# A weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla, an hour and a half from Jaén

Two nights to walk the Borosa river to the walkways of the Cerrada de Elías, see the Guadalquivir being born and have game for dinner in Cazorla. An hour and a half from Jaén and two from Granada.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/sierra-de-cazorla-borosa-weekend-from-jaen · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Sierra de Cazorla

From Jaén, the Sierra de Cazorla is an hour and a half away: Úbeda, Peal de Becerro and the A-319 to the town. You can go in a day, but the Borosa river takes a whole day and starts almost an hour of bends from Cazorla, so with two nights the trip changes. This plan puts the Borosa on Saturday, with the walkways of the Cerrada de Elías as the goal, and leaves for Sunday the Cerrada del Utrero, the source of the Guadalquivir and the castle. From Granada it is about two hours; from Córdoba, a little more.

## What do you walk?

RouteDistanceTimeFor whom

Borosa river to the Cerrada de Elías7.3 km each way3 h each wayRegular walkers; low difficulty according to the regional government

Cerrada del Utrero1.7 km circular45 minEveryone, with children who already walk on their own

Source of the GuadalquivirA short walk1 hEveryone; reached by forest track

## Where to sleep?

For the Borosa, it is best to sleep in the sierra: Coto del Valle, a four-star country hotel with a spa on the Tranco road, near the Empalme del Valle, has doubles from €90 with breakfast and doesn't admit pets. The Parador, a farmhouse inside the park, does admit them; it closes from 3 January to 4 March 2027. If you prefer to dine in the town and stroll, the Hotel Ciudad de Cazorla is on Plaza de la Corredera, with a pool in summer, and the Hotel Guadalquivir, two streets away, has doubles from €62 without breakfast.

## If you prefer not to walk so much

Swap Saturday's Borosa for a guided 4x4 route with TurisNat through the reserve zone, closed to private cars: route 5 runs the Borosa valley towards the Cerrada de Elías and route 1 reaches the Valdeazores and Aguas Negras lagoons. Half a day from €39 in 2026, with pick-up at your accommodation. In October there are special outings for the deer rut.

## El plan

### Friday · 19:00 · Arrival in Cazorla
From Jaén to Cazorla in an hour and a half. Leave the car in a car park in the centre and dine at the Mesón Leandro, next to the ruins of Santa María: game meat grilled or cooked on stone, open every day until 22:30. If you are sleeping at Coto del Valle, drive up afterwards on the A-319, about twenty minutes of mountain road.

### Saturday · 08:00 · The Borosa river
Via the A-319 to Torre del Vinagre and the turn-off to the start of the trail, beside the fish farm. It is 7.3 km each way along track and path beside the river: the Charco de la Cuna, the Caracolillos bridge and, via the right-hand turn-off, the wooden walkways of the Cerrada de Elías. The official route ends beside the hydroelectric plant. Eat what you carry there and come back the same way: about six hours in all.

### Saturday · 16:00 · Torre del Vinagre visitor centre
On the way back, an hour in the park visitor centre, with rooms on rock, water and pine forest, and the botanical garden next door. Dinner at your accommodation or back to Cazorla.

### Sunday · 09:30 · Cerrada del Utrero and the source
At the Empalme del Valle, the Vadillo-Castril road takes you in 3.5 km to the Cerrada del Utrero car park: 1.7 km circular in 45 minutes, with the Linarejos waterfall in front. Then, via the Puente de las Herrerías and the forest track, the Cañada de las Fuentes, where the Guadalquivir rises at 1,360 m.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Lunch and the castle in Cazorla
The Degusta Jaén menu at Casa Alfonso X, €47 without drinks, open on Sundays; book. Then climb to La Yedra castle, which on Sunday closes at 17:00, and go down to the Cerezuelo river vault on the 17:00 tour. Drive back to Jaén at the end of the afternoon.

## Un consejo más

Set off for the Borosa before half past eight. The car park at the start fills on spring and autumn Saturdays, and at midday the track heats up.

## Cuándo no ir

The days after heavy rain, if your goal is the Cerrada de Elías: it is the first stretch to be cut. Ask at Torre del Vinagre before you set off.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Jaén to Cazorla?
About 90 minutes by car, via Úbeda and Peal de Becerro. From the town to the start of the Borosa, almost another hour.

### How many kilometres is the Borosa route?
The official route is 7.3 km each way to the Cerrada de Elías and the plant: about 14.6 km there and back, about six hours.

### Where to sleep to do the Borosa?
In the sierra, along the A-319: Coto del Valle is the accommodation in this getaway closest to the start.

### Can I bring a dog?
The Parador de Cazorla admits pets; Coto del Valle does not. For the 4x4, ask beforehand.

### Do I need to book?
Restaurants, at weekends, yes. The 4x4, always.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Parador de Cazorla**: The Parador de Cazorla is not in the town but out in the sierra, inside the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, the largest protected area in Spain. Paradores places it 26 km from Cazorla by mountain road. The building imitates Andalusian farmhouses, with its great entrance gate and wooden roofs, and all around there is only hillside: it is accommodation for those who come to walk, to cycle or to be quiet, not to go out to dinner in the town.
Rooms with Views of the Sierra
There are standard doubles, superior doubles, junior suites and one accessible room, all bright and with views of the sierra. They have air conditioning, minibar, a laptop-size safe, flat television, hairdryer and a pillow menu; there is room service and breakfast in the room. The price changes with the date and is checked in the Paradores calendar, with room-only, bed-and-breakfast or half-board rates.
Pool, Garden and Parking
The complex has a seasonal outdoor pool, a garden and spacious lounges. The outdoor car park is free and has electric-car charging points. The Parador accepts pets: Paradores asks you to check the conditions before booking.
Mountain Table
The restaurant serves regional Andalusian cooking with mountain recipes, hillside meat, game in season and Segureño lamb. Being so far from the town, the practical thing is to dine here or take half board.
Getting There and When It Closes
The access is signposted from Burunchel, on the La Iruela road. From Úbeda and Baeza you get there by the N-322 and the A-319 via Peal de Becerro and Cazorla. Watch the calendar: the Parador closes from 3 January to 4 March 2027.
Routes from the Door
Hiking and mountain-bike routes through the sierra start from the Parador. In the same area are the source of the Guadalquivir and the Cerrada del Utrero, and Paradores also mentions the Cueva del Agua and the Roman ruins of Quesada. The old town of Cazorla, with the Castillo de la Yedra, is half an hour by car. To organise two days, see the weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla from Jaén.
- **Coto del Valle Rural Hotel**, desde 90 € / night: Coto del Valle is a four-star rural tourism complex at kilometre 34.3 of the Tranco road, the A-319, inside the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. It sits beside the Empalme del Valle, the junction where the road leaves for Vadillo-Castril, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir, and a kilometre and a half from Arroyo Frío. It has a hotel with spa, a restaurant opened in 2003 and separate apartments. It is a base for touring the park by car without going back to Cazorla every night over the Puerto de las Palomas.
Balcony onto the Pass, or Attic Room
The standard double has a 150 cm bed or two 90 cm ones and a spacious balcony with table and chairs looking onto the mountain pass: €120 in low season and €140 in high, with buffet breakfast. The attic double, reached by a spiral half-staircase, with a sloping wooden ceiling, costs €90 and €105. There are also superior rooms, with hydromassage and balcony, from €140 to €160. All have a bathroom with shower, television, heating, air conditioning, minibar, safe and free wifi.
The apartments are about 500 metres from the hotel, linked by a path of ten to fifteen minutes on foot; the six-person one, on the ground floor with a fitted living-room-kitchen, costs €180 a night.
Spa and Autumn Offers
The hotel's rural spa sells hydrothermal circuits. Until 23 December 2026, Monday to Thursday except public holidays, the circuits cost €25 for 55 minutes, €33 for 85 and €45 for 115. There is also an offer of a standard double with terrace, breakfast and two 55-minute circuits, Sunday to Thursday, between 8 November and 23 December.
A Table in the Valley
The restaurant works with produce from the district and Jaén oil: typical local dishes, a speciality in meats and menus for different needs. It is adapted for coeliacs if you let them know.
The Park from the Door
From here, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir are along the Vadillo road, and the Torre del Vinagre Visitor Centre, with the start of the Borosa trail, is further along the same A-319. The weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla from Jaén covers this part of the park. Pets are not allowed.
- **Hotel Ciudad de Cazorla**: Hotel Ciudad de Cazorla is a three-star hotel at number 9 on the Plaza de la Corredera, the town's main square. Its advantage is the location: the whole old town can be reached on foot from the door. It has a restaurant, function rooms, a seasonal outdoor pool and a small gym.
Singles, Doubles and Quadruples
The rooms come in five types. The single, for one person. The double with a double bed and the double with two beds, for two. The double with terrace, larger, with a terrace and mountain views, which is the one to ask for if you want to see the sierra from your room. And the quadruple, for four, designed for families. All have a private bathroom with bath, bidet and hairdryer, toiletries, air conditioning and a flat-screen television. Prices appear in the booking engine on its website; if you cannot find what you are looking for, the hotel asks you to write to it so it can offer you another option.
Check-in is from 13:00 and check-out until 12:00: an hour later than in many hotels, handy if you are coming back from a morning walk.
Restaurant on the Corredera
The hotel restaurant serves breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with tapas and raciones in the bar and cooking from Cazorla and Jaén, such as Segureño lamb, migas serranas or rin-ran. The hotel also organises weddings, communions and other events.
The Old Town on Foot
From the Corredera you go down in a few minutes to the Plaza de Santa María, with the ruins and the Cerezuelo river vault, and climb from there to the Castillo de la Yedra. For dinner out, Casa Alfonso, with olive-oil menus from the district, is in the centre. The tourist train goes up to the viewpoints. There is a municipal car park in the square itself; the others are on the page for Cazorla car parks.
To travel with a pet, write beforehand to informacion@hotelciudaddecazorla.com or call 953 82 52 72.
- **Hotel Guadalquivir**, desde 62 € / night: Hotel Guadalquivir is a two-star family hotel at Calle Nueva, 6, in the centre of Cazorla, near the Plaza de la Corredera. It is simple, inexpensive accommodation, with no restaurant or pool, aimed at those who spend the day in the sierra or exploring the town and come back at night to sleep.
Rooms for One to Four
It has single, double and triple rooms, and can prepare quadruples on request. All have double-glazed windows, which insulate from the cold and the street noise, air conditioning, heating for the mountain winter and free wifi throughout the hotel. There is a lift to the upper floors.
What It Costs
The 2026 rates, per room per night including VAT, vary with the season. In high season, from 1 March to 2 November, the double costs €64, the single €52 and the triple €83; in low season, as now in November, €62, €50 and €81; at Easter and long weekends, €68, €55 and €86. They do not serve breakfast for now: have breakfast in one of the cafés in the centre.
Booking by Phone
You book by phone, on 953 72 02 68 or 953 72 12 48, or by email at info@hguadalquivir.com. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or pet conditions: ask when booking. The hotel has no garage: leave the car in one of the Cazorla car parks, and then do everything on foot.
Cazorla on Foot, the Park by Car
From Calle Nueva you go down to the Plaza de Santa María, with the Cerezuelo river vault, and climb to the Castillo de la Yedra. For a meal nearby, Mesón Don Chema is on the Escaleras del Mercado. You reach the natural park by car over the Puerto de las Palomas towards the Guadalquivir valley; if you prefer to be driven, see the 4x4 route through the reserve.

## Dónde dormir if you're on foot
- **Coto del Valle Rural Hotel**, desde 90 € / night: Coto del Valle is a four-star rural tourism complex at kilometre 34.3 of the Tranco road, the A-319, inside the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. It sits beside the Empalme del Valle, the junction where the road leaves for Vadillo-Castril, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir, and a kilometre and a half from Arroyo Frío. It has a hotel with spa, a restaurant opened in 2003 and separate apartments. It is a base for touring the park by car without going back to Cazorla every night over the Puerto de las Palomas.
Balcony onto the Pass, or Attic Room
The standard double has a 150 cm bed or two 90 cm ones and a spacious balcony with table and chairs looking onto the mountain pass: €120 in low season and €140 in high, with buffet breakfast. The attic double, reached by a spiral half-staircase, with a sloping wooden ceiling, costs €90 and €105. There are also superior rooms, with hydromassage and balcony, from €140 to €160. All have a bathroom with shower, television, heating, air conditioning, minibar, safe and free wifi.
The apartments are about 500 metres from the hotel, linked by a path of ten to fifteen minutes on foot; the six-person one, on the ground floor with a fitted living-room-kitchen, costs €180 a night.
Spa and Autumn Offers
The hotel's rural spa sells hydrothermal circuits. Until 23 December 2026, Monday to Thursday except public holidays, the circuits cost €25 for 55 minutes, €33 for 85 and €45 for 115. There is also an offer of a standard double with terrace, breakfast and two 55-minute circuits, Sunday to Thursday, between 8 November and 23 December.
A Table in the Valley
The restaurant works with produce from the district and Jaén oil: typical local dishes, a speciality in meats and menus for different needs. It is adapted for coeliacs if you let them know.
The Park from the Door
From here, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir are along the Vadillo road, and the Torre del Vinagre Visitor Centre, with the start of the Borosa trail, is further along the same A-319. The weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla from Jaén covers this part of the park. Pets are not allowed.
- **Hotel Ciudad de Cazorla**: Hotel Ciudad de Cazorla is a three-star hotel at number 9 on the Plaza de la Corredera, the town's main square. Its advantage is the location: the whole old town can be reached on foot from the door. It has a restaurant, function rooms, a seasonal outdoor pool and a small gym.
Singles, Doubles and Quadruples
The rooms come in five types. The single, for one person. The double with a double bed and the double with two beds, for two. The double with terrace, larger, with a terrace and mountain views, which is the one to ask for if you want to see the sierra from your room. And the quadruple, for four, designed for families. All have a private bathroom with bath, bidet and hairdryer, toiletries, air conditioning and a flat-screen television. Prices appear in the booking engine on its website; if you cannot find what you are looking for, the hotel asks you to write to it so it can offer you another option.
Check-in is from 13:00 and check-out until 12:00: an hour later than in many hotels, handy if you are coming back from a morning walk.
Restaurant on the Corredera
The hotel restaurant serves breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with tapas and raciones in the bar and cooking from Cazorla and Jaén, such as Segureño lamb, migas serranas or rin-ran. The hotel also organises weddings, communions and other events.
The Old Town on Foot
From the Corredera you go down in a few minutes to the Plaza de Santa María, with the ruins and the Cerezuelo river vault, and climb from there to the Castillo de la Yedra. For dinner out, Casa Alfonso, with olive-oil menus from the district, is in the centre. The tourist train goes up to the viewpoints. There is a municipal car park in the square itself; the others are on the page for Cazorla car parks.
To travel with a pet, write beforehand to informacion@hotelciudaddecazorla.com or call 953 82 52 72.
- **Hotel Guadalquivir**, desde 62 € / night: Hotel Guadalquivir is a two-star family hotel at Calle Nueva, 6, in the centre of Cazorla, near the Plaza de la Corredera. It is simple, inexpensive accommodation, with no restaurant or pool, aimed at those who spend the day in the sierra or exploring the town and come back at night to sleep.
Rooms for One to Four
It has single, double and triple rooms, and can prepare quadruples on request. All have double-glazed windows, which insulate from the cold and the street noise, air conditioning, heating for the mountain winter and free wifi throughout the hotel. There is a lift to the upper floors.
What It Costs
The 2026 rates, per room per night including VAT, vary with the season. In high season, from 1 March to 2 November, the double costs €64, the single €52 and the triple €83; in low season, as now in November, €62, €50 and €81; at Easter and long weekends, €68, €55 and €86. They do not serve breakfast for now: have breakfast in one of the cafés in the centre.
Booking by Phone
You book by phone, on 953 72 02 68 or 953 72 12 48, or by email at info@hguadalquivir.com. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or pet conditions: ask when booking. The hotel has no garage: leave the car in one of the Cazorla car parks, and then do everything on foot.
Cazorla on Foot, the Park by Car
From Calle Nueva you go down to the Plaza de Santa María, with the Cerezuelo river vault, and climb to the Castillo de la Yedra. For a meal nearby, Mesón Don Chema is on the Escaleras del Mercado. You reach the natural park by car over the Puerto de las Palomas towards the Guadalquivir valley; if you prefer to be driven, see the 4x4 route through the reserve.

## Dónde dormir in style
- **Parador de Cazorla**: The Parador de Cazorla is not in the town but out in the sierra, inside the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, the largest protected area in Spain. Paradores places it 26 km from Cazorla by mountain road. The building imitates Andalusian farmhouses, with its great entrance gate and wooden roofs, and all around there is only hillside: it is accommodation for those who come to walk, to cycle or to be quiet, not to go out to dinner in the town.
Rooms with Views of the Sierra
There are standard doubles, superior doubles, junior suites and one accessible room, all bright and with views of the sierra. They have air conditioning, minibar, a laptop-size safe, flat television, hairdryer and a pillow menu; there is room service and breakfast in the room. The price changes with the date and is checked in the Paradores calendar, with room-only, bed-and-breakfast or half-board rates.
Pool, Garden and Parking
The complex has a seasonal outdoor pool, a garden and spacious lounges. The outdoor car park is free and has electric-car charging points. The Parador accepts pets: Paradores asks you to check the conditions before booking.
Mountain Table
The restaurant serves regional Andalusian cooking with mountain recipes, hillside meat, game in season and Segureño lamb. Being so far from the town, the practical thing is to dine here or take half board.
Getting There and When It Closes
The access is signposted from Burunchel, on the La Iruela road. From Úbeda and Baeza you get there by the N-322 and the A-319 via Peal de Becerro and Cazorla. Watch the calendar: the Parador closes from 3 January to 4 March 2027.
Routes from the Door
Hiking and mountain-bike routes through the sierra start from the Parador. In the same area are the source of the Guadalquivir and the Cerrada del Utrero, and Paradores also mentions the Cueva del Agua and the Roman ruins of Quesada. The old town of Cazorla, with the Castillo de la Yedra, is half an hour by car. To organise two days, see the weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla from Jaén.
- **Coto del Valle Rural Hotel**, desde 90 € / night: Coto del Valle is a four-star rural tourism complex at kilometre 34.3 of the Tranco road, the A-319, inside the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. It sits beside the Empalme del Valle, the junction where the road leaves for Vadillo-Castril, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir, and a kilometre and a half from Arroyo Frío. It has a hotel with spa, a restaurant opened in 2003 and separate apartments. It is a base for touring the park by car without going back to Cazorla every night over the Puerto de las Palomas.
Balcony onto the Pass, or Attic Room
The standard double has a 150 cm bed or two 90 cm ones and a spacious balcony with table and chairs looking onto the mountain pass: €120 in low season and €140 in high, with buffet breakfast. The attic double, reached by a spiral half-staircase, with a sloping wooden ceiling, costs €90 and €105. There are also superior rooms, with hydromassage and balcony, from €140 to €160. All have a bathroom with shower, television, heating, air conditioning, minibar, safe and free wifi.
The apartments are about 500 metres from the hotel, linked by a path of ten to fifteen minutes on foot; the six-person one, on the ground floor with a fitted living-room-kitchen, costs €180 a night.
Spa and Autumn Offers
The hotel's rural spa sells hydrothermal circuits. Until 23 December 2026, Monday to Thursday except public holidays, the circuits cost €25 for 55 minutes, €33 for 85 and €45 for 115. There is also an offer of a standard double with terrace, breakfast and two 55-minute circuits, Sunday to Thursday, between 8 November and 23 December.
A Table in the Valley
The restaurant works with produce from the district and Jaén oil: typical local dishes, a speciality in meats and menus for different needs. It is adapted for coeliacs if you let them know.
The Park from the Door
From here, the Cerrada del Utrero and the source of the Guadalquivir are along the Vadillo road, and the Torre del Vinagre Visitor Centre, with the start of the Borosa trail, is further along the same A-319. The weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla from Jaén covers this part of the park. Pets are not allowed.