Nature on the Way: Puerto de Santa Maria to Jerez de la Frontera

 "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir

Via Augusta Stage 3

Today was a very short stage of only 14 km on the Via Augusta.  However, after yesterday's longer walk, it made for a nice change.  At first, we were a little skeptical about how enjoyable the trek would be, given that most of the route was right beside the highway, but in the end, it was a rather beautiful and interesting trek. 

After a restful night, a breakfast of coffee, bread, and jam in our room, and an hour spent writing our journals, we headed out into a gorgeous sunny morning with clear blue skies. 

Morning in Puerto Santa Maria

By 9:30 AM, we were packed up and walked out, returning to the Via Augusta. 

We followed the yellow Camino arrows through town, amazed at how different the streets looked with all the chairs and tables from the bars, cafés, and restaurants cleared away and the awnings tucked up.  As we made our way into the center of town, we walked streets lined with orange trees and colourful buildings, with fresh coats of paint and white or black bars covering their windows.  The sidewalks were starting to get busy with people heading to work, which gave the town a feeling of being alive.

We passed a beautiful town hall in front of which were the now familiar red wooden boxes that line the Semana Santa procession routes.  Tall palm trees towered over the square, and the windows of the buildings that lined it were all draped in Easter banners. 

A few steps farther along the street, we passed the clean white stucco walls, dark wood doors, and modern entrance of the Monasterio San Miguel.  Just as we passed the gates, a large group of people poured out, filling the sidewalk ahead of us.  Many of the travellers were pulling huge rolling suitcases behind them, making the slow-moving and shuffling group impossible to pass on the narrow sidewalk.

To avoid the crowd, we detoured through the beautiful Victoria Park, complete with white statues of (possibly) Greek Gods perched up on pedestals, tall trees that were laden with delicate purple flowers, and a children's play area. 

At the far end, we heard a great cacophony of bird sounds and looked up to see the trees filled with large, globular stick nests.  They were inhabited by a noisy group of bright green Monk Parakeets, and the cause of the excitement was a pair of European Jackdaws hopping from nest to nest, sticking their heads inside the round entrance holes, and presumably looking to predate them. 

I don't think their efforts were successful, but the parakeets were certainly extremely agitated.

Return to the Via Augusta 

Luckily, during this stage of the Via Augusta, we managed not to lose sight of the yellow arrows and Camino markings, and they guided us safely through several roundabouts and to the edge of town.  As we approached the outskirts, we found ourselves in an interesting mix of urban and rural elements, with modern apartment buildings and shopping centers sitting alongside homes with horses, chickens, and dogs outside. 

This mix of city and country is always interesting to us, partly because it isn't something that is commonly found in Canada. Soon we began to climb slightly, following a paved road with some twists and turns that was a little scary to walk, given the blind corners and relatively constant traffic. 

Just before we began the climb up through the neighbourhood, we passed a Correos carrier on a motorcycle who gave us a huge wave and shouted a cheerful 'Buen Camino!' across the street.  It felt like a very positive and encouraging way to begin the day, and left us with smiles on our faces as we began the climb.

Casinos and Countryside

Around halfway up the hill, we passed a beautiful white stucco building that we mistook for a winery, but which turned out to be a Casino. 

A little farther up the hill, we came to a shady pine forest which made us wish we were following the winding footpaths that crisscrossed it in the shade. Unfortunately, it was posted as private property and had clearly been used as a dumping ground.  On the other side of the road, a network of trails snaked across the hillside, and they were busy with joggers and dog walkers. 

It was easy to see why this was a popular spot for locals to come for exercise, because when we reached the top of the climb, the views behind us were stunning!

Taking a breather and looking back, we could see all the way to Cadiz, with its iconic bridge, working port, large blue and white Balearic ferry, and its tall white buildings lining the bay.  This would be our last glimpse of the sea as we head north, and we were sad to say goodbye.  Our two-week journey across the Atlantic aboard the Wind Surf was still fresh in our minds, and the salt flats around the bay have been a source of great beauty and many interesting bird sightings during the past couple of days.

Osborne Bulls

Somewhat reluctantly, we continued onwards.  On the other side of the hill, the landscape stretched out in an undulating blanket of fields.  A large hacienda stood behind us, and the fields surrounding it were planted with rows of young grape vines supported in two-foot-tall green plastic tubes, which gave the hill a strangely geometric look. 

Originally, we thought the large metal statue of a bull that had been keeping us company on the top of a nearby hill was a nod to the fact that this region is famous around the world for its sherry production.  However, we later learned that the Osborne Bulls, as they are called, are scattered across many parts of Spain.

Apparently, they were created by the Andalucían artist Manolo Prieto as an advertising campaign for Veteran Brandy, and between 1957 and 1979, over 21 of them were placed across Andalucía alone.   To our memory, we also saw these bull outlines on the Camino Frances.

Farm Houses and Wildflowers

As we continued on, the bright white gravel path ahead of us was lined with bright purple, pink, white, red, and yellow wildflowers, which framed the fields beyond.  White farmhouses and winding roads provided interesting contrasts to the green of the hills and blue of a small lake, which, on closer inspection, had a flock of pale pink Greater Flamingos feeding in it. 

It was such a lush and colourful landscape that it was almost impossible to believe that it was real.  After all, only two short weeks ago, we had been boarding a plane amidst warnings of snow and ice storms.

Birds along the Via Augusta 

From our lofty perch atop the hill, the trail descended again, and for the rest of the walk to Jerez de la Frontera, it followed a gravel track adjacent to the highway.  While this sounds uninspiring, and in some ways it was, it was also quite interesting. 

Because it was a short stage, we took things slowly and stopped to smell and photograph the flowers.  Under the clear blue sky, the wildflowers were gorgeous, and they were covered in bees, hoverflies, and several different kinds of butterflies. 

Along the trail, we also saw many different kinds of beetles, from tiny black ones that scurried along, seemingly full of purpose, to large scarabs that made their way across the open path more slowly and directly. When we looked them up on iNaturalist, we discovered they had interesting names, like the Southern Broad-bellied Bug and the Mediterranean Spotted Chafer.

The skies above and the wheat fields around us were also filled with birds, which helped to keep things interesting.  Large flocks of Glossy Ibis flew overhead in V's, somewhat similar to the formations created by migrating Canada Geese.  They were also feeding in the flooded fields, digging in the wet mud and puddles for small insects with their long, curved bills.  We also spotted several Little Egrets flying overhead, their brilliant white feathers standing out against the blue sky and reminding us that even though we can't see the ocean any longer, we are still quite close to it.

Around halfway between Puerto Santa Maria and Jerez de la Frontera, we crossed over the highway and began following a track on the other side. Shortly afterwards, we passed the office of Conservation and Exploitation (we had questions), and discovered a fancy Camino sign which had a bench attached!  We had been walking for around 10 km without a break, and this felt like perfect timing.  We gratefully sat down for a few minutes and enjoyed some of our trail mix.  As we sat there, we were amazed by the number of cars that turned down the gravel track, which seemingly led nowhere.

Jerez de Frontera 

Eventually, we continued on, and as we approached the outskirts of Jerez de Frontera, we spotted two Black Kites doing a mating dance, flying in tandem through the sky before locking feet and twirling down towards the earth with dizzying speed.  I've always wanted to witness a mating flight in real life, and it was very impressive. 

While Sean was photographing them and we were stopped on the trail, a tiny Zitting Cisticola with a beak full of insects landed a few steps away, clearly already feeding nestlings in the lush green wheat field beside us! It told us off with great gusto until we moved along and let it get back to the thankless task of feeding its hungry nestlings.

Further along, on the edge of Jerez de la Frontera, we caught our first glimpse of the town and the huge cathedral that dominated it from the top of the hill.   Even from a distance, we could see it was another large town.  As with many cities, the approach wasn't too inspiring.  We were greeted by a neighbourhood of homes that were all identical and arranged in perfectly straight rows.  After this, we crossed behind a giant Mercadona distribution center and other large box stores. 

We followed the arrows toward the centre of Jerez de la Frontera, navigating streets that, from a hiker’s perspective, were a mix of busy thoroughfares, crowded sidewalks, and uninspiring modern architecture. Eventually, we passed the downtown Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera, a well-preserved Moorish fortress dating back to the 11th–12th centuries and originally built by the Almohad Caliphate. Though we were both intrigued by the castle, it was clear that visiting it would be easier without the weight and hassle of our backpacks.

Continuing with the goal of reaching our accommodations, listed as one of the Via Augusta route, we followed our Camino GPX tracks into what appeared to be a bodega district, winding through cool, narrow streets that hinted at a quieter, more historic side of the city. Eventually, we paused to check our location, realizing that we still had to navigate some 2.5 km through the city to reach the hotel.

According to the arrows on the ground, our destination was well off the Camino route we were following, a reminder that even mapped trails can require careful navigation, especially through bustling towns.

Semana Santa  

When we crossed through the main square, it was incredibly full of people.  Despite having walked quite a few Spanish Caminos previously, we are not too familiar with Spanish culture.  However, it felt like the crowds were more dressed up than usual, and the restaurants were jam-packed with people eating large meals.

As far as we know, this is somewhat unusual during the early afternoon, as most restaurants typically close their kitchens during siesta. We could only guess the festive atmosphere was due to the Easter celebrations, which we've read are a truly spectacular sight to behold in this town.

We had chosen accommodations at the far end of town, hoping to make tomorrow's stage, which is a longer one, a little shorter. We wove through streets lined with modern buildings, trendy shops, and huge crowds.  At one point, we were following behind a horse-drawn carriage filled with very elegantly dressed people.  The avenues were wide and lined with palm trees, and the neighbourhoods and historic buildings we passed made it seem like Jerez de la Frontera would be an interesting place to explore in its own right.

Exploration of Jerez de la Frontera

We ended the day in Plaza Santiago, home to the Santiago Church, though, like many sites during Easter holidays, it was closed. Walking through town, glimpses of the Cathedral of San Salvador and the churches of San Miguel and San Dionisio tempted us, yet none were open for visits today. Without success at any of the churches or in obtaining a pilgrim stamp, we continued onward.

By 4 PM, after an hour of exploring streets away from the Camino route to reach our accommodations, we arrived at the hotel.  According to our GPX tracks and the arrows we had been following when we entered the city, we were now clearly off the main Way of St. James route.   Yet another set of yellow arrows from the Church of Santiago pointed toward our location, highlighting that multiple marked routes weave through this city. It was a small but vivid reminder of the many marked paths that can exist within a city.  A fact that makes staying on the Camino, any Camino, tough sometimes. 

Checked in to our hotel and went through the usual pilgrim routine of taking showers, hand washing our clothes, and going back out to Le Jamon Dia to buy salad and bread for dinner.  We returned to our room to do some writing, and then headed back out to explore.

Easter Processions

We were somewhat stunned to find masses of people - likely numbering in the thousands - heading downtown.  We had planned to return to the Church of Santiago for evening mass and go back to visit the castle, but there were so many people filling the streets that it was impossible.  

As we approached the center of town, we began to see police blockades closing the streets to vehicular traffic, and the crush of people became truly overwhelming as the populace made its way to the church dressed in their finest Sunday attire.  Police were stationed everywhere, unusually grumpy at our presence – clearly being outsiders in worn hiking clothes and with camera gear.   

As we moved through the crowd, we were constantly jostled by grandmothers, mothers, and daughters whose wares were, unabashedly, on full display for the community. Meanwhile, many of the men and boys strutted by in tight, short black suits, often accessorized with pink ankle bracelets and shocking...makeup.

For me, it was a vivid expression of a community coming together, walking to the church and dressing up for the occasion. For Sean, who grew up as a regular church attendee in a conservative parish with family members who studied theology, there was little sense of piety.  He felt that everything and everyone seemed more about displaying wealth, fashion, and status to neighbours. Much like our experience in Cádiz, two ill-dressed pilgrims were conspicuously out of place, greeted with sneers, pushes, and occasional spitting as we passed by. Given the sheer number of people, we ultimately decided it would be far better to explore the city tomorrow in relative quiet.

Evening in Jerez de la Frontera

We found a small corner restaurant, a local Botavino Cerveceria, which interestingly had both child-sized wooden tables and chairs and tall tables with bar stools, and stepped inside for a cold drink.  The place was empty when we arrived, but soon the dinner crowd flooded inside.  The waitress was very nice to us, and eventually brought us a menu. 

When we asked in English if there was anything vegetarian, she offered us tomatoes with onion and pesto and French fries.  Perhaps this was a strange meal, but we enjoyed it and greatly appreciated her kindness. 

When we left, the place was still packed with people, all very animatedly discussing the celebrations going on through the town.  It felt like we were missing an opportunity by not attending the procession, but we were completely overwhelmed by the crowds, and in the end had to admit defeat. As we headed off to bed, we had resolved to explore the town a little more tomorrow morning, when it will hopefully be less crowded.

See you on the Way!