Béjar River

We cross this high mountain river, seeing on the left one of the many dams built in these mountains to stop the erosive action of the water. We will find notable differences in the vegetation between different slopes, even at the same altitude, which is due to the different microclimates that are generated depending on the type of soil and the orientation, which determines the light they receive and the temperatures.

Botanical interest area

In one of the curves through which this forest track descends, we find a unique corner that will attract our attention because it is different from what we have seen so far. There is a fence that surrounds an area of ??special protection, to the right of the track. Both inside and outside of it there are specimens of species more typical of the north of Spain than of the south, which contrast with the vegetation that surrounds us and form a small botanical island, isolated because similar conditions are not found for several kilometers around. In addition to maples, oaks, boxwoods and honeysuckle, we will see several examples of yew, the oldest tree in Europe, made of very resistant wood, which in past times was highly appreciated in the manufacture of arches and in shipbuilding, and which curiously had a More than important role in Roman times, as its deadly toxin was used as a poison, since all parts of the tree were poisonous except for the reddish pulp of the aril that surrounds the seed.

Extremera River

The vegetation has changed drastically, appearing the Aleppo pines mixed with holm oaks, kermes oak, junipers, and boxwood. We arrive at the Extremera river, whose crystalline waters descend from the Barranco de los Arenales and the Barranco Extremera, both located under the Picón del Guante, another of the peaks of this area, to later cross the Cerrada Extremera, located to the left of the track where we are. We will have to ford the river and discard another track in poor condition that comes out to the right after 100 meters. From here we will walk parallel to the limestone cliff on the left, while to the right the olive groves mark the limit of the protected area.

9.6 kilometers from the beginning, in a small clearing of the forest, we leave the ruins of the El Garbanzal forest house on the left, of which there is hardly a small wall. A few meters away we find a fork in the tracks and we must continue to the left, to make one of the most spectacular sections of the Bosques del Sur trail, the Pasada de Bosques, crossing the Picones de Fique. It is hard to believe that vehicles can pass this road, as it is impressive even when walking. After progressively approaching the vertical limestone wall that we keep to the left, the path gains height to cross through a gate between the stones.

Barrier

When leaving the gate we find another barrier that limits vehicle access. We are on the hill of Los Picones and to the left El Rayal, 1834 meters high, catches our attention. A few olive and almond trees in front of us indicate that we have reached more humanized landscapes. We come to a track that is wider than the one we have taken up to now, at which junction we must continue to the right downhill until kilometer 12.3 of our route, where we will reach the A-6206 road. This will accompany us to the right for 500 meters, now in a gentle climb.

Port of Tíscar

We crown the Puerto de Tíscar at an altitude of 1183 meters. In addition to quenching our thirst at the fountain that exists there, the Torreón del Infante Enrique is a must, with its striking exterior metal spiral staircase. From here, large expanses of both the countryside and the mountains are dominated, dominated by peaks such as El Rayal and El Caballo.

Our route continues along an olive track, which alternates in sections with a bridle path heading southwest. We walk downhill and in the direction of another watchtower, located on the rocky crest of the Peñas Negras, standing out in the valley. On this route we will cross the A-6206 road twice, until we reach the Vadillo fountain, located next to a bar-restaurant. There we cross the Arroyo Vadillo and join the aforementioned road 15.3 km from the beginning.

Mr. Pedro

We access this village from its upper part. It is very small and somewhat scattered, around a single descending cemented main street. It receives its name in honor of the infant Don Pedro, uncle of Alfonso XI, who in 1319 conquered the Hispano-Muslim fortress of Tíscar. With less than a hundred inhabitants and surrounded by mountain olive groves, its neighbors seem to have stopped time and maintain a strong attachment to their customs and traditions. Along a cement track we descend between olive groves, leaving on the right the so-called Blue Pilon, a place of magical beings and legend, which is located right where the ravine opens, where a charming waterfall precipitates the waters of the Tiscar river over a pool, originating a pleasant freshness and a unique bathing area during the summer.

Belerda

Later, the cement track runs very close to the Tíscar river and parallel to it. We pass an entrance to La Mendoreja to the right, a small farmhouse halfway between Don Pedro and our end of the stage, which is Belerda. It is nestled under the shelter of large rocky walls and is one of the most picturesque and welcoming villages in the entire area. It is also the starting point of the next stage of the Bosques del Sur trail, which starts to the left, just 100 meters from the end of it.

Both in the Tíscar area, as in Don Pedro and Belerda, there are tourist accommodation, mainly rural houses, and it is advisable to arrange the reservation in advance.