Caozo Waterfall Walk from Valdastillas

El Caozo is the Garganta Bonal falling more than 30 metres down a wall of polished granite, among oaks, ash trees and alders. You can almost drive to it, but the way the valley's tourist office suggests seeing it is the SL-CC 32 trail: a 7 km loop that leaves Valdastillas, crosses cherry orchards and oak woods, passes the waterfall and returns to the village.

Seven kilometres through terraces and oak woods

The route is circular, easy, and waymarked in white and green. The climb and the descent are the same, 265 m, split between the way out and the way back, and the tourist office puts the walking time at 2 h 15 min. With a long stop at the waterfall, count on half a morning. Part of the path runs between cherry orchards, which is why it is one of the walks the office recommends for seeing the trees in blossom up close. The rest passes under oaks to the bottom of the gorge.

The route has a GPX track, a leaflet and an information panel on the valley's tourism website, and the office in Cabezuela will give you the paper map.

Valdastillas, the starting point

Valdastillas, at 639 m, looks out over the middle stretch of the valley. Before or after the walk it is worth crossing the old centre: timber-framed houses with reddish adobe and exposed wood, some with continuous balconies linking six or more houses in a row, and the church of Santa María de Gracia, from the 16th century, with two Talavera ceramic altarpieces. Park in the village and look for the waymarks.

To the foot of the falls without the walk

If you don't fancy walking seven kilometres, the waterfall is about three from Valdastillas along the road to Piornal. At a sharp bend, with a well-signposted junction, a tarmac lane leaves towards Navaconcejo: after about 600 m you park beside the road and it is roughly 100 m on foot to the base. That lane is closed to buses; anyone arriving by motorhome or coach has to leave the vehicle near the junction, or on the hardstanding of a warehouse about 200 m further towards Piornal, and walk the 600 m. 1 km from the village on the road to Cabrero there is another fall, the Marta waterfall, with a picnic area.

When the Bonal has water

The tourist office advises going in the rainy season, when the water covers the rock face like a white mantle. With the cherry blossom, in late March or April, you get both together.

Children, dogs and lunch at the spa

It is a manageable route for children who can already manage two hours of walking. Dogs must be on a lead: a good part of the path crosses farmland. For lunch, the Piconegro restaurant, at the spa, is beside the N-110 at the level of the village and opens on Sunday lunchtimes. The route is the afternoon of the plan Sunday in the Jerte, which begins in the morning at Los Pilones.