Vadillo Castril – Cerrada del Utrero – Puente de las Herrerías – Source of the Guadalquivir – Empalme del Valle – Torre del Vinagre Visitor Centre – Borosa River Visitor Centre – Cerrada de Elías
From Cazorla we will head into the Natural Park through the road (A-319), ascending the Puerto de las Palomas in the direction of the nearby town of Vadillo-Castril. At the same fork of access to the village we will continue to the left, where the path of the Cerrada del Utrero begins. At the Vadillo-Castril crossroads, we will find a small
car park, where we will leave our vehicle, and we will start a path on our right that leads us to the vicinity of the Cerrada de Utrero. Previously we have been able to observe from the various viewpoints arranged for this purpose, beautiful panoramic views of the Guadalquivir Valley. After about 800 m we arrive at the beginning of the Cerrada, and we are surprised by the
beauty of the Linarejos Waterfall, where the water rushes from a great height looking for the bed of the Guadalquivir River.
We will continue the march and before going up the dam, we will be able to see on our left the remains of a masonry shuttle that until not many years ago was used by the pine trees to overcome the obstacles they encountered in the hard work of transporting the timber through the rivers of these mountains. After climbing the dam, we ascend vertiginously through a limestone rock that leads to the Guadalquivir River and that constitutes the Cerrada de Utrero. We have come out to the Iron Bridge, and only 300 m from where we left our vehicle.
After having enjoyed some wonderful surroundings in the middle of wild nature, we will take our vehicle again and continuing our march, we will cross the Iron Bridge and a few meters higher we will reach a new fork, where we will take a right to go to the historic Puente de las Herrerías. There we will begin, among beautiful landscapes, an ascent along a forest path that will lead us to the Cañada de las Fuentes, where the Great River of Andalusia, the Guadalquivir, sees the light.
11 km from the Puente de las Herrerías, where we had left the asphalt road, we will find a crossroads. The one on the right takes us to the forest house of El Chorro, Quesada and Cazorla. We will take the one on the left, in the direction of Pozo Alcón, and after just 50 m we will find a small and steep path that descends to the “pool” of the Source of the Guadalquivir. It will be in times of low water when we can appreciate the authentic source of the river, flowing from the groundwater tables. A few meters following the forest track is the recreational area of the Cañada de las Fuentes, where we will have enough space to turn around with our vehicle and return along the same itinerary to the town of
Vadillo-Castril. From here we will go to the junction of the Empalme del Valle and there we will take the road to our right towards the village of Arroyo Frío, hamlet of La Iruela (6 kms.), in which there is one of the best tourist infrastructures in the entire Natural Park (rural houses, apartments, hotels, aparthotels and camping, restaurants, active tourism companies… Later through the longitudinal road of El Tranco we will arrive at the Torre del Vinagre Visitor Center (11 km away), already in the Sierra de Segura.
This Centre offers a global vision of the Natural Park through its two areas: an Information Area and an Interpretive Area. The first is dedicated to providing the necessary information to organize your visit to the Park. The purpose of the sequnda is to publicize in an entertaining and understandable way the natural and cultural values that this protected natural area treasures. From Torre del Vinagre we will turn right towards the Borosa River Visitor Centre, which is located next to the Fish Farm of the same name. This centre includes the high, middle and low stretches of a river and shows the riparian ecosystem, abundant in this Natural Park. We will also find information about the ancient activities related to the transport of wood by river (the pineros). Later we will continue in the direction of the Fish Farm where we propose to walk the path of the Cerrada de Elías. We will leave our vehicle in the parking lot of the C.V. of the Borosa river, a few meters later we will arrive first, to the fish farm, and a little further to the Charco de la Cuna, walking along the track, 1.2 km. flows into the Borosa in the stream of the Truchas, known as Charco de la Gracea. Another kilometre further up is the Puente de los Caracolillos, and next to it, and to our left, there is a spectacular anticline where the capricious stratified folds of the limestone caused by hidden orogenic forces can be perfectly appreciated. We will continue ascending parallel along the riverbed, and we will cross it several times. A little further on, we arrive at the Vado de los Rosales, we will leave the forest path to take a small path of 1,160 m in length that, crossing the Borosa River several times again, will take us to the Cerrada de Elías, a geological enclosure around this river of great botanical and scenic interest.
We will return along the same itinerary to the Torre Vinagre Visitor Center, and from there we will end this excursion and return to the starting point.
Peal de Becerro – Interpretation Centre of the Princely Chambers of Toya and Hornos de Peal – Quesada – Huesa – Iberian settlement of Ceal – Sanctuary of Tíscar – Port of Tíscar
With this route, the visitor is approached to some unexplored and incredibly rich spaces of the Natural Park: the historical and heritage legacy of the Sierra de Cazorla region. We will start our route in the town of Peal de Becerro. PEAL DE BECERRO still preserves two square towers from its old fortress, called Torre del Reloj and Torre Mocha (11th-14th centuries). (top photo Torre Mocha)
Principescas de Toya and Hornos de Peal. The journey to the Time of the Iberians is a tourist itinerary that shows the archaeological heritage bequeathed in Jaén by the Iberian Culture, through the visit and interpretation of its most relevant sites, explaining how this Mediterranean civilization was an aristocratic society organized around a prince or hero, who lived in fortified cities, they practiced agriculture, fought with iron weapons and mastered refined ceramic techniques. The princely tomb of the Sepulchral Chamber of Toya has been chosen to publicize this route. In it we can appreciate how the Iberians understood the world of death, their funerary rituals and beliefs in the afterlife, the existence of an afterlife to which they had to be accompanied by their most precious earthly objects and perhaps their loved ones. From the aforementioned Interpretation Center, the visit to the Sepulchral Chamber of Toya is organized on Friday afternoons, Saturdays (morning and afternoon) and Sundays (mornings only), so it will be necessary to book this visit through the City Council of Peal de Becerro, by phone 691 438 131 or by email: interpretacioniberica@gmail.com / cultura@pealdebecerro.es This burial chamber is located at the foot of the Cerro de la Horca and was discovered at the beginning of the century XX. It is a unique burial in the Iberian period due to its dimensions and characteristics. It is a funerary monument that, from the remains found, must have belonged to a powerful Iberian family.
This can be deduced from the variety and richness of the grave goods found in the Chamber: Greek pottery, various stone and plaster cinerary boxes, remains of a chariot wheel and war tools. The chronology of the chamber is between the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. This trousseau is currently in the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Jaén.
Toya was the ancient Tugia of the Romans, the origin of which these lands were known as Saltus Tugiensis. To get to know one of these Roman constructions we must take the road that will take us to Hornos de Peal. Inside the town centre, there is the Toya stream, over which rises a Roman aqueduct (GPS coordinates: 37.887203, -3.185213), which is still used to conduct water to the nearby orchards of Hornos de Peal. This aqueduct is double-storey, the lower one has three large arches, and the upper part has four smaller arched eyes. After the visit, we will return again to Peal de Becerro, and continue our route in the direction of Quesada at 10.5 km (A-315). QUESADA is located at 675 m.a.s.l. and protected by the Magdalena and Villalta hills, the last spurs of the Cazorla-Segura massif. This town of Quesada, due to its geographical location and climate, has been a coveted place throughout history, which played a strategic role as a place of passage following the axis of the Guadiana Menor towards the East. It is worth a walk through its old town, among intricate streets of singular beauty, and without a doubt, visit the Museum of the painter Rafael Zabaleta, which currently contains 114 oil paintings, 11 watercolors and 500 drawings by this distinguished painter from Quesada, as well as some works by other painter friends and contemporaries such as Picasso or Manuel Ángeles Ortiz. Zabaleta’s art is framed within expressionism with cubist influences, showing off a very personal style. A visit to the Miguel Hernández – Josefina Manresa Museum is also a must. In it we can chronologically appreciate the work
and life of the poet and his wife, Josefina Manresa. It was precisely she who preserved, with great determination, her husband’s works during the years of Francoist repression. This museum is divided into six exhibition rooms that are identified with his literary works and poems, and that collects different personal objects that are part of the poet’s legacy, such as his typewriter and suitcase, so characteristic, and other personal belongings. You can find photographs, his most important compositions, sound archives of his voice, the recreation of a trench, his house in Orihuela and a musical corner of singer-songwriters who have given voice to his texts.
Continuing with our route we will leave Quesada in the direction of HUESA, located 13.6 km away (A-315), through magnificent landscapes that are home to numerous prehistoric shelters. In this town, the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza (1708) stands out. In its festive calendar, it is worth mentioning the Festival of the Charges and Flag Bearers in honour of San Silvestre (31 December), which begins on the eve of that day with the burning of the Castles of the Saint, following the long tradition of fire rituals.
We will continue the route in the direction of Hinojares, for which we will take the A-315 again, descending in search of the Guadiana Menor. This route offers a completely different view of the Natural Park: the semi-arid steppe landscape. We are in the Depression of the Guadiana Menor, which runs through highlands dotted with small Triassic hills that emerge from the Miocene loams, and that form a relief similar to that of the “badlands” of Guadix and the southeast of Murcia. Its soil, not at all conducive to agriculture, is surprising in the area at the bottom of the valley, where man has found authentic oases for irrigated crops.
It is worth noting the presence of old cave houses, which in not too distant times were occupied by the mountain people as a dwelling. We continue our journey along a very narrow road that, winding through the fertile plain of the Guadiana Menor, takes us to the hamlet of Ceal. We start climbing and just 1.9 km away we find one of the most important Iberian sites in the province of Jaén: the Castellones de Ceal. The study of this necropolis shows that Ceal was much more than a small agricultural population, showing signs of a significant wealth typical of an aristocratic class. It has been dated to the sixth century BC. Most of the finds (Greek kraters, Iberian helmets, war tools…) are in the Provincial Archaeological Museum.
We advance on our route until we reach the village of HINOJARES, leaving the Guadiana Menor river on our right and contemplating on our left the Sierra de Quesada, the village of Belerda, the Sanctuary of Tíscar, the Rayal and the Sierra del Pozo. Hinojares is located at 672 meters above sea level, surrounded by shady ravines and encased in one of them. The parish church of San Marcos Evangelista stands out, as well as the neighborhood of the caves, still inhabited today and intended for tourism.
From Hinojares we will continue along the A-6206 road towards Puerto de Tíscar, in the municipality of Quesada. Next to the Village of Berlerda, with a washing place of ancestral rural memories, we can contemplate the beautiful Pilón Azul, with pure and crystalline waters in a delightful walk along walkways prepared for this purpose. We continue our route to the village of Don Pedro, and a little further on, we must pay special attention to locate the sign that, on our left, announces the location of the emblematic Cueva del Agua. To access it we will take a detour for about 600 m along a dirt road that leads to a car park. There we will park the vehicle and start a short walk along a path that, after crossing a very small tunnel, leads us to the impressive cave in which a beautiful waterfall and a beautiful panoramic view stand out.
After this visit we will continue the journey by car along the A-6206 road, and after about 700 m, we will turn to our right to go up to the Sanctuary of Tíscar, located at the foot of the remains of the impregnable Castle of Peñas Negras, which was under Muslim rule until the beginning of the fourteenth century. The Virgin of Tíscar is the patron saint of Adelantamiento. On the first Sunday of September the pilgrimage is held every year in his honor. According to popular tradition, this image was brought by Saint Isicius, an apostolic man who Christianized these lands in the early years of our era. Legend has it that, under Muslim domination, the image of the Virgin was thrown numerous times into the Cueva del Agua by the Muslim Mohamed Andón, lord of the Castle of Tíscar, and so many times it was outraged, so many times that the image reappeared on the rock until, tired, he had it destroyed and thrown back into the grotto. When the castle was
conquered by the Infante. D. Pedro de Castilla and the Archbishop of Toledo, the image was sent to Toledo for restoration, after which it miraculously returned alone to Tíscar. In its Sanctuary we will find, written on a stone carved next to the fountain, the text of a poem that D. Antonio Machado, which he dedicated to the Virgin.
Having reviewed the history and legend, we continue our route, road ahead, starting the vertiginous ascent to the Puerto de Tíscar, on the way to Quesada. Along this route we will be able to observe the existence of various prehistoric shelters with cave paintings that are, in some cases, in good condition of conservation. Already at the summit of Puerto de Tíscar, at 1,180 m, on the right bank stands the Torreón del Infante D. Enrique (14th century), which we can access through a small path. From here we will begin the descent to the port of Tíscar, highlighting on our right a beautiful landscape dominated by olive groves and, further back, the mountain range with beautiful limestone cliffs and a small Mediterranean forest in which holm oaks abound. In these cliffs it is easy to observe the presence of the griffon vulture, you can also recognize some of the most important caves and shelters of prehistory, such as the cave of Encajero, de la Hiedra, Corral de Quiñones… We will arrive in Quesada (8.5 kms), where we will go to the tourist office, located in the Plaza de la Coronación, 5 (953 714011) to find out about the possibility of how we can visit the Roman Villa of Bruñel which is located on the Ctra. A 322) from Quesada to Cazorla, at Km. 35.5. All we have to do is return along that same road towards Cazorla or to our starting point.
Pozo Alcón – Bosque encantado de las Higueras- Puente de la Tía Canaca – Peralta – Peña de la Alcantarilla – El Hornico – Guazalamanco – Cerrada de la Herradura – Pantano de la Bolera – Mirador de la Peña de Quesada
We start this route in the town of Pozo Alcón, located on a beautiful plateau at 877 meters above sea level, dominated by fertile orchards full of almond and olive trees, with views of the Sierra Nevada and the Natural Park. The name Pozo Alcón seems to come from three different legends. The first mentions a fighting bull and the second, a farming ox, both called Halcón. For different reasons, they created a spring of water that led to a well. The third legend refers to the fact that the town developed around a well, between two hills or “alcones”, a name they received when these mountains were part of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
Once we have visited this town, we will continue our itinerary along the A-326 road towards the Bolera Reservoir, Huéscar and Castril. After approximately 1 km, we take the detour to the right that indicates the sign “Bosque de las Higueras”. We will enter the indicated road, without leaving it at any time, until we reach the banks of the Guadalentín river, where we will find a parking lot to leave our vehicle and start our route on foot. From here we find two possibilities where it is palpably shown how man and nature have reached a special balance:
1. On the left side, a small circular route, through the so-called “Nacimientos de Peralta and Bosque de las Higueras”, which will begin a path of low difficulty, crossing a
series of wooden bridges that will allow us to cross the river, access the ruins of a disused mill, including a vegetable cave formed by giant fig trees that become entangled, and brambles that together with the carbonata water form a landscape of travertines, creating a mysterious atmosphere of which the traveler will undoubtedly take a special memory, contemplating how the vegetation of the landscape is transformed into a magical and enchanted place. A recreational-picnic area will allow us to rest under the shade of the poplars and regain strength.
2. On the right side of the route, a longer path will open up for us, which will allow us to advance several kilometres along the banks of the Guadalentín River. In addition to a wide range of riverside flora and fauna, we will find a large number of pools and backwaters where we can take a refreshing bath and breathe fresh air. Halfway through the route we will see a large bridge, the “Tía Canaca Bridge” and from here we must start the journey back to the starting point. In addition, for fishing lovers in this place is the intensive fishing reserve of Peralta, about 8 km of river, which makes it the longest reserve in Andalusia and an ideal place for the practice of sport fishing in any season of the year. On the way back to our vehicle, we will head towards the Bolera reservoir and about 220 m before, we will turn off the road to the left to start the asphalted forest track towards Hornico. When we have traveled about 600 meters with the vehicle, the asphalt ends. Fifty metres further on, along a dirt track, we reach some car parks passing a small bridge over the old canal, where we will leave the vehicle to make a short walk on foot. After 400 meters, following the canal path, we reach a point where we will take on our right a path protected by wooden railings, which leads us to the top of the Peña de la Alcantarilla, over the impressive canyon of the Cerrada de la Bolera and in front of Peña Bermeja, a reddish wall that is at the end of the valley at our feet. On this tour you should not forget the binoculars, as it is one of the best observatories of birds of prey in the area. We will certainly see a griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, peregrine falcon, booted eagle, short-toed eagle, common kestrel or red kite, as all of them nest on the walls and trees of the ravine.
We return to the A-326, at the height of the campsite, and turn left. After about 500 m, we turn left to drive along a dirt road that reaches the Hornico hostel (there are signposts), 2 km further on, continuing along the dirt road, we first pass the Barranco de la Sabina, by a bridge that crosses a small gorge over the Arroyo de la Venta, whose water passes filtered in this section most of the year under the pebbles of the riverbed. Next we find the Dehesa del Rincón, where the cleared Mediterranean holm oak forest produces rich pastures that are used by horses, goats and sheep. Sometimes, fallow deer, deer, and wild boar share the meadow. After 4 km from the Hornico, there is an asphalted detour on our left. At that point we leave the car to do a walking route (round trip 2.5 km). At the apex of the junction there are several hiking signs. We take the sign for the “Ruta de Guazalamanco” on our left. We follow the track, which as we will see later, is only suitable for 4×4, and after crowning a small slope of about 100 m, the path becomes flat. At the bottom of the ravine we can already see Guazalamanco, a stream of cold and crystalline waters that descends from the highest point of the Sierra. In fact, it is the highest permanent water stream in the entire mountain massif, at an altitude of more than 1,680 m. Ten minutes after starting our route, the forest track accompanies the riverbed, until it crosses it at the Vado de Guazalamanco. At this point, and without crossing the river, we follow the paths that run on the same bank, without missing any corner where the water is the protagonist. Our camera would not forgive us. Upstream we find a dam, an artificial dam that forms a wide waterfall. Here we can end our walking route.
Now we are interested in returning to the vehicle and, once in it, advance 1 km until we reach the Casa Forestal del Molinillo. Here we will leave the car again, and following a signposted path, which runs along the right bank of the tail of the Pantano de la Bolera, we arrive at a bridge that crosses the Cerrada de la Herradura, the destination of our walk. We will have walked about 800 meters. Below us, the Guadalentín River, with its waters and trout, begins to rest in the reservoir. From here we return to the Forest House, but before getting into the vehicle, it is worth looking out over some cliffs, which are under the building, to see the Guadalentín, the Guazalamanco and the Bolera from a bird’s eye view.
We return to the A-326, at the height of the campsite, and turn left. After about 500 m, we turn left to drive along a dirt road that reaches the Hornico hostel (there are signposts), 2 km further on, continuing along the dirt road, we first pass the Barranco de la Sabina, by a bridge that crosses a small gorge over the Arroyo de la Venta, whose water passes filtered in this section most of the year under the pebbles of the riverbed. Next we find the Dehesa del Rincón, where the cleared Mediterranean holm oak forest produces rich pastures that are used by horses, goats and sheep. Sometimes, fallow deer, deer, and wild boar share the meadow. After 4 km from the Hornico, there is an asphalted detour on our left. At that point we leave the car to do a walking route (round trip 2.5 km). At the apex of the junction there are several hiking signs. We take the sign for the “Ruta de Guazalamanco” on our left. We follow the track, which as we will see later, is only suitable for 4×4, and after crowning a small slope of about 100 m, the path becomes flat. At the bottom of the ravine we can already see Guazalamanco, a stream of cold and crystalline waters that descends from the highest point of the Sierra. In fact, it is the highest permanent water stream in the entire mountain massif, at an altitude of more than 1,680 m. Ten minutes after starting our route, the forest track accompanies the riverbed, until it crosses it at the Vado de Guazalamanco. At this point, and without crossing the river, we follow the paths that run on the same bank, without missing any corner where the water is the protagonist. Our camera would not forgive us. Upstream we find a dam, an artificial dam that forms a wide waterfall. Here we can end our walking route.
Now we are interested in returning to the vehicle and, once in it, advance 1 km until we reach the Casa Forestal del Molinillo. Here we will leave the car again, and following a signposted path, which runs along the right bank of the tail of the Pantano de la Bolera, we arrive at a bridge that crosses the Cerrada de la Herradura, the destination of our walk. We will have walked about 800 meters. Below us, the Guadalentín River, with its waters and trout, begins to rest in the reservoir. From here we return to the Forest House, but before getting into the vehicle, it is worth looking out over some cliffs, which are under the building, to see the Guadalentín, the Guazalamanco and the Bolera from a bird’s eye view.
Turning around with the car, we return to the asphalt road (A-326). We turn left, towards Castril. About 200 metres from the crossroads, a sign, also on the left, indicates the entrance to the Embalse dam. A walk along it allows us to see different perspectives, with the Sierra del Pozo and Sierra de la Cabrilla as a backdrop. Below the dam, the beginning of the Cerrada de la Bolera, the canyon over which the bridge of the same name rises.
We come out again onto the A-326 and turn left. At 200 meters from the exit we pass over the Puente de la Bolera, and about 2 km further on we will continue straight on, towards Huéscar, at the Campo Cámara crossroads. From here we have to be careful because after half a km we have to leave the asphalt road to reach the Mirador de la Peña de Quesada (there is indication). A dirt track leads to a forest house 600 mts. beyond.
Behind the building and next to the fire watchmen’s booth, the Mirador offers us one of the best images of the Pantano de la Bolera and the mountains that surround it. This is the end point of our route. We will have done, from Pozo Alcón, about 16 km by car and a little more than 10 km on foot. Now is a good time to relax your eyes in the blue of the water, observe, with binoculars,
the aquatic birds that swarm on the surface of the reservoir and rest for a while before returning to the starting point.
