Borosa River Route (Cazorla)
Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO since 1983, the Natural Park of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and las Villas, hides beautiful landscapes in its interior with the naked eye. In this case, it is the Ruta Río Borosa, an ideal destination to enjoy a hike through the mountains.
Being one of the tributaries that feed the Guadalquivir River, the Borosa River flows into the Sierra de Cazorla near the Aguas Negras reservoir. Round trip this route reaches 21 km, which is equivalent to an excursion of seven or eight hours. However, tourists can cut it if they do not have the physical condition to complete it.
Along the way, you can enjoy the sound and crystal clear color of the water, riparian vegetation and immense pine forests. It is an appropriate tour to enjoy with the whole family , as you can even take the Borosa River route with children and pets. The main thing is to go prepared with water, food, good trekking boots and other clothing according to the occasion.
tour to explore
To start the tour of the Borosa route you have to access the Torre del Vinagre. For which, you must previously leave the car in a car park in the area near the fish farm.
Once you enter a few kilometers you arrive at the Puente de Los Caracolillos. Name that derives from the appearance of the rock formations typical of this walkway. Following the path along the mountain wall, you will be able to appreciate the waters of the Borosa River that descend on its rocky bed.
A few meters away there is a wooden bridge that will continue to connect the route and further on, take a detour to the right to reach the Cerrada de Elías. This change of direction takes you along a narrow path called Vado Rosales, which is surrounded by a lot of vegetation and once you reach the gorge or the Cerrada de Elías, you can appreciate the greatest beauty of the Borosa river route, because thanks to the wooden walkway delimited on the rocks, you can walk on its crystal clear waters and, therefore, have a better view.
After the tour of this natural canyon of the river, you manage to travel serenely for a few kilometers and admire the splendor of this tributary in all its splendor, to then access a steeper slope. When you arrive at the Salto de los Órganos power plant you will be able to appreciate a waterfall with a height of 60 meters that is worth it.
And if you still have the strength to keep going, you will have to ascend vertiginously along a path to the left of the waterfall, in order to arrive at the Aguas Negras Lagoon, not before going through tunnels to finally reach the source of the Borosa River and, why not, continue another 1 km to the Valdeazores lagoon.
Vegetation and fauna
The Cazorla routes adorn the province of Jaén for its scenic beauty and biological wealth that is appreciated throughout Spain. So, if you are wondering what to see in Cazorla, at first glance you will find numerous mountain goats, deer and reptiles, such as the Valverde lizard. In reference to the birds, you will be able to observe Griffon vultures and golden eagles.
Among the vegetation, gall oaks, holm oaks, innumerable pines and strawberry trees, among others, can be distinguished. Although among all this biodiversity, an endemic plant species stands out that is easily observable on the rocky walls of the Cerrada de Elías, known as Pinguicula vallisneriifolia, a carnivorous plant that stands out in spring due to its striking small flower. This species is characterized by the resinous covering of its leaves. Fact that allows you to catch flies or other insects and thus obtain the nutrients that the environment does not provide.
Other nearby areas to visit
The Sierra de Cazorla offers all nature lovers colorful landscapes. So, if even after visiting the Borosa River Route you are still looking for what to do in Cazorla , you could visit the source of the Guadalquivir, a river that reaches 657 km from its bed until it reaches the sea in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Another attraction in the area is the Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente viewpoint , where the Tranco reservoir is located just in front of the Bujaraiza Castle Island, where said naturalist carried out studies on vultures, specifically the bearded vulture.
But if you want to follow a tour of other hiking trails in Cazorla, you could take the shorter options that this area offers you, such as the Cerezuelo river trail , whose start is right in the municipality of Cazorla, since it starts at the back of the ruins of the church of Santa Maria. It only has a length of 2.4 km and, therefore, in less than an hour you would be able to follow its course that crosses a wooded area.
The Cerrada del Utrero Trail is also a fast option that takes 45 minutes to travel, as this circular trail covers 1.8 km and allows tourists to go around the high Peñón de Lanchón, pass in front of the Linarejos waterfall and follow a part of the Guadalquivir riverbed.
Lastly, don’t forget to visit the town of Cazorla, where you can see three very popular sites such as the Castillo de la Yedra, the ruins of the church of Santa María and the vault of the River Cerezuelo. In addition, each of its houses generate the impression that they climb the mountain to reach the Castle; inside which is the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs of Alto Guadalquivir.
