The exact layout of the Malaca-Gades route (Antoni-
ne Itinerary VI), which previously passed through the
Los Alcornocales Natural Park, has always been the
subject of much discussion. Initially, it was thought
that the route had been placed near the coast, despi-
te it having to traverse a complicated orography via
the ports of Bujeo and El Cabrito, located between
Algeciras and Tarifa. However, that route seemed
the most plausible, by extension perhaps of the exis-
ting communications map and the location of a small
cluster of Roman coastal cities between Carteia and
Baelo that are cited in Antonine’s geography, in the
3rd century A.D.
However, research using recent discoveries and
geographic information systems, rejected this pos-
sibility, with the discovery of an interior main road,
that branches out towards each coastal town, whe-
re, as expected, Roman ‘mansio’ were found stood
at each crossing. However, this theory meant that
the route in Los Alcornocales ran through a legen-
dary and intricate mountain path known as La Tro-
cha, a path that is well known to hiking fans in the
region of the Campo de Gibraltar.
Nevertheless, it is hard to believe that the impor-
tant Malaca-Gades route was little more than a path
of goats. Due to the obstacles that would have had
to have been overcome, the route would only have
been suitable for cavalry or pedestrians, not for carts
or similar vehicles. The term ‘trocha’ itself indicates
that it is a shortcut, an alternative to a main road.
The end of La Trocha flowed into the Ojén Va-
lley towards the direction of Facinas, crossing the
outskirts of the Visigoth and Andalusian tower of La
Torrejosa, before heading towards the plains of La
Janda and Vejer de la Frontera. The crossing point
between the Antonine Itinerary VI route and the cu-
rrent road to Facinas was in the immediate vicinity
of the Venta de Ojén, from which it then branched off
towards the Roman city of Mellaria, located near the
inlet of Valdevaqueros. According to the Roman road
system, a ‘mansio’ would have been established at
the junction as a rest point for travellers and their
horses. And as expected, we have been able to veri-
fy that the old rural house located next to the Venta
de Ojén, has Roman stone ashlars dispersed along
the lower part of the exterior walls of the cortijo.
There is no doubt that from the Venta de Ojen,
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the route would have continued towards La Torrejo-
sa, over the Hill of Almodóvar and in the direction
of Facinas. The ancient toponymy of the area clearly
reflects and alludes to the word ‘calzada’ (road), ma-
king it clear that this was indeed an ancient path. The
only remaining question is how to reach Portus Albus
from this point, which is located near the estuary of
the Palmones River.
As previously noted, La Trocha does not seem to
be the most appropriate route for crossing the moun-
tain range to Venta de Ojén. However, only 5 km nor-
th of the proposed alternative there is a natural pas-
sage with hardly any inclines that links with the town
of Facinas. Proof of this is the fact that it is used as a
cattle route that runs parallel to a permanent stream,
flanked by several springs, providing walkers and
their horses with precious and essential water.
This alternative route would not change the dis-
tance in roman miles between the cities described
in Antonine’s work, however none of the proposed
routes can accurately be measured against original
maps without some margin of error. But this sugges-
tion of an alternative route is not an original one.
Researcher, Gonzalo Arias, editor of “The Extrava-
gant Milestone”, a magazine specialising in Roman
routes and roads, resolutely wagered on this alter-
native route and visited the area accompanied by
forest rangers to look for ground evidence to support
his theory. In the 1980s, we had the opportunity to
repeat the visit and to see some of the connecting
points between the Los Barrios-Facinas road (which
is today a forest track) and the Roman road set wi-
thin the boundaries of San Carlos del Tiradero and
the Finca of Ojén.
As it happens, there are no toponymic references
to Roman roads on the Tarifa side, but the evocative
“Soto de Roma” name can be found at a nearby far-
mhouse within the proposed alternative area. There
is also material evidence of Roman remains close to
the Puente de Hierro where the Arroyo de Ojén and
the Palmones river meet, that indicate a settlement
of certain significance. The Cortijo de Ojén itself
shows signs that in the past it could also have been
a Roman villa.
But it is not only the layout that marks the exis-
tence of an important communications route in the
valley. Thanks to the efforts of people who lived in
OTWO 09 / APRIL 2020