Valdevaqueros to Betishuelo, Paloma Alta, Paloma Baja and back along the Beach
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 6.15 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,070 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,070 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,040 ft
- TrailRank
-
78
4.9
- Min elevation
- 15 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 2 hours 17 minutes
- Time
- 3 hours 7 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1742
- Uploaded
- February 13, 2019
- Recorded
- February 2019
near Valdevaqueros, Andalucía (España)
Viewed 6617 times, downloaded 190 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This trek starts off from an easy to get to car parking area by the beach of Valdevaquero (Tarifa’s sand dunes). From here you walk along tarmac road for 250 mtrs to start your climb up to skirt Betishuelo, a hamlet of hilltop villas and farms in the windswept craggy cliffs north of Tarifa. The walk is easy to follow with markers along the way that ensures you cannot get lost. The first 3 km is scenic with grand views of tarifa beach, valdevaquero and the nearby fertile green hills. As you continue uphill along the wide dirt track, you cross wooded areas, VERY muddy stretches (update: now improved with wooden stepping stones!) as well as dry stream beds which eventually rise to over 300mtrs to the point when you turn westward towards the sea and start your descent along a narrow footpath towards the beach with great landscapes of what was once a wide river canyon in between pine forest. When you reach a road (A2325) you have the choice of taking a left along the tarmac back to your starting point or, much more scenic snd enjoyable, cross the road and continue sling a well marked trail to the beach where again, you need to turn left towards Tarifa .The rest of the way is along the stunningly beautiful endless beach stretching to your starting point. BUT BEWARE, if you have high tide you may not be able to follow the beach to the starting point- you can wade along if you are prepared to get into waist deep water! It’s perfectly fine when low tide ( so check the tide!). Take time to enjoy the magical light and idyllic views of one of the world’s finest beaches, where the weathered sandstone cliffs compete for attention with the craggy strata of the sea bed rock formations, the wild and cold Atlantic sea and the colorful kite surfers. If you have got an App that tells you the tides I would recommend you use Nautides or Tides Near Me, both give accurate info on sea levels
This is an excellent walk for families with children or seasoned hikers wanting a varied scenery and 3 hours of nature at its best. Take a picnic and enjoy. Be warned...like most hiking trails in southern Spain, the hottest months of July and August are best avoided in this area
Check put the tides with the Nautide app (free)
This is an excellent walk for families with children or seasoned hikers wanting a varied scenery and 3 hours of nature at its best. Take a picnic and enjoy. Be warned...like most hiking trails in southern Spain, the hottest months of July and August are best avoided in this area
Check put the tides with the Nautide app (free)
Waypoints
Photo
505 ft
Panorama
Comments (5)
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Loved this hike, thanks. Lucky we’ve just had 4 days wind otherwise the first path would have been impossibly muddy. Nice variety of terrain, good climb, and descent to beach. However it was lucky the tide was going out otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to walk round the beach...
Hello Noliscott. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes the muddy stretch is quite a challenge if you don’t want to loose a hiking shoe especially after the rains 😁 . I have never seen the beach cut off...unless it’s high tide on a stormy day I think this stretch is accessible all year round (I hope!). If you fancy a longer and more interesting route check out my trails -there is a 15k trek which starts and ends the same but has a really nice middle part that takes you along the edge of the mountain with fantastic views of Bolonia and more
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Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Me ha encantado la ruta, está muy bien señalizada y bien explicada por el usuario que la grabó pero me gustaría puntualizar un par de detalles, al bajar desde el vértice geodésico que hay en la parte mas alta, llega un momento que te encuentras con un cerramiento que hay que abrir para poder seguir las señalizaciones teniendo la precaución de volverla a cerrar. Una vez llegas a la carretera A-2325 hay dos alternativas, coger a la izquierda por la carretera hasta el inicio de la ruta o bajar hasta la playa que se supone que es mas bonito pero no se puede pasar si está la marea alta, tuvimos que volver a subir a la carretera y hacer el trayecto que pasa por mitad de la duna...... también merece la pena aunque con el tiempo perdido bajando a la playa se nos hizo mas pesado.
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Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
A wonderful hike with amazing views, it’s become my favourite walk in the area. Check the tide times as the first time I walked it we had to wade up to our waists in water at high tide to avoid turning back to the road before the beach, at low tide it’s easy and beautiful. Thank you!
I have followed this trail View more
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Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
Es una circular ampliada , con el regreso por la playa , del Sendero Los Algarbes-Betijuelo , en nuestro caso hicimos un desvío para entrar a ver los grandes cañones de la Batería de Costa de Paloma Alta , que es zona militar pero está abandonada , aunque con esto se corre el riesgo de que nos puedan denunciar.
Por lo demás es una ruta ideal para iniciarse en el senderismo , con tramos de sendero muy bonitos , muy cómodos excepto unos metros de bajada desde el vértice geodésico , desde donde hay unas excelentes vistas del Estrecho.
Un saludo y muchas gracias.