CR Adventures 140423: Garganta Verde y Cueva de La Ermita - Permit Required

This spectacular hike (Approx 7km) into the green canyon (garganta verde) offers a gigantic half-cave (natural chapel-hermitage), great views, rock faces, breeding griffon vultures (in season) and other birds of prey, Iberian ibex, and green scenery. The Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema is famed for being the wettest place in Spain and therefore very green.
This hike requires a permit that can be obtained by e-mail in advance from the visitor center in El Bosque (cvelbosque.amaya@juntadeandalucia.es), quoting the date, the amount of people and the hike (Garganta Verde). You then have to fill out a digital form. It is free, but the amount of permits is limited. The canyon houses one of Europe’s largest colony of griffon vultures. There are several nests on the rock faces on the other side of the canyon.
Although the griffon vultures are big I would still recommend a good pair of binoculars.
If you start early, you have the canyon to yourself although the sun needs to be high in the sky to obtain beautiful pics of the stunning cave.
On the canyon floor, the GPS does not work well, but it is difficult to get lost as there is only 1 path. Due to the GPS being off frequently, the real length of the hike is a bit shorter (about 6 km). There are no services in the canyon.
The start is at a dedicated parking on the road from Zahara to Grazalema (CA-9104). There is a water trough here where you can hear and see frogs. After about 500 m you can turn left for 125 m to a viewpoint across the canyon. After returning to the main path you continue slightly down- and then uphill, until after about 1.4 km you get to the edge of the canyon (here also the nesting area starts). From here you start your descent to the canyon floor. After 250 m there is a peculiar rock formation on your left and a bit further (200 m) a steep rock face with orange and black on your right. You descend further, passing by a railing with a view towards the opposite rock face with griffon vulture nests. A bit further there is a steeper descent on stone steps with metal railing. A cave is visible on the other side of the canyon floor. After about 2.5 km you get to the canyon floor. You walk on the usually dry river bed between boulders to the Ermita de la Gargante Verde, a huge half-open cave. From here you can scramble your way further along the river bed for about 250m and the ever more difficult to negotiate boulders until you cannot go further without proper climbing and canyoning gear and experience. You then return along the same route to the starting point.
A beautiful hike and the cave is like a cathedral so fully recommend that you do this hike.