cartajima - Arroyo Bolones
www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/cartajima-arroyo-bolones-valle-del-genal-80126206

Link to journal
http://hiking.topicwise.com/doc/GenalValley