Cabra del Santo Cristo · Estación de Huesa · Alicún de Ortega · Estación de Cabra del Santo Cristo (C7)

Circular route of about 63 km that connects Cabra del Santo Cristo with the station of Huesa and Alicún of Ortega, along the eastern sector of Sierra Mágina. The itinerary combines railway heritage, agricultural landscapes and some of the most unique reliefs of the region, such as the badlands and cascades of Alicún. It is an accessible and very contrasting proposal, where the reading of the territory - rail, spartum, olive and erosion - accompanies each section. The route starts in the Municipal Park of Cabra del Santo Cristo and gains height gently to the Mirador de Cabra, the first balcony of the route, from which the transition between the olive countryside and the foothills of Sierra Magina is recognized. From here, the route descends to the Salado stream, rolling in parallel to the railway track, which acts as the driving thread of the landscape. In this sector there are the first contrasts: very eroded white soils, attached rambles and repopulation pines that soften the aridity. Before arriving at the station of Huesa, it is worth the detour to the ravine of the nuns, where an interesting set of houses is preserved - cave linked to the exploitation of the spartum and to the railway history of the late 19th and early 20th century. The station, opened in 1898, is a good place to stop and understand the importance of the train in the articulation of this territory. From Huesa, the route is directed south and south-west, through a more open landscape dominated by olive groves and dehesas. In this section we still see the traces of the 2015 fire in the Peña del Cambrón, now in the process of natural regeneration and repopulation. The relief is gently waved until, as it approaches Alicún de Ortega, the landscape changes radically. The access to Alicún runs between badlands and cascades, one of the most striking geomorphological sets in the province: hillsides surrounded by erosion, deep rambles and abrupt profiles that offer a very different visual experience than that of the serrano olive tree. After reaching the surroundings of Alicún de Ortega, the route turns back to the west, maintaining a comfortable pedal between cultivated and empty lomas where the riverside vegetation reappears. The return reaches the Cabra Station of the Holy Christ, another relevant railway enclave. From here there is the option of a short detour to visit the Milenaria Encine, a unique example for its size and longevity. The last section runs by local road between olive groves, already in a soft profile, until they return to the urban centre of Cabra del Santo Cristo, where the routes C6 and C7 are combined and the circuit is closed. General recommendations Road suitable for road cycling and light gravel, suitable for mixed public with a certain physical base for its mileage. It is necessary to protect from the sun in the open sections and in the Badlands area, where the shadow is scarce. It carries sufficient water between stations and villages, and extreme caution in crosses with local roads and in the railway diversions. Respects fragile environments (cascades, casas- cave) and always stay in the signposted layout.