Borosa River Trail to the Cerrada de Elías

What It Is

It is the best-known route in the natural park. It starts beside the Borosa river fish farm, now Andalucía's reference centre for aquatic fauna, and follows the Guadalquivir's first major tributary upstream by track, path and walkway. The Junta's official listing gives 7.3 km each way, about 3 hours each way, low difficulty and a maximum ascent of 273 m, between 680 and 953 m in altitude. It always climbs, but without steep slopes, and has frequent shade.

The Route

Soon after setting off you pass the Charco de la Cuna, a turquoise pool with trout and barbel. Next come the Astilleros spring and the Caracolillos bridge, named for the folds in the limestone on the bed. At a junction, the main track goes straight on; take the turning on the right to enter the Cerrada de Elías, the stretch everyone comes to see: a path under a vault of strawberry trees and box and wooden walkways hung over the water, between rock walls. The official route ends shortly afterwards, beside the 1930s hydroelectric plant and a spring covered in maidenhair fern. You return by the same way.

Those who want to go on can continue to the Órganos waterfall and the Aguas Negras and Valdeazores lagoons, but that is already a long mountain day beyond this page.

Getting There

From Cazorla, take the A-319 towards the Tranco as far as Torre del Vinagre, where a turning on the right goes down to the start of the trail. There is parking right there. From the village centre it is almost an hour of mountain road: bear that in mind if you plan to have lunch in Cazorla.

Bear in Mind

After heavy rain, the Cerrada stretch may be closed: ask at the Torre del Vinagre visitor centre. From the fish farm's water intake onwards, fishing is catch-and-release; swimming is not part of the route. Carry water even though there are springs.