Cumbres de San Bartolomé, Cumbres de Enmedio and Cumbres Mayores (Huelva)

A natural park on the border with Portugal 

Dawn breaks in the Sierra de Aracena at the border between Portugal, Extremadura, and Andalusia. Before the sun rises over its pastures, oak groves, and olive groves, livestock farming already sets the pace for this region. The farms, spread across small valleys and slopes, require continuous attention: feeding the livestock, moving between plots, and supervising animals that graze freely. It is constant work, seven days a week throughout the year, that reflects the tradition and way of life of the area.

You only need to walk the first few segments of the GR-48 trail to understand the essence of this place. This trail, which starts in Portugal and crosses this entire Andalusian mountain range, takes the walker through landscapes dotted with pastures, oak groves, and poplar forests. The gaze is lost among rolling hills filled with paths, alongside animals freely grazing, the same freedom that is breathed throughout the journey.

Passing through the Sierra Morena 

We walk from Cumbres de San Bartolomé to Cumbres Mayores: 12 kilometers of a pleasant trail perfect for walkers, families, and lovers of the landscapes that support lifestyles.

We continue down the path alongside the remains of an Arab fortress in Cumbres de San Bartolomé, a small village of 364 people. Its cobbled streets surround the Plaza de España next to the Casa del Cura, which still retains tiles from the Cathedral of Seville on its lintel, and bid farewell to travelers setting out to tread the earth and the road.

The path is always bordered by stone walls. These stones were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2018. And it is a good example of how both the landscape and traditions are protected to the fullest here, with recognition, care, and attention. Along the path, we can peek at the stones that mark the pastures and appreciate the olive groves, oaks, and cork oaks; also sheep, pigs, goats, and foals, all grazing freely.

Land of pastures, olive groves and oaks 

After two hours of walking, we arrive at Cumbres de Enmedio, considered the smallest village in Andalusia with only 61 registered inhabitants.
The atmosphere is calm and the village preserves its essence: community life and culinary traditions. Collective activities remain a key element of local identity, such as the preparation of traditional recipes–among them migas–made with olive oil, potatoes, bread, garlic, and red pepper.

It's time to head towards Cumbres Mayores, the liveliest of the three villages, with all the basic amenities and a large ham production industry in its 17 factories, all located in the village center. Sitting atop a hill, it appears on the horizon framed by the castle walls and the church bell tower. From there, the people of Cumbres fight against the demographic challenge and protect all those who have decided to stay, as well as their landscapes, traditions, and future.

Cumbres Mayores: natural, cultural and culinary heritage 

In Cumbres Mayores, a medieval dance survives: the dance of the Santísimo (or Most Holy). A dance with which generations and generations of people from Cumbre have given thanks for the harvests and prayed for those of the years to come. The dance was only performed by the older people of the village and was on the verge of disappearing.
Over time, documentation, teaching, and intergenerational dissemination efforts were carried out, allowing this tradition to be recovered and kept alive. Thanks to this continuous effort, the dance continues to be practiced today and has become one of the key elements of the village’s intangible heritage.
This commitment to the preservation of its traditions has contributed to Cumbres Mayores being recognized as one of the so-called "magical towns" of Andalusia, a distinction that values the identity, history, and cultural legacy of the municipality.
This passion for their own has also led the people of Cumbres to be united with Boassa, a small village near the capital of Burkina Faso. Even a poster from their Gastronomy Fair reached there. A nun from Cumbres photographed the poster at the children's school she attended and submitted it to the poster contest worldwide. Thus a group of neighbors began to support the nun’s project until they formed an association, now an NGO, and built a new school that today serves 130 children with 13 hired staff and an annex vocational training center for another 60 women.

In December, you may come across the Gastronomy Fair: it lasts three days and is a highlight of the town's calendar, falling right in the middle of the Constitution Day long weekend. Music, workshops, talks and the largest ham tapa in the world: 13 cutters for 25 hams. The entire town smells of Iberian ham.

lUseful information 

• Gastronomy and Cultural Fair "Saborea Cumbres Mayores" between December 5 and 8, focusing on Iberian ham. Cumbres Mayores.
• Patron Saint Festivities of San Pedro Apóstol from June 27 to 29 in Cumbres de En medio. 
• Patron Saint Festivities in honor of  San Bartolomé Apóstol on August 24 in Cumbres de San Bartolomé.  
• Friendship pilgrimage: last weekend of June at "Alto de la Lobera."  
• When to see the  Dance of the  Santísimo in Cumbres Mayores: - The Eve of the Corpus Christi festivities when it accompanies the Virgen de Amparo, who along with the Virgen de la Esperanza and the Virgen de Gracia are moved from their hermitages to the Parish for the procession on the following day.
  Corpus Christi Day in the gathering of the Stewards of the Brotherhoods, theirs and that of the Virgen de la Esperanza, and in the Procession and acts of worship, accompanying the Holy Sacrament under a canopy.
  The Sunday following Corpus Christi, known as the Octave of Corpus Christi.
  In the Procession of the Virgen del Amparo, September 8.

Information of interest

• Tourism Office: Castle-Fortress of Sancho IV 'The Brave'. 
• Cumbres Mayores Town Hall website : www.cumbresmayores.es
• Cumbres de San Bartolomé Town Hall website: cumbresdesanbartolome.es
• Cumbres de Enmedio Town Hall website: Cumbres de Enmedio Town Hall