El Palomar de la Breña in Barbate
The use of the pigeon as mail is millenary and a flight between Cadiz and Madrid is made in a day. This distance is similar between the Canary Islands and Cadiz. Also similar to the one that may exist between the Canary Islands and a ship leaving America, after five days of sailing.
If we take into account that La Flota De Indias, when returning from America loaded with gold and silver, could not warn of its departure for fear of piracy, what better system than the pigeons to keep the king informed of its arrival without the possibility of intercepting the mail.
El Palomar de la Breña Route
If we start the route of “El Palomar de La Breña”. From Vejer de la Frontera we must cross it until we find the beginning of the marked trail that will take us to the Palomar de la Breña. And we have two options: to go into its labyrinthine and beautiful narrow streets or, bordering the population and contemplate the beautiful panoramic views of the marshes of Barbate or the old lagoon of La Janda.
The first beacon and the information panel of the Ruta del Palomar de la Breña. From this point to Palomar it is 6.7 km. To which we will have to add about 2 Km. that we have been “walking” through Vejer de la Frontera.
Next to the information panel starts a small path that will lead us without possibility of loss to the Palomar, is the well-known San Ambrosio Road. Walking along the trail we observe beautiful panoramic views of the area, we are still 200 meters above sea level; the sea is visible on the horizon.
The signaling of the route is quite good. We found beacons every 800 meters.
At a crossroads with rows of wind turbines on one side and the other, we must leave the trail to continue along the Bellavista cattle track. Right between the two rows of wind turbines.
Following the signs, you will reach the village of San Ambrosio and the vicinity of the Natural Park. There are only two kilometers left. We enter the Natural Park and at the first crossroads we turn left following the signs to Barbate/Palomar de la Breña (Km. 9).
El Palomar de la Breña, an old farmhouse converted into a rural hotel, houses one of the most curious ethnographic treasures of our recent history. Entering through the hotel reception and asking permission from the manager to visit the dovecote, after a small door with a sign that says: Dovecote, we enter a unique dovecote in Spain and Europe. El Palomar de la Breña has 7,700 nests and almost 400 m2 of surface.
There may have been up to 10,000 adult pigeons in the loft, to which the young should be added.
Information
Distance: 14 Km. approx.
Duration: 4 ,5 h.
Difficulty: Medium-low
Of interest: Vejer de la Frontera, wind turbines, Palomar de la Breña, Pinar de la Breña
