By Jo Williams
Fuenteheridos is a pretty village just off the main
N433. A tiny village of some 700 people, Fuenteheridos can get overrun
with visitors, mainly from Seville, at weekends and holidays.
Like many serrano villages it has plentiful springwater,
which flows continuously from the Fuente de Doce Caños
(Fountain of 12 jets) in the attractive shady paseo (square). Also
here is a 18th-century cross, made from marble extracted from the
village quarry nearby, on the road to Navahermosa from the N433.
Many houses have preserved their original features, including rustic
wooden balconies now adorned with geranium plants tumbling over
the wrought iron railings and solanas (literally, suntraps), covered
top-floor terraces often with arches used for storage and drying
clothes. You can see these in the main square, where the bar La
Posada has a huge solana.
With about six bars around the paseo, there's a
great choice of places to stop and sample some of the Sierra's setas
(wild mushrooms) in autumn.
On the northern edge beyond the large typical Serrano
church, the 18th-century Iglesia del Espíritu Santo,
is the old village threshing circle, the Era Comunal. From are great
views across the village and the wooded valley west towards Galaroza.
There is a short, pleasant stroll along the path
from the aparcamientos (car park) alongside a small water channel
and you can read some extracts from poems, including one about Fuenteheridos,
on ceramic plaques mounted on the wall. If you follow this out of
the village and walk past the tourist village Villa Turística
Fuenteheridos, you come to some beautiful botanical gardens at Villa
Onuba. Dating from the end of the 19th century, the gardens
are now part of the residence of the Maristas Order.
Accommodation
There is the small Hostal Carballos in the village.
The Villa Turística Fuenteheridos is on the outskirts of
the village. This is a purpose-built tourist complex made up of
self-catering cottages, with a pool and restaurant. One kilometre
from Fuenteheridos on the road to Castaño del Robledo is
the leafy Camping El Madroñal, set in chestnut woodland,
with a pool and bar.
Walks
There are many excellent walks from Fuenteheridos.
South from Calle Reina de los Angeles is a 7km linear
walk along the GR-47 to the Peña and Alájar.
A few kilometres out of Fuenteheridos along this path is a right
turn to the village of Castaño.
West out of the village from the cemetery is a linear
5km walk, which takes about an hour, along the fertile valley between
Fuenteheridos and Galaroza following the GR-41.3, passing fruit
orchards, chestnut groves and cork oaks. From Galaroza you can return
via Castaño, making a circular walk Fuenteheridos-Galaroza-Castaño-Fuenteheridos
of a total three to four hours. You can either take the Rivera de
Jabugo footpath from Galaroza (starting near the Hostal Venecia
on the N433 in Galaroza), a beautiful walk along the verdant valley
of the Jabugo river, to Castaño Bajo. Or the PR A-38 between
Galaroza and Castaño, with good views over to Jabugo. The
path back to Fuenteheridos from Castaño leaves from the east
side of the village and goes round the northern side of the Cerro
Castaño.
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