Walking through Spain! My plan was clear, I wanted to fly to Malaga and walk to Seville, at the first of September. This was not planned at all. Also the route was not an official hiking route, just a good way from Google. You are going to learn many things about long hikes, to not copy the things which are going to be mentioned in the article.
Where exactly was the route?
These are the places I was sleeping at during the walk. It was around 180 km in five days. It was probably a little bit less, but I can’t get the route exactly now. What is a fact, that it was definitely on average above 30 km every day.
Why the idea and why exactly there?
The idea of the trip was really spontaneous. I knew that I would visit my friends in Austria, or better in Vienna. From there was a super cheap flight to Malaga in Spain. I booked it and originally wanted to walk from Malaga to Lisbon in Portugal, to visit my aunt.
The idea of the long walk started by hearing many stories about how life changing it would be. At that time I wasn’t in the best mental state, like during many times of my life, so I wanted to fight against it. In general walking and movement is something good for the mind and body. I had time, wanted a new purpose for my travel and did something in my life, which could help me.
Without much preparation and planning the trip started.
I had my 10L backpack with me, filled with a travel hammock, a charger, a powerbank, a water filter and an air mattress. Basically nothing. Having a light backpack is for sure good, when it comes to walking. You are not really feeling it.
The start of the walk
After getting out of the airport in Malaga, it pushed me to the ground of reality right away. The heat was strong, I had no shade and had to start walking. I wasn’t expecting that it would have been so hot during this time of the year, but I was in the South of Spain, which was indeed still hot. Over 35 degrees, but it felt warmer.
Not even five kilometers into the walk, my water was empty and I was far from anything helpful. A couple was coming and giving me some water, fruits and a cap, which should protect me from the sun. They told me that I was looking like collapsing, not motivating feedback, but amazing, that they helped me without me even asking.
After the sun was close to setting, the temperatures were dropping a bit and it was finally more enjoyable to walk. Close to where I was at the end of the day, there were supermarkets in which I was getting fruits and some pastries with sugar, because I was extremely exhausted. Hot climate is nothing I am enjoying, for that reason this story and adventure is even more silly, if I think about it.
Since the sun was setting and I had a little break with my food, it was time to find a good spot for sleeping, but near supermarkets there was not such a place. With a tent it could have been easier, but that was not my case.
Walking in the darkness is something I am even more uncomfortable with, then walking in the heat, but there was nothing I could have done. While it got later and later, still no trees were on the way, at least no tries where a hammock could be possible to hang.
My first night
It was time to find a place, because walking the whole night through wouldn’t be really helpful for me. Sleep was necessary to receive more energy for the following days, it was not a sprint.
Out of desperation, I wanted to ask a family I was seeing on the street with my broken Spanish, if I could hang in their garden between the trees. They didn’t understand me well, until I showed it to them. Also didn’t want me to put the hammock on, due to a better idea from them.
They were putting an old mattress on the ground in the garden, for me to sleep on. It felt like being really dirty, but to be honest I just wanted to sleep and felt secure, with them living there. Sleeping alone in the darkness and outside is horror for me, which I tried to challenge as well. I was sleeping inside the hammock on the mattress, for protection against mosquitoes, which surprisingly almost worked.
Before the sun was rising, it was time to continue.
The second day
It basically started, how it finished, just walking and walking. Before the sun was really out, it was quite enjoyable, the only issue was, I had to wait until reaching a little village on the way, to receive water. It was not a problem waiting for food, but walking around in the heat was just too hard.
Due to the fact that I started really early I was able to finish a lot of distance already, before it got too hot. Around midday, it was not possible to really get further. I needed to walk on the side of a mainroad and found a driveway, which had a little bit of shade. My air mattress was blown up, to relax until the setting of the sun.
It was just while doing nothing, possible to save energy and the wish to drink water, which I didn’t have at the moment anymore.
When the owner of the house came, I had the bad feeling of needing to leave, but it came different. He invited me in to enjoy some time in his pool, with getting invited to take a shower, grab food and drink cold drinks. I couldn’t believe it, but it was like that! Just amazing!
I was able to learn to speak some spanish, also at the end of the day they drove me near El Chorro, which is an amazing and beautiful region. It was a bit out of the way, but didn’t make the distance bigger or smaller, which was important for me.
Near El Chorro was a nice spot for the hammock and enjoying the final hours of the day was great to have.
Getting out of nature and back on track
The spot was amazing during the day, but at night the foxes came out and tried to steal food I had. During that time I had no clue that they were foxes. I thought it could be humans, so I tried to be as quiet as possible, but couldn’t really have a resting night. Always waking up.
When the first sign of the night to be getting over arrived, it was time to hit the road! Foxes were all over, I had never seen as many foxes before. Nobody was on the road, no cars and nothing else. I had some distance to make, before the sun was going to get too hot again.
The region was very beautiful and I finally enjoyed some of the walking, not just dry landscape and main roads. Just a beautiful forest, with a lot of water in between. Getting mountains up and down again, to reach the dry landscapes with no shade, which would have been my partner for the rest of the walk.
It was such a hustle, walking a seemingly endless road with no shade, while the sun was getting out. I had to keep walking, because the option, to rest on the side of the road for the midday sun, wasn’t there. The sun kicked in, some bad hours were ahead of me.
After walking for over 20km finally it was time to reach Campillos. At the beginning of the little town there was one building, who was giving shade, that was amazing. My feet were looking horrible already, due to not wearing the right socks. It was bad, just bad.
Sitting in the shade for a few hours, resting a bit, until it was not possible anymore, the shade was gone. So getting further. Each kilometer was just a hustle, in the city I was at least able to get water and something to eat, which was perfect.
40 km until a actual town
I went after the midday sun further, even crossed another quiet little town, where I filled up everything. It was necessary to walk further, because the next place where I was able to get something was really far away. I had to get at the end of the day, as close as possible, to not end up dying on the road. 10-20 kilometers were possible, when the sun wasn’t too hot in the morning, but not more.
I went through more dry land and even the police stopped me, they didn’t want me to walk where I did. Due to that, I had to walk on an even more uncomfortable walk, through olive tree plantages. It needed to continue, so there was nothing to do about it.
This was also where I had to sleep. I was just too tired and searched for a place, where I would be invisible with two trees, being okay for me. It wasn’t easy, but a bit less than 10km before Osuna, there was a fitting tree.
This day was such a long day, the sleeping position was extremely uncomfortable, but that didn’t matter, I just wanted to get some hours of sleep. This night, there were no foxes.
Receiving help in a bar
Starting a bit later this day, due to waking up too late, it was quite warm during the beginning of the day already. I had roughly 10 kilometers to go and that while the sun was out already. It didn’t go the way I wanted. Also my phone was about to die. I reached Osuna and was able to buy some fruits, but before leaving for the next town, I had to charge my phone. My powerbank died. Nothing was really helpful, besides one bar, which was on the way.
He saw how much I was struggling, especially the day before was just hard. I ordered a chocolate milk and I was getting some toast, which I never thought of ordering in a bar. It was giving me a lot of motivation to get going. I was in a room with an AC and everything was fully charged again. So the trip continued and it was good that I had the extra battery.
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Proof how stupid google maps is
After leaving Osuna, I still had over 20 kilometers to walk, before reaching my next sleeping destination. I didn’t know that before.
I walked just with google maps, it all went okay before, besides always hoping for rivers, which were always dry.
This day was at the end probably the worst of all. After leaving Osuna, there was one route, which was over two kilometers faster and not following the main road. I went on the faster track, because I wanted to reach the next city as fast as possible.
The road I took ended up being dry and a highway under construction. Nothing around and just the heat blasting on me. Some bridges in the distance, looking like a mirage, but ending up a great spot to rest.
Not knowing what I was doing, just trying to get through it. It was like being in hell. No water and just hot sun. The relief came, when it was getting dark, it didn’t get cold yet, but it didn’t feel like my skin was burning anymore.
After walking this way for quite a while, there was the next issue, I had to turn right. On the right side there was a fence. I didn’t have another way to go and I didn’t have energy to turn around. Was throwing my backpack over and made a hole, big enough for me, to get through it.
I was crossing a farm, rail tracks and ended up being on some kind of highway again. Ended up finding another olive farm, where I was putting up the hammock right next to the highway, to finally sleep my anger away.
My last day
My last day started really early, which was what I needed. Some colder kilometers. I actually made it to the next town called Marchena, where I was able to get some fruits again. The only fruit I was basically eating the whole time were peaches, they tasted amazing there.
From the city I had roughly 50 kilometers left. I was walking and the sun kicked in again, really badly. I was stuck in the middle of the road, underneath some olive tree, because there was nothing better around. During the midday sun, there was always my pause of the day, for around four to five hours.
Some police officer saw me and gave me some water and snacks, which was amazing. We tried to communicate with each other. I was around 25 km from my final destination. Wouldn’t have had an issue making it, but he kind of pushed me to get him to drive me. I was so low on energy that I just accepted. My flight to enter the UK illegally was in three days, because I changed the plan with Lisbon, due to the bad conditions of the route.
We got along really well and I was able to learn some Spanish. I wasn’t finishing it myself, but I still learned more about what my body is capable of, but in the future, I want to get it further on a proper route.
Summary
The walk was not planned and without a proper hiking route. I learned a lot, especially not to use google maps for walking and to have more water with you. Also, properly planning a walking trip is something smart to do.
My backpack and equipment, besides the socks, were okay for the climate. Sometimes at night it is even too cold. This was probably the only positive thing about my planning. I had big issues with my feet, due to huge blisters on my feet. It was good having a challenge, but was super happy being gone from the road.
I was spending the last days in Seville and not at the airport, where I had a quite good time, even though I wasn’t able to receive a host, which made me not have a really local experience.
Click here to see more pictures and videos to the story above (starting after 6 stories)
Underneath you can find more articles to the region South Europe, which includes Spain
Free Trip in Cyprus
How to visit Spain and feel like being in Germany?
Walking almost 200 km through Spain with google Maps – My first long hike
10h transit in Lisbon, what to do and how to use the time?
Hitchhiking in Italy – own experience
Campo Santo Teutonico – Vatican City
Camping Comino Malta – How to do it wrong
Some of my travel gears + supporting me
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