The geographical location of the cortijos is unique. It is one of the few places that you can go for many walks without needing your car. There are many walks nearby and you can start any of them from the Cortijos. These are some of them but you can invent your own walks and then let us know so that we can share it with others. Have fun!
Route 1
From the Cortijos, a short walk to the Shepherd cortijos and Camino forestal.
Walk up behind Almond cortijo, past the clay oven through the gate with red arrows and after about 50 yards follow the path going up, clearly marked along the way with red arrows. Keep walking through the forest until you pass some ruins on your right and ahead of you is a big stone with arrows pointing to the left and to the right. Here you have 2 options:
- If you go left and follow the red arrows and red marks on trees, after several hundred metres you will have to go through a barbed wire fence and just after this you will hit the GR7. This is the easiest way to reach the GR7 from the cortijos. From here if you go left you will go towards Busquistar and beyond. If you turn right you will come across a ruined cortijo used for animals. Just above this cortijo is the camino forestal. Here again if you go right you can have a nice gentle walk for as long as you like, if you continue you can either go as far as Trevelez or follow GR7 signs after a mile or so which will take you down the hill to a path which will cross the river and reach the tarmac road and Trevelez. This way is much shorter.
- Alternatively at this big stone with 2 arrows you can turn right, follow the path up and keep going to the wire fencing, go through this and turn left walking upwards; you will find more wire fencing signposted private. Go through this. This will take you up to the same shepherds old cortijo mentioned above with the camino forestal
You can also go 100 yards left where there is an old track to the right signposted Sendero Sulayr, Pitres and Portugos. Keep on the Sulayr path which will take you up above the cortijos and to a lovely alberca(pool), walnut trees and beautiful views of the mountain and the coast. On a clear day you will be able to see African lights from here. If you keep walking you will eventually cross the mountain path to Capileira and Trevelez.
Watch the cows and don’t get too close to them especially if they have calves. You may see dogs, they may bark at you but we have never been harmed by them.
If you do not speak Spanish then do remember the word sendero meaning path which you will often see.
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Route 2- Cortijos to waterfalls (Tajos Cortes): four to six hours
Another great walk from the camino forestal is turning left towards Capileira and walking to the waterfalls (Tajos Cortes) and back. It will take about four to six hours. It is very easy and flat walking all the way. As with all walks we recommend you take a small bottle of water with you which you can refill along the way in different springs.