Time: Six hours.
We shall leave María town along the track which leads to the Umbría de la Virgen mountain shelter.
We must walk past the Virgen de la Cabeza's hermitage, and the shelter; at the point where the track ends, we shall make our way southwards towards the Sierra maría mountain pass, next to the Peñón de las Cucalas, which is our point of reference.
Once at the mountain pass, we shall walk on to the left towards the hardest stretch, with many ups and downs along the way.
The first rocky upheaval on the way is the Pico María, 2,045 m. high, at the food of which there is a very thick forest of pines and oaks inhabited by squirrels and boars.
From the top of María we can see Pico Franco, 1,842 m. high, and the Cabezo, 1,948 m. high, sorrounded by an impressive grove of oak trees.
After having ascended these two peaks, we shall climb down in order to reach the track which to the right eads to the road.