Stage No. 28: Málaga - Jaén

After a good breakfast, we leave the coastal city of Malaga to head towards Jaén, covering a distance of 340 km. We plan to make a long stop halfway in Córdoba to have lunch, another capital of the Andalusian province, and at least visit its famous Mosque. In this first stretch, we head north on the A-45 with the intention of getting away from the city as soon as possible and starting to ride on secondary roads, preferably with all kinds of curves. After riding for 8 km, we take exit 140 in the direction of Pantano del Agujero.

We now embark on a very enjoyable stretch on the MA-310, a narrow third-level regional road, in good condition, with countless curves that become more pronounced as we progress along an ascent. At its highest point, we reach an altitude of 700 meters. A short descent takes us to Casabermeja, a locality that we leave behind to turn right towards Malaga.

We begin this stretch by crossing the A-45 through an overpass that takes us to a fast route consisting of several straight sections with a few open curves. Without entering Colmenar and after making a stop, we will turn left towards Casabermeja and Alfarnate.

We press the accelerator a bit as the nearly 3 km of this stretch that will take us to more winding roads are practically composed of a straight section. We will leave this straight at a right turn towards Alfarnate.

Advancing through the Penibetic mountain range, we begin with a steep ascent that later smoothens out. After a good while of curves, we reach the Puerto de Los Alazores, situated at an altitude of 1100 meters. After descending the pass, we momentarily enter the province of Granada. Tomorrow, we will explore it in more detail. Shortly after, we will turn left at a stop sign, heading towards Loja.

At times closer and at others farther, throughout this stretch, we are accompanied by the Arroyo de las Mozas, whose presence is betrayed by a lush and winding path. Amidst abundant curves, and after passing through the town of Venta del Rayo, we cross the A-92 on an overpass. On the other side of the overpass, we inadvertently switch roads.

We are now driving through the shortest stretch of the route, consisting of almost 2 km of not too wide and fairly straight asphalt. This section concludes with a roundabout where we will take the third exit.

Continuing to ride through the roads of Granada, we leave Venta Sta. Bárbara behind to start a winding route that will take us into the province of Córdoba. After exploring Córdoba, we will only have 3 provinces left to complete Route 47. The first towns we will pass through in the land of Córdoba are Ventorros de la Laguna, Las Chozas, and Fuente del Conde. Shortly afterward, at the kilometer 0 of this A-328, we will make a stop at a T-shaped intersection to turn right towards Iznajar and Alcaudete.

We begin this stretch by ascending slightly up a slope, reaching the top where we will navigate a series of zigzag curves with a curving descent that takes us to cross the Iznájar Reservoir twice. Shortly after, we arrive at a possible detour where the A-333 turns to the right. We will continue straight, though we will switch roads.

After briefly skirting the Iznájar Reservoir, we proceed at a good pace along this second-level regional road. The asphalt is wide, and except for a couple, the curves are not very tight. We leave behind the town of Rute, located on the border with the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, and start riding along the course of the Anzur River, which will lead us to Zambra. Shortly after, and after passing the small urban center of Llanos de Don Juan, we arrive in Lucena.

Crossing Lucena through the Ronda de la Fuensanta, which transforms into the Ronda de San Francisco after a roundabout, we leave this town in search of the N-331. During this fast stretch of a wide national road, we pass through the towns of Los Santos, Monturque, and Aguilar de la Frontera. After kilometer marker 47, we take a detour towards Espejo and Montilla.

Almost at the midpoint of this stage, we arrive in Espejo after 16 km of mostly straight roads and few curves. A few meters from a roundabout at this point, we will make a stop and then turn left towards Córdoba.

With 190 km covered and eager for a "pit stop," we join this national road and, at a brisk pace, reach Córdoba in 20 minutes on a wide, well-paved road. It's already noon, and the must-visit here is La Mezquita. So, without further delay, we'll grab a couple of tapas after the sightseeing, and this afternoon, we'll head towards Jaén.

Satisfied with both the palate and the tourist cravings, we leave Córdoba in the early afternoon through the fast A-4, which, heading east, takes us to take the exit 385 after covering almost 20 km.

Less than 100 km from Jaén, we are now driving on this narrow regional road with an open landscape and a gently curved layout. At kilometer 248 of the stage, we reach a cross-shaped intersection where we will turn left towards Bujalance.

The pavement in this section is narrow and a bit old, so we'll take it easy and enjoy the view of the open landscape, moving at a slow pace and being mindful of two intersections. We'll reach the first one after covering the first 3 km. It's a four-way intersection. If we rule out the way we came, we have three options: one pointing to Carpio, another to Frailes and Hazuelas, and the last one on the right seemingly leading nowhere. This is the one we should take. At the second intersection, we'll reach it at kilometer 8 of the stretch. It's another cross-shaped intersection, and we'll continue straight. A few kilometers after this last intersection, we'll arrive in Bujalance, reaching a roundabout where we'll take the second exit towards the industrial estate. Shortly after, we'll continue straight at another roundabout, also heading towards the Industrial Estate Cerro de la Virgen.

At the exit of Bujalance, we join the green A-306, which first takes us to Cañete de las Torres. Midway through the stretch, approximately, we enter the province of Jaén, leaving behind another Andalusian province. At kilometer 286 of the stage, we reach Porcuna. Taking advantage of the fact that it's still early, and the afternoon route is short with not much left to reach our destination, we decide to take a detour of less than 1 km to visit the Necropolis of Cerrillo Blanco, one of the most emblematic sites of the Iberian culture from the 7th century B.C. To access it, we need to take a right turn. A brown sign indicates the necropolis. Back on the A-306, we drive a little over 1 km and turn right towards Porcuna. Shortly after, and after a curve, we will turn right again towards Arjona.

The 15 km that will bring us to about 300 km of the stage and take us to Arjona are composed of a rather straight route and a wide asphalt, more typical perhaps of an orange regional road than this green A-305. We enter Arjona, located on top of a hill, and on our descent, we turn right towards Torredelcampo and Berrueco. BE CAREFUL because the intersection may not be very well indicated.

We are now driving on the narrow and winding regional road JV-2338, with quite a few open curves that will take us to El Berrueco. Here, we can't resist making a 10-minute stop to admire its castle, a fortification built by the Muslims around the 12th century and renovated after the Castilian conquest. A few curves later, we reach an intersection where we will turn left towards Garciez.

Just 25 km away from the capital of Jaén, we now progress along this narrow regional road, passing through Garciez to reach an intersection where we will turn right at a yield sign towards Jaén.

South direction, we now move straight ahead along these 7 km that will bring us to the next section where we will always merge towards Jaén.

Heading into the last stretch of this penultimate stage of Route 47, we roll the final 5 km on a divided asphalt. The nomenclature of this green road is surprising, as its form is more typical of a blue one, divided and fast. We reach Jaén, and in our tourist visit, we won't miss two things: Santa Catalina Castle and the Cathedral, which we'll admire from the outside with the taste of tapas lingering on the palate.