Casa Alfonso X Restaurant & Bistro
What to order: the Degusta Jaén menu, with Cazorla talarines with rabbit, trout al pastor and Segureño lamb; for dessert, the olive oil in textures
geocalia
Day itinerary · 37.91° N · 3.00° W
Cazorla by 4x4: deer in the morning, a castle in the afternoon.
A half-day by off-road vehicle along tracks closed to private cars, a signature lunch with Jaén oil and La Yedra castle as evening falls. An hour and a half from Jaén.
Leaving from
Part of Sierra de Cazorla
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 30 each way
WalkingHardly any
DifficultyNone
Cost€95–130 pp
Best timeOctober · April – June
With childrenYes, from age 4
BookingThe 4x4 and lunch
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Jaén 1 h 30 by car
from Jaén via Úbeda and Peal de Becerro, 1 h 30
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1
4x4 Route Through the Reserve Zone with TurisNat
TurisNat · half day from €39 · pick-up place and time when booking
+34 953 72 13 51
- 6 min on foot
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2
Casa Alfonso X Restaurant & Bistro
Degusta Jaén menu, €47 without drinks · open on Sundays · booking
Plaza Consuelo Mendieta, 2, 23470 Cazorla · +34 953 72 14 63
Restaurant €€€€Book - 6 min on foot
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3
Castillo de la Yedra and the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs
On Sundays it opens until 17:00 · climb on foot from Santa María
Camino de San Isicio, 45, 23470 Cazorla
- 3 min on foot
- 4
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Back home
In Jaén around 20:00
Approximate cost
About €120–180 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
4x4 Route Through the Reserve Zone with TurisNat
Most of the Cazorla natural park is closed to private cars. This Sunday you enter it with a guide, in an off-road vehicle, to watch deer and vultures through a telescope; you eat a menu that tours the province with olive oil and climb La Yedra castle when the light drops over the village. There is no need to walk: it suits grandparents and children from age four. From Jaén, an hour and a half.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Set off. From Jaén, take the A-316 to Úbeda and the A-315 and A-319 via Peal de Becerro to Cazorla. From Granada, leave half an hour earlier.
9:00 · 4x4 route with TurisNat. Book beforehand by phone (953 72 13 51) or WhatsApp: when they confirm, they tell you where and at what time they will pick you up. Choose among their half-day routes. Route 5 goes up the Borosa valley towards the Cerrada de Elías; route 1, at €42, reaches the Valdeazores and Aguas Negras lagoons, settings of El hombre y la tierra; route 4 passes the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir and returns past the vultures of El Chorro. Almost all cost €39 in 2026, and €20 for children aged 4 to 12. They last between four and five hours, with stops to stretch your legs. Bring the child's seat or booster.
14:00 · Lunch at Casa Alfonso X. On Plaza Consuelo Mendieta, next to the Corredera. The Degusta Jaén menu, at €47 without drinks, goes from pipirrana and a tasting of local oils to Cazorla talarines with rabbit, shepherd's trout and Segureño lamb. Open on Sundays at midday and closed on Wednesdays. Book.
16:15 · La Yedra castle. Walk up from Plaza de Santa María, about ten minutes uphill. On Sundays the museum opens until 17:00: the keep with its Gothic hall and the Flemish tapestries, and the Cazorla kitchen set up with all its furnishings. From the top you see the whole village.
17:15 · The vault of the Cerezuelo river. Go down to the ruins of Santa María and enter the river tunnel on the 17:00 or the 18:15 slot. Ask for it at the tourist office, in the ruins themselves.
18:30 · Head home. In Jaén around eight.
If you want to spend less
Swap the menu for the Mesón Leandro, open every day at midday, with grilled game. The day then comes to about €70 per person.
Time4 h 30
Change the route
To eat faster and for less: grilled meat, open every day:
Mesón Leandro
If you choose route 4 of the 4x4, which passes the source and the Cerrada del Utrero:
Source of the Guadalquivir at the Cañada de las Fuentes
With small children, for the afternoon:
Cazorla Tourist Train to the Viewpoints and the Virgen de la Cabeza
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Mesón Don Chema
What to order: meats from the sierra and tapas; ask about the mountain dishes and the homemade desserts of the day
Mesón Leandro
What to order: the hot-stone meat for two, the fillet of deer or wild boar, or the grilled Segureño lamb chops
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Sierra de Cazorla
In October, the deer rut; in spring, the rivers are full. The 4x4 routes are not cancelled for rain or snow, so a winter Sunday also works.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the 4x4 in good time in October
It is the month of the deer rut and of highest demand.
- 2Bring binoculars if you have them
The vehicles carry a pair and a telescope, but they are shared.
- 3There are no bars on the tracks
Bring water and something to nibble for the morning.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the 4x4 route in Cazorla cost?
From €39 per person for a half day with TurisNat, in 2026; €20 for children aged 4 to 12.
Do I need to book?
Yes, always the 4x4. Lunch at Casa Alfonso X, too.
Is La Yedra castle open on Sunday afternoons?
It opens on Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00. Arrive before 16:30.
Is the 4x4 cancelled if it rains?
No. The routes run anyway in rain, fog or snow.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/4x4-through-the-reserve-and-yedra
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.