English
Step into the midst of the flora and fauna of the wonderful Alcornocales Natural Park-they accompany you everywhere you go here. A range of routes where you’ll discover outstanding spots in nature. Rest assured, the “Puerto de las Cruces” and “Cañada del Jaral” routes will take your breath away.
Hiking: Walking around the Alcornocales Natural Park
Few experiences can be more rewarding for amateur nature lovers than enjoying direct contact with the animal world in its most natural state. Listening to, watching, touching and studying animals in their habitat, making the most of a unique region that bridges two continents and hosts a wealth of animal life. The spectacular sight of millions of migratory birds seen from a vantage point that is closer than anywhere else in the world. The unexpected sighting of a dozen cetacean species at sea and their hunting manoeuvres as they work in collaboration with human beings. Little-known landscapes and mysterious wetlands, natural parks and reserves with birds and mammals living free. Spending time with them, walking side-by-side with them and capturing each of their movements on camera.
Few experiences can be more rewarding for amateur nature lovers than enjoying direct contact with the animal world in its most natural state. Listening to, watching, touching and studying animals in their habitat, making the most of a unique region that bridges two continents and hosts a wealth of animal life. The spectacular sight of millions of migratory birds seen from a vantage point that is closer than anywhere else in the world. The unexpected sighting of a dozen cetacean species at sea and their hunting manoeuvres as they work in collaboration with human beings. Little-known landscapes and mysterious wetlands, natural parks and reserves with birds and mammals living free. Spending time with them, walking side-by-side with them and capturing each of their movements on camera.
Experiencing them just as they always should have been – free. Enjoying nature and learning about it with expert scientists, biologists and professional naturalists, people who show us their work and share their knowledge as they and we together enjoy some of the wildest and most protected nature in Europe.
Day of arrival:
A guide from the Castellar G.P. will pay a visit to the Hotel Castellar to provide users with all the information required to carry out the routes in the following days and to explain all the details. In addition to this, hikers will receive several maps with each route properly identified, including information about length, intensity, altitude, etc.
1st day:
- 09:00: Customers are collected at the Hotel Castellar and transferred in an SUV to the start of the route known as “Puerto de las Cruces”.
- 09:15: Start of the “Puerto de las Cruces” route. The starting point will be a spot known as “4 Angarillas”. As this is the first route, the various uses of the estate, such as cork collecting, farming and agriculture, together with the flora and fauna of the Alcornocales Natural Park, will be explained in-depth.
- 12:30: The route is scheduled to end around this time. Once clients have returned to the starting point, they will be transferred back to the Hotel Castellar. The route has an estimated duration of 3 hours, with a medium-low level of difficulty.
- 12:45: Arrival at the hotel and lunch at the Hotel Castellar.
2nd day:
- 09:00: Customers are collected at the Hotel Castellar and transferred with an SUV to the start of the route known as “Cañada del Jaral”.
- 09:15: Start of the “Cañada del Jaral” route. The starting point will be a spot known as “Nateruela”. Along the route, clients will enjoy wonderful spots in open nature. They will also have the opportunity to visit the rock art found in the Maquis, where Paleolithic-Neolithic paintings have survived, and will get the chance to see more recent rock carvings in the same area.
- 14:30: The route is scheduled to end around this time. Once clients have returned to the starting point, they will be transferred back to the Hotel Castellar and will enjoy the lunch. The route has an estimated length of 5 hours, with medium difficulty. In the afternoon, clients will have two hours in a Wellness centre, booked for their exclusive use, during which time they can enjoy their particular treatment of choice. Free time.
3rd day:
- 09:00: Customers are collected at the Hotel Castellar and transferred by SUV to the start of the route known as “Junta de las Gargantas”.
- 09:30: Start of the route. The starting point will be a spot known as “Puerto de Juan Alonso”. This route affords sightings of wild fauna, as well as of wonderful scenery. We will also explore the renowned “canutos” (tubes) –the typical formations found in the Alcornocales Natural Park, with vegetation that is typical of a wet environment close to flowing water.
- 13:30: Picnic lunch, prepared by the Hotel Castellar.
- 14:30: The route is scheduled to end around this time. Once clients have returned to the starting point, they will be transferred back to the Hotel Castellar. The route has an estimated duration of 6 hours, with a medium-high level of difficulty.
- 16:15: Arrival at the hotel and free time.
4th day:
- 12:00: Check-out from the Hotel Castellar.
Notes:
- The Castellar G.P. guides and experts will make every effort to adapt each hiking route to the fitness of the particular individuals or groups participating in the activity.
- Castellar G.P. reserves the right to alter any route according to the weather, or specific natural circumstances.
