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Cortijos del Nacimiento - Nacimiento del Río Castril - Barranco de la Osa - Cortijo de la Puerta - Cortijos del Nacimiento |
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Map for the route (ED50) GPS waypoints for download (WGS84, gpx) |
How to get there: Driving on the
A-326 from Castril towards Huéscar turn left after some 4 km, between
the kilometre posts 28 and 29, on a narrow asphalt road signposted to
"Parque Natural Sierra de Castril" and "Nacimiento del
Río". When the road forks some 400 metres further, keep right. It
turns into a sand road after 1.3 km from the junction. Drive altogether
10.7 km to the Nacimiento del Río where the road ends. (Roadmap)
Distance: 3h/8.5km |
| You find an information panel on the walking
routes by the parking area (1170 m). Take the path that starts by the
panel. A water pipe runs on your right. When the path forks (6min) (1200
m), follow the white arrow to the left. You come to the water front
(11min) (1190 m). Do not cross the river, but stay on its right side.
Also at the next fork (16min) (1205 m), keep left.
A water canal starts to follow the route, first on your right (18min) (1205 m) and then on your left. After passing a dam wall on your left (23min) (1210 m), the path keeps ascending gently some four more minutes, before you start the quite steep climb towards the birth place of the river Castril. Waterfalls rushing down from the rockwall form an impressive spectacle (36min) (1255 m). Continue on a path that you find some 10 meters to the right from the panel presenting the "Nacimiento del Río Castril". Waymarked with piles of stones the path zigzags along the slope upwards. Higher up you enjoy a nice view over the river valley. Ignore a red arrow painted on the rock and follow the path that bends right passing ruins of a house a minute later. The route starts to follow the right side of a gorge and crosses a river bed (1h) (1320 m). On the slope you see interesting rock formations. When the path forks (1h06min) (1360 m), go left downhill between two piles of stones and cross the river bed. Soon the path bends right (1h09min) (1350 m)and you start the climb along stone steps. Passing a cave on your right (1h14min) (1375 m) you continue to the top of the cliff (1h17min) (1400 m). In May 2007, the steps ended some ten meters below the top, but they were under construction. If the steps do not go all the way to the top, we recommend that you turn back. Once you have reached the top continue along a stony gorge upwards. In spring there are big buddles on the bed of the gorge. Keep on the right hand side of the gorge and you find a grassy path in a couple of minutes (1h20min) (1420 m). The path bends left and crosses the gorge (1h21min) (1420 m). Then it zigzags steeply along the opposite slope. From the ridge (1h34min) (1520) you descend to another gorge (1h40min) (1490 m) and ascend again along the opposite slope to another ridge (1h44min) (1515 m). Once more you cross a gorge (1h50min) (1480 m) and climb to one more ridge (2h01min) (1535 m). From there you start the descent towards a stone cottage called Cortijo de la Puerta. Follow the fence downhill to the right, and continue cross the grassy slope below the cottage. In front of you rises a gray rock wall. Make for the left, lower part of this wall and find a grassy path opposite the cottage (2h09min) (1470 m). The path bends sharp left and crosses the ridge. Be careful, not to take any of the paths that keep ascending parallel to the ridge. In the beginning the path runs almost at the same level, but gets then very steep (2h13min) (1465 m). Constructed into a zigzag form this path is however easy to walk. After the steep part (2h29min) (1340 m) you keep going gently downhill. When you reach a track (2h44min) (1205 m) follow it some 15 meters to the left and fork off right on a path, which takes you over a bridge (2h46min) (1200 m) to the familiar path. Turn right and walk back to the beginning of the route (3h). |
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