Home hiking trail Finca Maroma
Walking time: 3,5 - 4 hours
Komoot-map with altitude profile
This relatively easy circular route is ideal for getting to know the mountains and valleys around Cómpeta and starts directly from Finca Maroma.
The hike passes through two of the most idyllic villages in this region: Árchez and Canillas. The most beautiful part of the route goes along the river Cájula.
The most convenient time to start is around 11 am, so you can plan to have lunch in the village square of Canillas. From here, the route back towards Cómpeta to Finca Maroma is a very pleasant walk. You walk through beautiful, irrigated terraced fields with subtropical fruit trees.
Here you can feel why the Berbers, who once invented the irrigation system, considered the Axarquia a land of milk and honey. The route runs along paths and dirt tracks and only in the villages of Árchez and Canillas, as well as a short stretch on the last stretch, do you hike briefly on asphalt.The starting point of this hike is Finca Maroma. From the entrance of the finca, walk along the sandy path to the right, passing Casa Mimosa and a few other houses. At the next fork in the road, continue along the upper left-hand path, which soon bends to the left.
Now you go downhill through almond groves and come to a point where a fence with green netting runs just to the left of the path. Here you turn right onto another path towards Árchez, which descends steeply through terraced fields of olives, almonds and vines. Now Árchez appears. You pass under a power line and see a row of concrete pillars on your left.
Here you leave the trail and follow a narrow, initially inconspicuous path that leads downhill following the high-voltage pylons. The path soon improves and takes you past agaves and other cactus plants. On your left is a house. Here the path is paved for a short distance. Now you come to an asphalt road (approx. 25 min). Turn right here and you will soon reach Àrchez. Walk past the Bar Avenida, the consultorio, the ayuntamiento and you will reach Plazuela Mudèjar with its magnificent 13th century almiñar (minaret). Exit the square along a narrow lane just to the right of the minaret. You will pass a ceramic plaque depicting the history of the village.
At the end of this street, turn right onto a path that runs along the right bank of the river Cájula, passing the old mill of La Fábrica. Cross the river over a wooden bridge and soon you will pass a second mill. Shortly after the mill and before the next river crossing, a small path serpentines up the slope to the left.
You come to an irrigation canal, which you follow to the right. The river now rushes below you.
After some time you come to a place where the canal has been replaced by a plastic pipe. Here you climb down the slope and soon come to a wider path, which you follow upwards on the left.
There is an old carob tree here. Turn left here onto a narrow mule track that zigzags steeply uphill, passes some carob trees and crosses a water channel before joining a sandy path. This path leads up to a small farm (1 hour, 40 min.), where it turns right along a ridge with wonderful views of Canillas and Árchez.
At a fork in the road, take the right fork uphill and keep going towards a house with a round tower. Do not go up to the house, but stay on the main path. Soon you pass below a farm with buttressed walls and tall palm trees. The path now meets an asphalt road on the left. Take this to the right down the hill.
After about 150 m, at a boundary stone, follow a narrow path, partly paved with natural stones, down to the river. As you descend, you can already see a path on the other side of the valley, which you will soon follow.
At an asphalt road, turn left, up to a green railing. Keep climbing uphill and you will reach the village on calle La Plazoleta. At the end, keep right and you will come to the village square. In the Bar Romero or in the restaurant La Plaza you can fortify yourself before the next steep stretch.
At the end of the square, walk up Calle Hornos until you reach house no. 13, where you first turn left, then sharp right and continue climbing uphill. At the next fork, turn right and at the next junction, go left up calle Canovas del Castillo. There is another fork. Take the right-hand road, Calle Santa Ana, and climb steeply uphill towards a block wall. Soon you will reach the Ermita de Santa Ana chapel.
Be sure to climb up to the Ermita. Take a rest and enjoy the fabulous panoramic view over the high mountains of the Sierra down to the Mediterranean Sea.
After a well-deserved break, take the path that leads away from the main gate back down to the asphalt road. Here you will see two sandy paths.
Do not go left towards Zona Recreativa la Fábrica, but keep to the right and climb up to an olive grove, passing a large water deposit on the left of the path.
Follow this path. Just before you reach a second water depot, turn right towards several electricity pylons and a house with a strange tower.
From here you have a nice view back to the Ermita Santa Ana. Do not go down to the house, but follow the path that goes along some electricity poles and ends in a small path along the irrigation canal.
At one point the path leads down to a house with a corrugated iron roof. Here you do not go directly past the house but keep to the left and follow the higher path until you reach an asphalt road after some time.
Walk along this road for about 270 m until you see a green electricity pylon. There you turn left into the sandy path and immediately right again into the narrow path that runs above the asphalt terrace. This continues through fertile terraces with avocados, olives and citrus fruits. After a while, the path becomes a track and then meets the road. Take this to the right and then, instead of following the road on the left that leads to Cómpeta past the chapel of San Anton, climb down a steep path immediately to the right, which is initially asphalted but then becomes a narrow path after only 20 metres.
This leads you down through lemon groves and along an irrigation ditch until you come to a fork. You do not go down the stone steps, but continue to follow the path to the right. Then take the left fork, which leads you to a house with a row of cypress trees lining the path on your right.
The path then meets the Cómpeta-Canillas road. Cross this and go opposite it through a space between the crash barriers. Here you follow a narrow path down that leads you directly to the main house of Finca Maroma.