Poyos de La Mesa

Although you can reach Poyos de la Mesa from a number of different places, we recommend accessing it via the track leading up from Nava del Espino. From there, the trail signposted PR-A 315 will take you up to the peak of the mountain, a journey which will take around an hour and a half.

Once you reach the top you will discover an undulating limestone landscape, eroded by the passage of time and covered with verdant grasslands and Corsican pines. It is an excellent place for observing the park’s large herbivores, which delight in the succulent plants to be found at these altitudes, and it was also one of the naturalist Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente’s favourite spots for filming some of his famous wildlife scenes.

Now it is time to take in the view of the landscape around you and identify the many peaks you can see: Banderillas, Cabañas, the Empanadas mountain chain and Pico Gillón are some of the park’s most iconic mountains.

In the local dialect, poyos are raised areas of tableland surrounded by jagged cliffs, resembling enormous molars. Poyos de la Mesa is one of the most spectacular examples of such landforms; from its edges you can enjoy a superb panorama of the headwaters of the Guadalquivir, and if you look over you will see the escarpments or “benches” which give the mountain its name.

We recommend:

• Once you have reached the area, do not miss the opportunity to visit the Pradera Marchante beauty spot next to the banks of the Tornillos de Gualay stream.

 

From Cazorla, take the mountain road (A-319) to the Empalme del Valle junction. Turn right on to the JF-7092 and, after crossing the bridge over the River Guadalquivir (4 kilometres from Empalme) take the road leading off to the left (the JF-7091). Continue along this road until you reach Nava del Espino at kilometre 21 (following the road’s signage), where you will find a milestone indicating the way up to Poyos de la Mesa.