Closed of La Herradura

At this point we pass over a bridge over the Guadalentín, which forms the impressive Cerrada de La Herradura, a great curve in which it is embedded deeply between vertical walls, about to be dammed at La Bolera. We leave –for a short time– the vicinity of the river and ascend, widening the valley and seeing some abandoned terraces as well as a lot of holm oak and cornicabra. Soon the vegetal landscape changes, which happens to be dominated by the reforestation pine forest. The Guadalentín reappears to our left, opening the landscape more and more towards that side, with large forests of black pine and later with holm oaks. On the right we see strong rocky cliffs of yellow and reddish tones. At kilometer 7 we take a track to the left, in the middle of a young pine forest. About 350 meters later, it turns right and we leave it to continue along a somewhat diffuse path, although marked, and immediately we see the ruins of a farmhouse on the left. We cross the cleared land of the farmhouse, with good holm oaks, following the two beacons that we will find, and then we will see in front, a little to the right, a post with directional signs. Before, you must not stop looking at the Guadalentín valley from the small meadows to the left.

At the aforementioned post (kilometer 8) we come out again to the forest track and turn left, in a pine forest that has been repopulated with black pine. Shortly after, we walked through a thick holm oak grove dotted with old and large specimens of black pine.

At kilometer 8.8 we arrive at the cleared land of two farmhouses, located at the top right and top at the front respectively. Going up to the latter, in the Puntal de Ana María, we appreciate that it is a very special place because of its surroundings - the era, the pastures, the large oaks - and because of the spectacular views: steep banks to the right, the deep valley del Guadalentín to the left –which we can look at from the era–, and backwards, that is, towards the south, great panoramic views that reach the peaks of Sierra Nevada.

Raso del Peral

We leave the farmhouse of the same name on the right and the path begins to descend gently, in a beautiful canyon with wide pastures. Shortly after, we walked among beautiful holm oaks looking at the slopes on the other side of the Guadalentín Valley, presided over by the Calar de Juana, while in the background we saw the Barranco del Guadalentín under a platform of very vertical walls that fall over the Cerrada de la Canaliega. The views are again impressive.

We go into an excellent holm oak grove and at kilometer 10.2 we pass by the ruins of a farmhouse on the right. Along the road we see a large black pine with a cavity made at its base almost two meters high. This was done in the past to remove the resinous wood chips, which were used to illuminate or light the fire. This use could be done without drying the pines, as we can see here. The oaks through which we pass are fresh, as denoted by the presence of abundant moss, ivy and hellebore (Helleborus foetidus).

At kilometer 11.5 we passed by the large platform that we saw earlier from above. To our right we see some Montpellier maples, while the slopes on the other side of the valley are covered by closed holm oaks. From kilometer 12.6 the path descends more sharply between magnificent holm oaks, being a good place to look to the left and see the Guadalentín nestled between reddish walls. Soon the oaks (gall oaks) begin to appear, which will be a constant for the next few kilometers, in a shady environment, with a lot of moss, while the powerful sound of the waters of the Guadalentín rises up to us.

Ford of the carts

This is a relaxing place with small meadows and good walnut trees where we can rest and enjoy ourselves by the river. There are also poplars, boxwood and some gall oaks. If we follow the path that goes to the left, we would go up to the same track where our stage ends, but more to the west, in the place of La Trinchera, not far from Nava de San Pedro, with which we would cut short to reach the stage 2 of variant GR 247.3. About 200 meters from the start of this path at Vado de las Carretas, we pass very close to the striking source of the Seven Fountains, made up of several springs whose abundant flow now swells that of the San Pedro stream.

Our route, however, follows the course of the Guadalentín river, which we have to cross. The path rises above the river, which is now on our right, and passes through an oak grove whose twisted and mossy branches create a certain magic in the environment. Shortly after we found a cable that prevents the passage of vehicles, in a narrow passage between rocks where the river, already at our side, descends bravely between willows and box trees.

We went out to a black pine forest and from now on we will walk close to the river, wading it a couple of times through cemented steps. We walk for a long distance placidly, with hardly any unevenness, while the riverbed sometimes widens between junqueras and the gall oaks, some of them large, become more and more present. In fact, we are entering one of the best oaks in the natural park, which gives the area not only a great landscape value, but also a remarkable ecological importance. We also see large black pines, as well as boxwood, juniper and maples, which are dressed in yellow in autumn. The freshness and humidity even favor the presence of some holly trees.

At kilometer 15.4 we pass a delicious spring that rises from the rock itself next to the road, in a small and mossy hollow between maples and box trees. The atmosphere in this section could not be more seductive, as it reminds us of places in more northern latitudes. The river descends in small jumps to our right, while it smells of boxwood and musty and the old gall oaks twist their aged branches.