Hiking, spirituality and history to follow in Jaén the steps of the saint

Life itself is a path. Many times the human being is obsessed with the objectives, with the ends and with the goals, without really realizing that in most cases Happiness is on the road. To do this you have to be able to stand a little, to stop and also look inside.

Undoubted Spanish geography. But this Jacobin route is not the only one that can be done in Spain, there are some more unknown proposals, but that are equally attractive.

One of those possibilities is represented by the path of San Juan de la Cruz, a perfect opportunity for those who are looking for an activity in nature, which runs through populations of interest, but which at the same time is also An introspective proposalthat serves to look inside, in which each walker can find the necessary break that life requires at some times.

A path that emulates the steps he took throughout his life Fray Juan de la Cruz, a basic character to understand the history of literature and of the chronicles that came to walk throughout his life around 27,000 kilometers. He did it in a very simple way, accompanied by another friar, a mule and the minimum indispensable to fight against the avatars of the road. A way of facing the life that served him precisely to look more inside than outside.

A path that combines nature, art and history and has a crucial point in 1578, when after being imprisoned in Toledo, San Juan de la Cruz landed in the Jiennense town of Villanueva del Archbishop. This is therefore the undoubted beginning of the route proposed by this path, with a very prominent point in the convent of Calvary, which is located in the Sierra de las Villas. In Andalusian lands, and more specifically in Jaén’s lands, it is where San Juan de la Cruz spent some of the best moments of his life and where the composition of works as famous as ‘spiritual song’ and ‘Dark night of the soul’ began.

Therefore, to start this path we have to place ourselves in Villanueva del Archbishop, and our final destination will be the population of Caravaca de la Cruz – in territory of the Region of Murcia – which we will arrive after traveling nothing more and nothing less that 180 kilometers. It is the province of Jaén, therefore, the main nucleus of this road, which passes through localities such as Beas de Segura, Segura Oorts or Pontones. There are many ways to organize this historical and spiritual itinerary, but the most common consists of a total of seven stages.

Stages that have an approximate extension of between 20 and 30 kilometers Each one and that also have the appeal to travel through beautiful lands and interesting locations, in which we can follow the steps of the saint through monasteries, squares and streets. Of course, we must take into account the land we move, since Jaén is a province of Sierras, Colinas and Mountains, so when undertaking this adventure it will be convenient to be in the best possible way to face The challenges proposed by the route.

Demanding route

Another important issue has to do with the time of the year in which we decide to embark on this journey. In the toughest months of winter we move through cold lands and in which we may even surprise a good snowfall. While in summer, we will face the rigors of the sun and the high temperatures for many hours of the day, so autumn and spring become the most appropriate periods of the year to make the route.

A road, which, as is the case with the famous Jacobean route, has its own indications, which we will have to continue in all crosses and main municipalities, so that at all times we know that we are on the right path. An experience that surely We will never forget and that will help us to listen to our inner self in a society that is increasingly marked by noise at all levels.