Sendero Río Guadalmesi, Llanos de los Juncal, Bosque de la Niebla from El Bujeo recreational area. Alcornocales
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 9.42 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,959 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,959 ft
- Max elevation
- 2,730 ft
- TrailRank
-
86
4.8
- Min elevation
- 998 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 3 hours 41 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 27 minutes
- Coordinates
- 2482
- Uploaded
- May 26, 2021
- Recorded
- May 2021
near El Bujeo, Andalucía (España)
Viewed 3422 times, downloaded 79 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
After a couple of KM along a wide track we start a tough unmarked climb along goats paths to the summit and onwards to the beautiful Bosque de la Niebla, the misty forest.
This walk and the forest we will visit is recognised as one of the most unique mysterious but beautiful temperate forest ecosystem in this part of the world. An 500 metre climb, and almost 16km round trip to get to the Llanos del Juncal and El Bosque de las Nieblas, between Tarifa and Pelayo before entering a mystical and magical forest that has remained unchanged for 2 million years. This unique fern clad and moss covered ecosystem covers 80 hectares and is the only original sub tropical forest that survived the last ice age in Europe. It is usually cloaked in mist for 250 days of the year, hence the name. This area can only be accessed by prior arrangement as it is an extremely vulnerable ecosystem.
Having done the route in the chosen direction we found was most rewarding. A hard start, faced with 80kph levante winds made it all the more exhilarating. From the summit it’s a short descent along an old road to the enchanted misty forest which, if you are fortunate to get a not so windy day, the clouds might even settle on the Forest to reward you with a surreal almost magical scenery. The walk down is well marked sendero and the final few KM is along the rio guadalmesi, a pretty and popular area for recreation and nature lovers. Plenty of parking at the area de recreo during the week but might get a little crowded (the river area, not the forest ) on weekends .
I marked this walk moderate. It’s a tough climb and longish route but any able bodied trekker will thoroughly enjoy .
This walk and the forest we will visit is recognised as one of the most unique mysterious but beautiful temperate forest ecosystem in this part of the world. An 500 metre climb, and almost 16km round trip to get to the Llanos del Juncal and El Bosque de las Nieblas, between Tarifa and Pelayo before entering a mystical and magical forest that has remained unchanged for 2 million years. This unique fern clad and moss covered ecosystem covers 80 hectares and is the only original sub tropical forest that survived the last ice age in Europe. It is usually cloaked in mist for 250 days of the year, hence the name. This area can only be accessed by prior arrangement as it is an extremely vulnerable ecosystem.
Having done the route in the chosen direction we found was most rewarding. A hard start, faced with 80kph levante winds made it all the more exhilarating. From the summit it’s a short descent along an old road to the enchanted misty forest which, if you are fortunate to get a not so windy day, the clouds might even settle on the Forest to reward you with a surreal almost magical scenery. The walk down is well marked sendero and the final few KM is along the rio guadalmesi, a pretty and popular area for recreation and nature lovers. Plenty of parking at the area de recreo during the week but might get a little crowded (the river area, not the forest ) on weekends .
I marked this walk moderate. It’s a tough climb and longish route but any able bodied trekker will thoroughly enjoy .
Waypoints
River
1,365 ft
Archaeological site
Panorama
Summit
Intersection
Car park
Comments (8)
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Hi Eddie, this route looks amazing, please could you advise re how to obtain a permit, thanks in anticipation, Karen
Oficina permisos parque natural Los Arcornocales Lunes A viernes de 09 a 14 h
pnalcornocales.dtca.cagpds@juntadeandalucia.es
34 856 587 508
34 685 122 686
34 954 544 438
Email them mention the bosque de las nieblas, they will email u a form which you fill and return
Karen the beginning of our route was a bit of a hike n miss. If you want to make your life easier, do the route UP VIA THE SAME way we came down it’s still a beautiful trek. It you are feeling a bit more adventurous follow the exact route I did but be prepared to scramble and maybe go thru thorny bushes a bit at the beginning
Hey. Can you park exactly where you started your walk? Or do you have to park in the picnic area?
I am not 100%. I am pretty sure you can drive and park further up the route
Will take a look. Thanks for replying so soon
I have followed this trail verified View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Thanks to Eddie Gibb for this walk. The ICE Walkers did it with a slight variation in that we made the route circular in an anticlockwise direction. Stunning woodland then over the top and down some rough goat paths. Only area of difficult was the traverse between the two roads which were heavily overgrown. We made our own route! Back down the river was very scenic but difficult in places. A very good, enjoyable, scenic and a must to do again
Hi Eddie, I finally did your route last weekend, it's been on my list for some time and it was worth the wait, really enjoyable. Followed your exact route, a bit of scrambling over rocks and undergrowth on the way up but all good fun! thanks very much