Mesón Leandro
What to order: the hot-stone meat for two, the fillet of deer or wild boar, or the grilled Segureño lamb chops
geocalia
Day itinerary · 37.91° N · 3.00° W
Sierra de Cazorla: the gorge, the source and the vault.
The Guadalquivir gorge in the morning, its source among pines, game in Cazorla and the river that runs beneath the square. An hour and a half from Jaén.
Leaving from
Part of Sierra de Cazorla
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 30 each way
Walking1 h · 1.7 km circular
DifficultyEasy
Cost€35–55 pp
Best timeApril – June · October
With childrenYes, from age 5 or 6
RoadMountain bends
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, Peal de Becerro and Cazorla, 1 h 30 to the Empalme del Valle
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1
Cerrada del Utrero and the Linarejos Waterfall
1.7 km circular walk · 45 min · car park of about ten spaces
- 30 min by car14,3 km
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2
Source of the Guadalquivir at the Cañada de las Fuentes
By the Puente de las Herrerías and forest track · 1 h
+34 953 72 13 51
- 1 h by car36,2 km
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3
Mesón Leandro
Game meat grilled and on the stone · open on Sundays · booking
Calle Hoz, 3, 23470 Cazorla · +34 953 72 06 32
Restaurant €€€Book - 1 min on foot
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4
Santa María Ruins and the Cerezuelo River Vault
16:30 or 17:00 sitting · requested at the tourist office
+34 953 72 13 51
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Back home
In Jaén around 19:15
Approximate cost
About €95–120 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Cerrada del Utrero and the Linarejos Waterfall
A Sunday to see the Guadalquivir before it is a river: first hemmed into the limestone gorge of the Cerrada del Utrero, then newborn in a pine clearing, at 1,360 metres. You go down to Cazorla for lunch of game and end up inside the tunnel through which the Cerezuelo river passes beneath Plaza de Santa María. From Jaén it is an hour and a half; from Granada, about two hours.
The day, hour by hour
8:30 · Set off. From Jaén, take the A-316 to Úbeda, Torreperogil and Peal de Becerro, and the A-319 to Cazorla. Go through the village and continue along the A-319 towards El Tranco: about 17 km of bends over the Puerto de las Palomas to the Empalme del Valle junction. There, the JF-7091 towards Vadillo-Castril.
10:15 · Cerrada del Utrero. About 3.5 km from the junction, at the turning towards the Vadillo hamlet, the trail starts, with a car park of about ten spaces: if you arrive after eleven, you may not find room. It is a 1.7 km circuit that the Junta reckons at 45 minutes: you go down some stairs beside the dam, see the Linarejos waterfall on the other side and go round the Lanchón rock on a path with carved steps. Look up: the vultures nest in the walls.
11:30 · Source of the Guadalquivir. Continue to the 15th-century Puente de las Herrerías, and from there the forest track to the Cañada de las Fuentes. The water emerges among stones in a pine clearing with a picnic area. It is more symbol than spectacle; the lovely part is the road. Go slowly: the track is dirt.
14:15 · Lunch at the Mesón Leandro. Return to Cazorla and park in the centre: calle Hoz, next to the ruins of Santa María, is narrow. The Mesón Leandro opens every day from 13:30 to 16:00. Order the meat cooked on a stone for two or the grilled venison sirloin; if you do not want meat, mountain trout. Book: on Sundays the walkers come down to eat.
16:30 · Santa María and the vault of the Cerezuelo river. The ruins are a short step away. The church, attributed to Vandelvira, lost its roof after the flood of 1694, and below it the river runs in a 16th-century vault that is visited in sessions: according to the council notice, at 16:30, 17:00 and 18:15. The tourist office is in the ruins themselves.
17:45 · Head home. In Jaén around a quarter past seven; in Granada, around eight.
With children
It works from age five or six, if they walk on their own: the gorge is short and has a waterfall, and at the source there are tables. It is not for pushchairs. With small children, swap the afternoon walk for the tourist train, which goes up to the viewpoints in an hour.
Distance1.7 km
Ascent156 m
Time45 min
Change the route
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
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
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 spring the gorge carries more water and the Linarejos waterfall is full. In October and November the forest changes colour. In winter the track to the source may have snow: leave that stop for another day.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Arrive early at the gorge
The car park has about ten spaces.
- 2Bring water and something to eat
There are no bars at the gorge or the source.
- 3If there is time to spare, the castle
La Yedra castle opens on Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00. If you come down to Cazorla earlier, climb it before lunch.
We'd skip it
On snow days in the sierra, the track to the source. Do only the gorge and stretch the afternoon out in the village.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Jaén to the Cerrada del Utrero?
About two hours: an hour and a half to Cazorla and half an hour more on the A-319 and the Vadillo-Castril road.
Can you drive to the source?
Yes, on a dirt forest track from the Puente de las Herrerías.
Do I need to book for lunch?
It is advisable, especially in spring and autumn.
Can you enter the vault of the Cerezuelo river on Sundays?
Yes, the visit is in sessions every day; ask for yours at the tourist office in the ruins of Santa María.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/cerrada-del-utrero-and-the-source
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.