Sunny Walkers 16521: Cortes de la Frontera - El Colmenar

This is a beautiful hike but you need to catch the early train from San Roque to Cortes and do the hike to Colmenar in 4hrs to pick up the return train to San Roque.
Hopefully the train times will change in the future. This hike is well worth the effort though and don’t forget to pack you swimming gear for a nice cool dip before doing the last 3km into Colmenar.

A little bit about the hike.

We navigate the trail through the beautiful countryside meeting some local friends along the way taking in the beautiful scenery.
At the end of the track the Casa del Conde (Count's Mansion) appears in front of us.
A beautiful building long since abandoned by it’s occupiers.
From here we leave the trail heading towards the El Puente de los Alemanes (The German Bridge), Cortes de la Frontera (Unique Site).

The bridge is the entrance to the Canyon and the next mountain range built in 1918, although interestingly enough it´s not a bridge, but rather a structure which hides a water pipe nearly 2 m thick and 6 km long. It feeds the forebay of the Buitreras Hydroelectric Plant. The infrastructure wasn´t built by Germans, but rather by Belgians.







Recommended month to visit it: September.

We are at the the cathedral of the cliffs: the Cañón de las Buitreras [Canyon of the Vulture Nests], Natural Monument that we find on the eastern end of the los Alcornocales Natural Park, between the municipalities of Cortes de la Frontera and Benalauría. The walls of the Garganta de las Buitreras [Gorge of the Vulture Nests] drop to up to 200 metres below. The Guadiaro river, in its maximum display of strength, has been relentlessly carving the rock, like the chisel of an aggressive sculptor. The griffon vulture, up high, watches over this magnificent performance from the skies.

The human contribution to the landscape is also interesting: the Puente de los Alemanes [Bridge of the Germans], built in 1918 and 60 metres over the cliff as part of a 6 kilometre water canalization which supplies water to the power plant of El Colmenar.
The Las Buitreras Hydroelectric Power Plant has produced renewable electric energy since 1919 with the waters of the Guadiaro River. It is located in El Colmenar, Malaga province, Andalusia, Spain

In the Eastern surroundings of the National park Los Alcornocales, a bridge arises between two villages, Benarrabá and Benalauría, and Cortes de la Frontera. Among the delights of the mountainous region Serranía de Ronda and its rich patrimony, the German Bridge is situated, mingling with the shadows of the spectacular ‘Natural Monument' Canyon of the Vultures (Cañon de las Buitreras).

Its vertical walls of more than a hundred meters, duplicated in the gorge, are surprising. The River Guadiaro with its incessant and silent action has worked out this narrow gorge over the limestones, which are giving the mountainous region of Ronda and Grazalema its form.

The erosive power of the river and its high index of rainfall formed twisted corridors in breathtaking holes. These footprints of amazing karstic landscapes are worth seeing. The appearance of certain altitude differences, which must be overcome by the river, caused magnificent waterfalls and incredibly beautiful landscape.

In the surroundings of the canyon, holm oaks, junipers, mastics and carob trees appear. However, the species that calls attention is the Mediterranean fan palm, the only palm that originally comes from the European continent. This palm tree has certain similarities with the most exotic species of that family and those that are higher than two metres.

The name of the canyon has not been chosen by chance. Misfortune is a natural product. In its rough holes, an important colony of griffon vultures nests. You can enjoy observing birds like stock doves, rock doves or white-throated dippers. Furthermore, this is also natural habitat of the otter.

The human race has created a landscape full of different constructions, such as tunnels and bridges for the railway line from Algeciras to Ronda. This is how a barrage or a conduction of water called the German Bridge was made, enmeshing its visitors. This bridge leads over a sixty meters deep ravine and is situated at one of the most picturesque places of the province.

In the second part of the year all kinds of canyoning are permitted. It is also very pleasant to go on a hiking trip along the path next to the Guadiaro River. Marveling two enormous walls of natural rock that feed the gorge Los Buitreras or having a bath in the outstanding Moorish Pool (Charco del Moro) gives us those positive impressions that only nature can give us.

However, we have to cross the German Bridge to get to the other mountain chain and cover the distance of 50 meters of altitude to arrive at the river bed called azud. A pool or drinking trough, the Casa del Conde (Count's Mansion) appears in front of us. Nothing is far any more. Use your senses. The German bridge: a bridge towards life!

The entrance to the Canyon is located in the so called PUente de los Alemanes, the German´s Bridge), built in 1918, interesting enough it´s not a bridge, but rather a structure which hides a water pipe nearly 2 m thick and 6 km long. It feeds the forebay of the Buitreras Hydroelectric Plant. The infrastructure wasn´t built by Germans, but rather by Belgians.











The Charco del Moro (the Moors Pool) is the canyon´s exit, very close to Gaucín train station in El Colmenar, it´s a pool of standing water over 100 m wide. On the wall the the left (depending on the course of the river), and underground spring was discovered due to a sudden temperature change in that area of the pool. After various attempts, in 1994 a group of cave diving specialists slid through a narrow crevice 1,5 m high and 4 m wide until they were 62 m deep. We know that the siphon continues to descend, beyond then reack of even the most daring.