Traditional cortijo and farmstead

 

Level of Difficulty
 2B (rating explanation)
Price of Tour
 € 30 (includes food and drinks)
Day & Time
 Wednesdays starting at 10:00 (walking calendar)
Meeting Point
 Nerja bus station, Nerja (map) at 09:30, and then at the main Frigiliana bus stop, Frigiliana (map) at 10:00.
Start Time
 10:00 at the main Frigiliana bus stop, Frigiliana (map)
Finish Time
 19:00 at the main Frigiliana bus stop, Frigiliana (map)
Maximum Group Size
 Limited number of spaces available on each walk in order to maintain group safety and good walker/guide ratio.
Total Walking Time
 5 hours approx. (includes stops for breaks, photos, looking at wildflowers, talking to goatherds, etc.!)
Cortijo Visit Time
 4 hours approx
Walking Distance
 15 kilometres (circular route)
Route Location
 Somewhere in the backwoods of the Frigiliana countryside where the birds always sing, the air is clean and fresh, and the wine sweet and sticky.
Height Gained
 250 metres (from Frigiliana bus station)
Risk of Vertigo
 No
Recommendations
 Trainers or walking sandals are adequate. However, no flip-flops or similar, please. Decent level of fitness required. Bring something to eat as a snack, sufficient water, appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, and a camera.
Additional Gear
 None required.
Highlights
 Narrow, earthen country lanes winding through exotic fruit plantations and olive groves; wildflowers ablaze and in abundance (season March – June); spectacular sea, hill and mountain views; visit to an authentic, working traditional farmstead; learn about traditional Andalucían farming practices, learn all there is to know about olives and get involved with picking (season), learn all about the famous moscatel grape and take part in the “vendimia” grape harvest (season); learn about traditional wine making and see how it is done; have a chance at mingling with the goatherd if we fortuitously bump into him on the way back to Frigiliana as he moves his goats along the country lanes and through the hilly meadows.
Facilities
 Lavatory, food and drinks available at Frigiliana and cortijo at destination.
Observations
 This walk starts at the main Frigiliana bus stop at 10:00. Walkers based in Nerja should meet me no later than 09:30 at the main Nerja bus station, Nerja. Walkers based in Frigiliana should wait at the Frigiliana meeting point for the arrival of the Nerja group at approximately 10:00.
Map of Walking Area

 

Historical background

Come with me on this intriguing and truly eye-opening adventure as I take you deep into the Frigiliana countryside, on an odyssey of discovery into the traditional, rural Andalucian way of life. Journey with me back in time to see how things used to be, and still are, in the Frigiliana and Andalucía of old, when people lived strictly by the rules of ritual, custom and tradition. Lost in a complex labyrinth of paths and country lanes, and where gently rolling hills and sunny hillsides are dotted with whitewashed farmhouses, there exist rare, unique and unusual farmsteads where rural tradition is still faithfully followed.
 
These farmsteads are known locally as either “cortijos” (living and working farmhouses), “casas de labranza” (farmhouses for storing tools and equipment), “aperos” (small tool storage buildings/huts), or in more general terms, “terrenos” (plots of land with or without infrastructure). The norm was that each family in the village would have had their own terreno or terrenos somewhere in the outlying countryside. The terreno would be visited on a frequent, if not almost daily basis, in order to attend to the crops and animals. More often than not, families would have been hugely reliant on the success of these farmsteads for their self-sufficiency needs, and quite often their very survival. The decades succeeding the Spanish civil war, especially those of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, sadly demonstrated this truth. Evidently, not all families were fortunate to have terrenos in convenient locations. Furthermore, those terrenos that were farthest from the village, tended to have more substantial infrastructure in order to accommodate overnight stays, thus facilitating a more productive working day.
 
That these singular farmsteads still exist today is testament to the devotion of their keepers who ensure that this traditional way of life carries on. I once asked a friend who still proudly owns one of these farmsteads, as to why he still continues employing traditional methods, especially knowing that each year there is a 50/50 chance of making a financial loss, not to mention the uncertain guarantee of not selling all of his production for that year. His answer was:
 

“If I do not do it, then who else will? I can remember seeing my grandfather teaching my father how to make wine in the traditional way; and my father in turn then taught me. Up until not too long ago, everyone who made wine in Frigiliana made it in the traditional way. Today it is impossible to find anyone still doing it this way. If I tell you how most of the wine is really made, you would not believe me. They all call it wine, and it tastes like wine, but it isn’t really wine in the true sense. There are some things that you just cannot learn from books. Everything that I now know has been passed down to me by my forefathers. Luckily for me, I do not have to rely on this for making my living. It is a bit of a hobby, but a special kind of hobby. For me the greatest reward is in knowing that I have created with my own hands and effort, something with which I can feel happy and proud, and most importantly of all, that I have managed to maintain the tradition of my ancestors. The only sad part of this story is that my son has already made it clear to me that he is not interested in learning these important crafts, nor to carry on from where I will leave off. The only thing that I can see that he is interested in is the mobile phone, the computer and expecting everything quickly and easily.”

 
This extraordinary and intense dedication to maintaining tradition is based on an unwavering determination to uphold and maintain the social, cultural and historical customs and values associated with a strict traditional way of life. It further demonstrates the ongoing, personal struggle against the changing times, and the fierce resistance to accepting convenient and modern modes of practice and ways of thinking. On a visit to see another friend with a not too dissimilar farmstead, I was educated on a few sad but pertinent truths about living in modern times. I was curious to know about the silent phenomena of the disappearance of traditional techniques and practices, and this is what I discovered:
 

“The problem nowadays is that everybody wants a quick, easy AND CHEAP solution to everything! In fact, it’s not that they want it; THEY EXPECT IT! They even DEMAND it! But sometimes, convenience is not always the best way. Sometimes, you have to make the little sacrifices in order to achieve the good results. If not, it means that something is not being done correctly and the result will not be as good as it should be. At least, that is how I see it. It is as clear as that. Not long ago, you could see a lot more of the traditional crops in the campo, for example, like the grapes and the olives, being tended and harvested by traditional means. This is the Mediterranean tradition. But little by little, everybody is getting rid of these crops for avocados and mangos. By their weight and size, the avocados and mangos bring much more money. You do not understand it, Javier? This modern way of living now is all about the money and convenience. The convenience and the quick and the easy money! I still have my traditional crops, and I still pick my olives and look after all of my trees in the traditional way and with the traditional wooden tools. I even make my tools from olive wood. How many people that you know do these kinds of things still? There is one important thing that the campo teaches me: the only thing that cannot be controlled is time, because if you try to rush things, the result is always going to be disappointing.”

 
One thing is clear: the future of these farmsteads is uncertain. There is much less acceptance of this way of life by the youth and the younger generation who don’t fully appreciate and understand the importance of maintaining these rural traditions, customs, values and practices that were once so widespread and commonplace in rural Andalucía. Nevertheless, one can still find examples of this very rare and unique farmstead still in existence today. So come with me on this enchanting walk of discovery, and together we will go to this special place; a place not many people know; a place that quietly awaits you, to fascinate and captivate you.

 

Walk description

The starting point of the walk to our farmstead begins in the centre of the pretty Axarquían village of Frigiliana. After a short and pleasant stroll through the village, we begin our journey in earnest by embarking along the old and original, communication and trading mule routes out of the village. Venturing deeper into the “campo”, we pass by a few interesting sites of historical interest worthy of mention, evidence of centuries-old activities and industries that were once commonplace throughout the area. We weave our way through the undulating countryside, passing through many exotic fruit orchards and olive groves along the way. Along our route, there are many opportunities for stopping for occasional breaks to rest and take pictures, before arriving at the highest point of our itinerary where there will be an excellent opportunity for admiring the pretty scenery and taking pictures of the panoramic views down to the Mediterranean sea, before finally announcing our arrival at our destination.

Our cortijo is perched on a sunny and breezy hillock, with nice views of the surrounding countryside. Once settled in and relaxed on the sunny terrace after our energetic pilgrimage of sorts, we will enjoy some well-deserved lunch and a lively discussion about life in the countryside in general and some of the interesting aspects of keeping a farmstead in rural Andalucía. Once thoroughly fed and watered, we will head out onto the land to observe in much closer detail, some of the interesting aspects of cultivating on the hillsides.

One of the interesting aspects of having a working cortijo is that of the bewildering number and peculiar types of tools needed for a variety of purposes. The soil in suburban gardens, countryside plots and the foothills of the lower mountain valleys in Andalucía is typically very stony, hard and dry. Compared to the typical northern European soil profile that is characteristically soft, loose and moist, the Andalucían soil profile on the other hand will certainly test one’s gardening mettle, and that of one’s tools, for during the brutally long, dry, hot Mediterranean summers, the soil easily metamorphoses into a physically alien state that is as hard and impenetrable as reinforced concrete.

The farmstead has a wide variety of crops ranging from exotic fruits of avocados and mangos to the more traditional and typical Mediterranean crops of olives and grapes, not to mention various extensions of vegetable patches. Each type of crop requires specific techniques for attending to each stage of its crop cycle, with the fruit of each crop usually being picked at different times during the year.

This is your opportunity to ask as many questions as you wish about the intricacies of the fruit, the work, and the farmyard science! Remember! You may find that some of the answers to your questions may not always coincide with commonly known facts about factory batch-production methods and industrialised processes. Don’t forget that what works in the bio-technologically managed fields and factories, does not necessarily work on the farmstead! Depending on the season, you are welcomed to help pick the mangoes and avocados. Perhaps you may also wish to try your hand at the delicate art of picking the olives and grapes when this coincides with the relevant season, in addition to learning about all the finer details of the picking process, transport, processing, production, olive and grape varieties, and many, many more interesting things.

The grapes on this particular farmstead are grown for making wine, however, previously they were employed for the production of raisins. For this purpose, the grapes would have to be dried on specially constructed grape drying beds known locally as “paseros”. There are a few of these paseros on the land that were once used for drying the grapes, however, the grapes are now exclusively used for wine production. There is a unique process involved in traditional wine making that follows strict traditional methods that have been passed down through the generations. It is a completely natural process that doesn’t even employ the addition of yeast or any other additive of any kind, whether natural or synthetic. The secret lies entirely in the grapes and the technique employed, and you will see how this process is carried out!

This working cortijo has remained in the same family for umpteen generations. There are various, old husbandry tools and artefacts at the cortijo which were actually used by previous generations, some of which are still used to this day! There is a modest flock of chickens that will follow us around and keep us company. The mischievous pair of resident cats will no doubt help to keep an eye on the chickens. But who will keep an eye on the mischievous cats?! There is a rambunctious old mule who frequently comes and goes as he pleases, and a lovely little fellow of a horse who keeps a watchful eye on everything on the farmstead, including those mischievous cats. Those verse and adept at horse riding may be tempted to go for a little trot along the country lanes if there is enough time before heading back to Frigiliana.

And to top off our day’s adventure, we may have a fortuitous encounter on the slopes with the local goatherd and his gang of over 300 munching, marauding machines. We take a cool and leisurely stroll through lovely scenery, winding and weaving our way through the hilly countryside back into Frigiliana.

IN JAVIER’S OPINION: If one makes a comparison between this walk and the Acebuchal walk, for example, whereby the Acebuchal walk costs €25 minimum with the menu at the mountain inn included in the price (drinks, dessert, coffee, etc. not included), this walk and the amazing experience on offer represents incomparable and outstanding value for money.

 

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