Source of the Guadalquivir - Cañada de Las Fuentes

Description

The birth of the most important river of Andalusia occurs in an area of great ecological value within Natural Park. It is a cool and pleasant place, where strawberries, maples and majuelos accompany the "Rio Grande," as the Arabs called it, in these first steps. Around it we find curious geological formations with dense pine pineapples and black. About a hundred meters above is the forest house of the Cañada de las Fuentes where there is a recreational area that often come to go and deer in small groups.

The "official" birth of the Guadalquivir River has been placed under a plaque that reproduces a poem by the brothers Alvarez Quintero. But, in the strict sense, the sources of Guadalquivir are found in the spacious honnada of the Cañada de las Fuentes. In this place there are several streams that come down from the nearby mountains: that of the Teatines, that of the Cold John or the stream of Light among others.

The place has overcome moments of intense tourist pressure and today, with a more appropriate public use order, we are presented with clean and sensitive, so our visit must be at all times silent and respectful.

From the Cañada de las Fuentes you are a step away from enjoying some of the most striking routes in the area.

We suggest...

• Up to the peak of Cabañas, at whose foot is a forest track in acceptable condition, about 10 km. Following the track that goes to Pozo Alcón from the birth we arrive, after 2.5 km, to the pine of the three crosses. Here begins the track that goes up to this proud viewpoint of the Sierra del Pozo.

• Walk by the Cañada de la Fuente. About a mile from the forest house of the same name, a road to the right begins surrounded by majuelos and maples, with some of the largest specimens of pine larice of the Park. On the way it is easy to observe we, even muflons in the lapiaz on the right, as well as millennia tejos

• Continue two kilometers along the track that goes up to Pozo Alcón and, 300 meters before the pine of the three crosses, take the left road to the Prados de Navahondona.

From Cazorla you can reach the Sierra road, A319. In the Empalme del Valle we will see an indication of the birth to the right, and follow that direction for 4 km until you find a bridge over the Guadalquivir. As we pass the bridge we turn right to the Bridge of Herrerías. From here, without leaving the main road, there are 11 km to the Birth.