La Nava – Nature, Hiking Trails and Culture

Nature and Townscape

La Nava is one of the municipalities in the Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche. The town lies on a flat valley floor at the confluence of the Ribera del Múrtiga and the Río Caliente and is surrounded by steep slopes. The Río Múrtiga crosses the municipality of La Nava for 12 kilometres. Along this stretch, it is accompanied by dense riparian woodland. The river course and the steep slopes determine the town’s geographical setting, as does its location between the two watercourses.

The landscape includes dehesas of cork oaks, holm oaks and Portuguese oaks. A limestone sierra covered with olive groves is also one of the landscape areas of La Nava. Riparian woodlands and orchards are among the other named landscape elements. The orchards are irrigated by old irrigation channels of Arab origin. Thus, different forms of land use and vegetation coexist in the landscape: the open dehesas, the limestone sierra covered with olive groves, the wooded river areas and the irrigated orchards.

The traditional town centre is characterised by white façades, pitched roofs, paved streets and squares with vernacular architecture. These features are evident both in the houses and in the design of the roads and squares. The white façades and pitched roofs define the architectural character, while the paved streets and squares shape the structure of the town centre.

Hiking Trails

The Sendero La Nava–Valdelarco hiking trail crosses the Río Múrtigas. Its route follows the old paving of a Roman road. It then leads to the Ermita del Salvador in the municipality of Valdelarco. The route thus combines a river crossing, historic road paving and a destination in the municipality of Valdelarco.

The Sendero La Nava–Río Caliente hiking trail initially passes a humilladero. Later, it passes the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes. The bridge leads to the ruins of an old mill and to paths that provide access to the orchard area. The trail thus follows a sequence consisting of a small religious monument, a chapel, a bridge, mill ruins and paths through the orchard area.

Culture

The Ermita de las Virtudes is a Mudéjar building from the 13th century. Roman building materials were reused in the construction of the Ermita de las Virtudes, including granite blocks, tegulae and laterculi. Roman architectural remains have been documented in and around the Ermita de las Virtudes. A Roman funerary altar was reused in one of its walls. This building therefore brings together medieval Mudéjar architecture, reused Roman materials and further Roman architectural remains.

The Humilladero del Cristo de los Caminantes dates from May 1495. The humilladero is therefore also one of the named historic buildings of La Nava and is at the same time connected with the route of the Sendero La Nava–Río Caliente hiking trail.

Local Tradition

The Fiesta del Melocotón is dedicated to La Nava’s emblematic peach and takes place on the last full weekend in August. During the Fiesta del Melocotón, the residents of La Nava peel more than 300 kilograms of peaches. The festival combines the stated local connection with the peach with a fixed date and a communal activity involving the residents.

More town pages: Campofrío, Isla Cristina, Rociana del Condado, Chucena, San Silvestre De Guzmán, Los Marines, Puebla De Guzmán, Valdelarco

To the main travel overview: Huelva.