If you are thinking of taking a weekend getaway with your partner or friends, we recommend that you discover the Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas. We did a two-day hiking route, do you want to know how it went?
After seeing several possibilities we decided to visit Andalusian lands, specifically Jaén, where we would find incredible landscapes and nature in its purest form. To get your bearings, Cazorla has natural beauties where the action of water has left a significant mark, dotting the area with waterfalls and lagoons.
The birth of rivers such as the Guadalquivir, Segura, Madera, Guadalentín or Guadalimar, as well as a multitude of streams within the park's extension, contribute to the development of abundant flora, providing a different charm to this earthly paradise. It has special characteristics that you should take into account.
The rains are abundant, having the highest rainfall rate of the regions in the area. The mountain barrier, which surrounds the park, stops storms from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Snow covers the highest points during winter. Thanks to this climate there is abundant vegetation, which multiplies on the banks of rivers and streams. And what can we say about the fauna, of which there is a great variety of species, such as deer, badger or fox among others. Gastronomy is something that you cannot miss either, where the garden and dishes derived from hunting and fishing products are exceptional.
With a scenario like this, it is normal that we opted for this city where we stayed for two days. Although Cazorla seemed very interesting to us, we did not want to miss the opportunity to get to know Quesada and we started our way there ready to enjoy the wonders of the landscape and the breathtaking corners of the city.
We arrive at Cerro de la Magdalena, which welcomes us surrounded by olive and pine trees, sheltering in its midst the city of Rafael Zabaleta, dotted with monuments reflecting its times of greatest splendor. We are guided by a brochure of the town that we have just acquired, and with the intuition of the enterprising traveler we walk towards the Arco de la Manguita de Utrera, of Visigothic origin and whose name owes to the Virgin of the Consolation of Utrera; but this has nothing to envy the Arch of the Saints or the Lord of the 14th century, which was the door to the old walled enclosure, and it leaves us the same dazzled.
We visited, slowly but surely, the Zabaleta museum and enjoyed the painter's oil paintings and drawings, although it is surprising that five rooms can collect so many works, conveying the sensation of lack of space. Before leaving Quesada, we approached its 15th century parish church. The city is delicious for its color, the streets are always decorated and prepared for the next flower contest, especially the old town.
On the way to Buñuel, a village that we never reached, we turned off to head towards Pozo Alcón, because on one side of the road we will see the first natural beauty of the marked route: the Cueva del Agua . We park the car on a stretch of land, conditioned for it, and walk crouching through a short tunnel that leads to the natural cavity from which the water flows. The paths take us to the bottom where the virgin is. The noise of water and birds surround us in the song of nature. It was worth coming to the cave, even if we have to return to the city to resume the path that leads us to Cazorla.
Investigating the trace left by other civilizations in Cazorla we discovered the old neighborhood, populated with balconies loaded with flowers, it is protected by the Yedra castle, an Arab heritage that took advantage of the Roman foundations, and houses an Arts museum inside. and Customs of the Alto Guadalquivir. In the Plaza de Santa María, there are the remains of this church, and the impressive Cárdenas fountain, in Renaissance style, and with three fresh water spouts. An infinite number of monuments that you cannot miss.
Then we decided to visit La Iruela, where we visited viewpoints that left incredible views. When we visited a couple more towns we went to the rural house where we would spend the night, immersed in the nature and tranquility of the Park. It is located between Arroyo Frío and Torre del Vinagre, therefore it is not difficult to find it. Having dinner we decided on tomorrow's itinerary.
On Sunday we woke up after having regained our strength by resting in the middle of a natural paradise, we prepared to start the day and prepare for the route that will be based mainly on hiking. To discover the best places in the Park with a guide or some restricted areas, we recommend the routes in 4x4 vehicles and hiking, half a day or full day.
Our objective will be the source of the Borosa River and its surroundings, but first we will go to the Torre del Interpretation Center. Vinegar with Visitor Reception and Hunting Museum, a must-visit place once you are in the Natural Park. The vehicle will help us get to the Borosa fish farm, where we will have to leave it because a chain prevents its passage. We recommend, if you are taking two cars, to leave one at the end of the route or make an agreement with someone who is in charge of moving the vehicle there and will wait for you at the end, because the road is long and it could be difficult to retrace our steps.< /p>
We started walking, crossed the river, which remains trapped between two impressive rocks and headed quite impressed by the landscapes, to the Órganos waterfall, passing before the Huelga Nidillo fountain. The Órganos power plant is not the only thing that awaits us, and upon arrival we find a waterfall through which the Borosa River falls near its source, between the ocher color of the rocks and the green brushstrokes caused by the flora of the area, a beautiful place of unmatched beauty.
Reaching the Aguas Negras lagoon becomes an odyssey full of difficulties, which are worth overcoming. After having walked ten kilometers, the path becomes zigzag and through tunnels excavated in the rock, we cross the openings in the stone to reach the end of the path, which offers the spectacular view of the Aguas Negras lagoon.
The source of the Borosa is very close and it didn't take us long to find it. After crossing the dam we reached a backwater of the river that forms one of the natural paradises of the park, where a multitude of animals are concentrated, the Valdeazores lagoon. From here we will take a forest track to reach the Fuente de Acero booth, where we recommend having left a vehicle.
The journey becomes easier with the help of the car, and we are quickly in Nava de San Pedro, where surprisingly we find a couple of houses still inhabited and an animal breeding center. Vadillo will be the final point of the day's route and where we will end, wanting to repeat the adventure of entering the Sierra de Cazorla to discover those corners that we have not been able to see in these two days. p>
