Canal de la Espartera Medium

Medium

Easy

A varied walk taking in some interesting scenery on the north-

western edge of the Sierra Nevada, including the distinctively shaped

peaks of Trevenque and Boca de la Pesca. The route crosses the

arenales de Trevenque, gravel ’rivers’ formed by erosion,

before descending through pine forest to the river Dilar.

Take extra care when walking on the loose surface of the

arenales, which can be slippery. This is an official walking

route which is generally very well signposted.

Getting There

By Car: From Granada, take the La Zubia exit from the

southern ring road (Ronda Sur). When you reach La

Zubia go straight on at the traffic lights then take a left

signposted to Cumbres Verdes (you cannot turn left

directly, so continue up to the roundabout, do a u-turn

and then turn right). Then follow signs to Cumbres

Verdes. You soon enter the Sierra Nevada Natural Park,

and, after a few kilometres, pass Cumbres Verdes on

your right. The road then turns into a dirt track. Follow

this for 1.5km until you reach Fuente del Hervidero.

Either turn off left to park here, or carry on 1km to

another car park at the trailhead, but bear in mind that

this stretch of road is often in poor condition.

By bus: There is no bus service to Fuente del

Hervidero. On weekends there are two buses a day to

Cumbres Verdes (service 275), from where you need to

walk 1.5km up a dirt road to Fuente del Hervidero.

Key Facts

Length 14 km

Time 4h 30 min

Min/Max Altitude 1284 m /1732 m

Accumulated

height difference 573 m

Season All year*

Top Far Left: Trevenque

Bottom Left: Boca de la Pesca (on the

right of the photo)

Below: Atalayones de Dilar

Left: River Dilar

* except with snow cover on the route

Note: times and distances refer to full

route to/from Fuente del Hervidero.

The main loop is 12 km / 4 hours.

1250

1300

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1700

1750

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Alt

itu

de

(m

)

Distance (km)

D ISCLAIMER: While we have made every effort

to ensure that this information is accurate,

conditions can change, and you are responsible for

your own safety.

© Trek Sierra Nevada, September 2010

May not be altered or sold • www.treksierranevada.com

1. Fro

m F

uente

del H

erv

idero

, ta

ke

track a

t th

e t

op r

ight

of th

e c

ar

park

.

Take e

ither

fork

in t

he t

rack, th

en

turn

left

onto

the d

irt

road.

2. Aft

er

600m

, w

here

the r

oad b

ears

left

(sig

ned J

ard

ín B

otá

nic

o)

carr

y

str

aig

ht

on into

the c

ar

park

(th

e

altern

ative s

tart

ing p

oin

t).

There

is

an info

rmation p

anel in

Spanis

h

describin

g t

he r

oute

(PR

-A21).

Take

the p

ath

to t

he r

ight

of th

e s

ign.

3. Aft

er

a few

metr

es, th

ere

is a

sig

n

mark

ing r

oute

PR

-A21 t

ow

ard

s

Mirador

and T

om

a d

el Canal. S

hort

ly

aft

er

this

, ta

ke left

fork

, th

en t

urn

left

onto

a s

maller

path

. This

is m

ark

ed

with o

ne o

f th

e p

osts

that

you s

hould

follow

thro

ughout

the r

oute

.

4.

Aft

er

about

1km

,

the p

ath

very

briefly

join

s t

he d

irt

road

befo

re c

arr

yin

g o

n u

p

som

e s

teps.

Note

the

posts

with c

rosses

indic

ating t

he r

oute

s

not

to t

ake.

5. Cro

ss t

he d

irt

road

again

, fo

llow

ing t

he p

ath

thro

ugh t

he f

encin

g

besid

e a

n info

rmation

panel.

The p

ath

then d

escends into

an

are

nal, e

ffectively

a w

ide g

ravel

track, w

hic

h y

ou follow

for

about

2km

, headin

g t

ow

ard

s T

revenque.

Where

the v

alley w

idens o

ut,

keep

right.

6. Take p

ath

to t

he r

ight

(mark

ed w

ith a

post)

.

7.

Aft

er

just

over

1km

you

reach a

sig

npost

facin

g t

he

oth

er

way. Take s

harp

rig

ht

dow

n t

o t

he d

irt

road (

sig

ned

Tom

a d

el Canal and C

ollado

Sevilla

).

8. Keep o

n t

he r

oad,

zig

-

zaggin

g d

ow

n t

ow

ard

s t

he

river

for

about

3.5

km

, passin

g

the C

asa F

ore

sta

l de

Rosale

s a

nd c

rossin

g

the C

anal de la

Espart

era

.

9. At

the T

om

a d

el

Canal th

ere

is a

hydro

pow

er

substa

tion.

Take t

he

path

to t

he r

ight

(mark

ed).

The p

ath

briefly follow

s t

he

river

befo

re b

earing

up t

o t

he r

ight,

while

the r

iver

dro

ps a

way b

elo

w.

10

. W

hen y

ou m

eet

a d

irt

track, go s

traig

ht

on (

mark

ed

Collado S

evilla

). K

eep

follow

ing t

he p

ath

until you

arr

ive b

ack a

t th

e c

ar

park

(2).

© INSTITUTO GEOGRÁFICO NACIONAL DE ESPAÑA © T

rek S

ierr

a N

evada,

Septe

mber

2010 •

May n

ot

be a

ltere

d o

r sold

• w

ww

.tre

ksie

rranevada.c

om