Sierras of Tejeda - Sendero Río Verde

Sendero Río Verde

Rio Verde circular

Distance:  7.4 kms
Time Required: 3.25 hours
Rating: Medium

Sendero Río Verde - This circular route of 7.35km is moderately difficult and takes around three and a quarter hours. It is on the far eastern edge of the Sierra de Almijara, with superb views of the mountains, and starts near the source of the Verde river.

The path starts at Km 28.7 on the Almuñécar-Granada road (via Otívar). Coming from Granada, the road passes Los Prados de Lopera and goes through a tunnel. Before the Parador and petrol station at La Cabra Montés is the Km 28.7 post. The path goes up some stone steps, across a hillside and goes through an area with eroded rock formations characteristic of this limestone landscape. The trees here are mainly young pines, holm and gall oaks, junipers and strawberry trees.

On the right at the bottom of the Chortales gully are some beehives, which are often seen in these sierras. Look out for mountain goats, particularly first thing in the morning or just before the sun goes down.

After descending for around 50 minutes, there are some steep steps. These lead down to some impressive waterfalls, the Chorreras de los Palos, also known as the Cascada de los Arboles Petrificados (the Waterfall of the Petrified Trees). To the right-hand side of the waterfalls is a small cave that is full of incredible stalagmites and stalagtites. The path continues down on this side, where the vegetation changes from the first stage of the walk, to box, heather, willow, fig trees, oleander, ferns and wild olive trees.

The path crosses the Arroyo de las Cabrerizas and follows the left-hand bank for 200m before crossing a forestry track. Fifty metres on there is the Cabrerizas fountain. After passing a weir, there is the second waterfall of this walk, and after crossing and re-crossing the Arroyo, there is the third waterfall, the 30m-high Cascadas del Barranco de Funes. After this is a crossroads of forestry tracks; take the Las Cabrerizas one that climbs up to main road at La Cabra Montés, about 2½km away. This brings you back on to the main road about 1½km south of where you started.

Walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts

Buy walking guide books by Guy Hunter Watts

"Walking in Andalucia" by Guy Hunter Watts

Cicerone Walking in Andalucía is a 260 page full colour guide to some of the very best walks in southern Spain, taking the walker on 34 routes - all starting and most finishing in beautiful villages - in the Natural Parks of Grazalema, La Alpujarra, Cazorla, Los Alcornocales, Aracena, and La Axarquia. Many of the full and half day walks are virtually unknown even though they are a short drive from the Costa del Sol. Even though more and more people are beginning to walk Spain's southern sierras, most of the routes remain blissfully undiscovered. Guy says, 'If you decide to head for the hills with my guide you can be sure of two things: you will be walking through areas of great natural beauty and you will meet with other walkers.'  
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking in Andalucia.

 

"Coastal walks in Andalucia" by Guy Hunter Watts

Coastal walks  in Andalucia 45 great coastal walks close to Andalucia's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. Discover the best hiking trails close to Vejer, Caños de Meca, Conil, Tarifa, Bolonia, Gibraltar, Casares, Estepona, Marbella, Istán, Mijas, Benalmádena, Alhaurín, Cómpeta, Fuengirola, Nerja, Maro and Almuñecar. Talk to most people about the coast of Andalucía and they’ll picture the small swathe of seaboard that runs from Torremolinos to Estepona, the heartland of what is commonly sold as the Costa del Sol. First associations are of crowded beaches, busy coastal roads and blocks of holiday apartments. Few amongst them will conjure up visions of the mighty chain of mountains, the tail end of the Sierra Subbética, which rises up a few kilometres back from the sea. Nor do they tend to evoke the wilder beaches of the Costa de la Luz or the footpaths that run just a few metres from the Atlantic surf.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Coastal Walks in Andalucia.

 

"The Andalucian coast to coast walk " by Guy Hunter Watts

coast to coast walk A stunning 21 day, 435 kilometre trail that links the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. The walk passes through six of Andalucia's Natural Parks and protected areas via its most beautiful mountain villages. Far more than a long walk, this on-foot odyssey can lead you to the heart of southern Spain's magnificent sierras and on a life-changing journey of discovery. One of the best things about the simple act of walking is the sense of reconnecting with Nature and the Big Wide World. We've been moving around on two feet for a very long time yet still, in the simple act of putting one foot in front of the next and moving across landscape, it seems that we reassert our identity. Day to day worries fall into insignificance, or rather true significance, when we get out into the mountains and walking is about a lot more than taking exercise.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers The Andalucian Coast-to-coast Walk.

 

"Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema" by Guy Hunter Watts

Cicerone The dramatically situated town of Ronda can make a great base for a walking holiday in the mountains of Andalucía, as can any one of the picturesque 'pueblos blancos' (white villages) that nestle among the surrounding hills. This guidebook presents 32 mainly circular walks in the Ronda region, covering the town and its environs, the Natural Parks of La Sierra de Grazalema and La Sierra de las Nieves (both UNESCO biosphere reserves), and the Genal and Guadiaro Valleys. Clear route description is illustrated with mapping, and the route summary table and 'at a glance' information boxes make it easy to choose the right walk.
Buy a printed or eBook copy online direct from publishers Walking the Mountains of Ronda and Grazalema.

 

For more on walking the Sierras Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama:

The Mountains of NerjaThe Mountains of Nerja
Guidebook, by Jim Ryan, to the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama mountains in the Spanish region of Axarquía. The 24 day walks are accessible from the holiday towns of Nerja and Vélez-Málaga on the Costa del Sol. Routes range from easy strolls to strenuous climbs. The mountains are largely limestone, with some summits reaching over 2000m. Buy a copy online of The Mountains of Nerja