Mills Trail Along the Trejo

What it is

The Mills Trail (Ruta de los Molinos) is an easy walk along the valley floor, on the way out of Setenil, following the water that drove the village's old mills. It is a way of leaving the village and swapping the crowded streets for the stream and the sound of water. The Town Council includes it among its provincial routes and rates it easy.

The route, step by step

According to the Town Council's description:

1. Start at the old oil mill (almazara). It begins next to an old oil press, at the confluence of the Alcalá stream with the River Guadalporcún. That building later served as a still for making pomace spirit.
2. Along the Alcalá del Valle drove road (vereda). The path follows the old drove road to Alcalá del Valle, beside the Alcalá stream.
3. The flour mills. You pass two grain mills, now disused.
4. The Salto de la Molinilla. The Town Council highlights it as one of the route's strong points: a waterfall on the stream.
5. Towards the Escarpes del Trejo. Where the waters meet, the route links with the Escarpes del río Trejo route, with rock walls, caves and falls carved by erosion. The Batán mill waterfall is there.

The Town Council cites barbel and otters in the water.

Distance, time and ascent

The Town Council does not publish the route's distance or time. Routes shared by walkers on platforms such as Wikiloc under this name, starting from Setenil, come to around 8.5 to 9 km with a little over 100 m of cumulative ascent, but they are user tracks, not official ones. If you only want to see the oil mill, the mills and the Salto de la Molinilla, you can go and return the same way and cut it as short as you like.

For a longer walk, the Escarpes del río Trejo route continues about 5 km more, to Olvera, along the CA-P-422 road and the riverbank.

Where it starts and where to park

The starting point is the old oil mill next to the confluence of the Alcalá stream and the Guadalporcún. Ask at the tourist office how to get there on foot from the centre and whether they have a map of the route. Leave the car in the lower part of the village, on the Paseo Federico García Lorca, and don't try to enter the old town.

Waymarking, water and shade

The municipal website doesn't detail the waymarking. Bring the route downloaded on your phone or a map from the tourist office. Bring water: the website lists no fountains on the route. In summer, at midday, the valley gets very hot; set off early or at the end of the afternoon.

When to go

In spring the stream carries more water and the falls look their best. In autumn, good weather for walking. In summer, only first thing. After heavy rain, the path beside the water may be muddy: if the stream is running high, don't go near the bank and turn back.

With children or a dog

It is an easy route to do as a family; with small children, do only the stretch to the Salto de la Molinilla and come back. With a dog, no problem, best on a lead. With a pushchair, the dirt track isn't suited to it: bring a baby carrier.