Cerro Bujeos - Antiguo Cementerio Peñarrubia, Campillos (Málaga)

25 10 2022

Cerro Bujeos – Cementerio Antiguo Peñarrubia

This circular walk starts on the Acceso Norte road the MA 9006. It is a three minute drive from the El Chorro dam. There is off road parking at the start of the walk.

The walk passes through four areas, Bujeos, Calabacillas, Los Polvillares and Los Alfileres. The first area Cerro Bujeos where there is a bit of a steep climb (optional) but the views from the top are worth it.

Making your way back down go right then take the downhill path which will bring you onto the Peñarrubia road (very quite road). Turn left for 600m then take the Calabacillas track. Then turning right and crossing a field the path disappears under the dry grass and the dry thistles. These paths are hardly used now except for hunters as there are a lot of shotgun pellets on the ground, but every now and then they appear.

Going into Polvillares and passing some olive groves, where there is one shrine under an olive tree dedicated to four deceased loved ones, you will see the cross to your right where the old Peñarrubia cemetery is.

Because the reservoir water level is low you can see the concreted over cemetery and walk around it, *the map shows you are walking on the water!). There are two crosses here and also two small shrines, and also the remains of several headstones.

From here you make your way through Los Alfileres trying to stay on the path which merges with Bujeos, which then takes you back to the start.

Peñarrubia was a village that was evacuated between 1971to 1973 to make way for the Guadalteba reservoir. About 1800 inhabitants were relocated to Santa Rosalia Maqueda in Málaga (about 40km away). Most of the houses were bulldozed down, although several buildings were left standing including the church.

This walk was very peaceful, but a bit challenging in places trying to stay on the paths, and find the old paths. There are a lot of great views on this walk. I will definitely do it again perhaps in reverse to get a different perspective on it.

It’s a big shame that the sacred burial ground of the Peñarrubia cemetery was concreted over, and to get there to pay your respects to loved ones isn’t easy anymore, and if the reservoir is full you have to do it from a distance.
I wouldn’t recommend doing this walk after it rains because this area will probably become very muddy.

Peñarrubia, el pueblo tragado por el pantano (cadenaser.com)