River Guadalentin and Nava de San Pedro: Cazorla’s southern gorge and the Bolera reservoir
The Guadalentin rises in the Sierra del Pozo and the Sierra de la Cabrilla, flows south through a deep gorge and reaches the Bolera reservoir near Pozo Alcon. From Cazorla, you do not reach the reservoir by this route. Instead, you climb along the track from Vadillo Castril to Nava de San Pedro, a mountain meadow at more than 1,200 metres, and descend towards the river from there.
A nava is a flat, open area in the mountains. The Nava de San Pedro was once home to gardens and grain fields; today there is a ranger's house, a seasonal bar and the breeding centre for the bearded vulture, the large mountain vulture that has been reintroduced to the park. From the meadow, you look down over the valley. The Guadalentin itself lies lower, at the Las Carretas crossing and in the narrow gorge known as the Cerrada de la Canaliega.
There are three ways to explore the area. You can stop at the nava and the viewpoint. You can follow the waymarked path beside the river, the Senda de los Pescadores (Fishermen’s Path). Or you can enter the gorge, where the path becomes narrower and, after rain, you may have to wade through the water. The Bolera reservoir is reached from the other side, via Pozo Alcon, not along the track to the nava.
*After heavy rain, the river rises and covers sections of the path. You may have to cross on foot, with water up to your ankles or higher. The gorge is considerably more demanding than the walk across the meadow.
Nava de San Pedro
The JF-7091 climbs from Vadillo Castril and the Cerrada del Utrero, passes Nava del Espino and reaches Nava de San Pedro. The final eight kilometres are unpaved. Just before the meadow, there is a viewpoint overlooking the plateau and the surrounding sierras. On the nava itself stand the 1906 ranger's house — now in poor condition —, a 1940s bridge over the Arroyo de Valdetrillos and, to one side, the bearded-vulture breeding centre.
The centre opened in 1996 at an altitude of around 1,300 metres. It is not a zoo that you can simply walk into, but a breeding centre for a threatened species. If you would like to visit, ask about opening times and whether visits are possible that day. From outside, you can see the compound but not the interior. Beside the track towards Nava del Espino is the Fuente de la Garganta, a shady spot where you can stop for a drink.
The Puente de las Herrerias is not in this valley. It crosses the Guadalquivir further down, near Vadillo Castril, on the same turning that leads to the nava. There are tables, shade and natural pools here. It is a useful stop along the way, not the end of the Senda de los Pescadores.
How to explore the valley
The nava and the viewpoint
If you are mainly looking for altitude and views, leave the car on the nava or at the viewpoint, a kilometre before it. Walk across the meadow, view the breeding centre from outside and turn back. The gradient is gentle. It is a good option with children, or if the drive along the dirt track has already taken up much of the morning.
Senda de los Pescadores
The waymarked route is linear: around eleven kilometres each way, taking three and a half to four hours. It starts at El Hornico and the Casa del Molino, on the shore of the Bolera reservoir, then climbs through pine forest and past ruined farmhouses before reaching Las Carretas and Puntal de Ana Maria. At Las Carretas, you cross the Guadalentin on foot. Large oak trees provide shade and, with a little luck, you may spot Spanish ibex on the rock faces.
From Nava de San Pedro, you take the route in the opposite direction. Descend at Las Trincheras, a kilometre beyond the houses, towards the bridge over the Arroyo de San Pedro and the river crossing. The return walk along the waymarked riverside path is around nine or ten kilometres. This still does not take you into the Canaliega gorge.
The gorge and the canyon below the dam
Below Las Carretas, the valley closes in. The Cerrada de la Canaliega is the narrow section where the old path runs close to the rock face and the river fills the floor of the gorge. After flooding, water may cover the path and you may have to walk through it, often above ankle depth. Some people continue as far as the Cueva de los Orcos. If you are not used to walking on wet rock, it is better to turn back at Las Carretas.
Canyoning with abseiling and jumps takes place below the Bolera dam, not from the nava. You book it with a local operator; a helmet and the permit arranged by the company with the environmental authorities are included.
The Bolera reservoir
The reservoir was created in the 1970s on land belonging to the municipality of Pozo Alcon. Its water is used to irrigate fields and supply the surrounding villages. It is not the Tranco reservoir: the Bolera lies in the southern part of the park, towards the Sierra del Pozo.
From Cazorla, you do not reach the dam along the nava track. You drive via Pozo Alcon on the A-326 towards Castril. At kilometre 7.9, turn off towards the El Hornico nature centre and the Casa del Molino, the lower starting point of the Senda de los Pescadores. If you are coming from the coast via Guadix and Baza, you also approach from Pozo Alcon. It is a long detour if you are staying in Cazorla.
Activities on the river and reservoir
The stretch of the Guadalentin above the waterline can be walked all year round. The section submerged by the reservoir only becomes visible when the water level falls considerably. On the water and in the gorge below the dam, there are two activities for which ordinary walking shoes are not enough.
Canyoning — abseiling, jumps and swimming through the narrow sections — takes place in the Cerrada de la Bolera, below the dam. You book it with a local operator; a helmet, wetsuit and the permit arranged by the company are included. This activity does not start at the nava.
In summer, kayaks and pedal boats are available from the shore by the dam and the campsite. The water is cold even in August. There is no lifeguard covering the entire reservoir.
How to reach the Guadalentin and Nava de San Pedro
From Malaga to Cazorla, take the A-92 and A-44, or the A-45 via Antequera; the journey is described on the town page. From Cazorla, take the A-319 towards Tranco. Shortly after the Puerto de las Palomas, turn onto the JF-7091 towards Vadillo Castril and the Cerrada del Utrero; there is no need to enter the village itself. Continue to Nava del Espino and Nava de San Pedro. The final eight kilometres are on an unpaved track. An ordinary car is fine when the ground is dry; after rain, a vehicle with greater ground clearance is more comfortable.
The Bolera reservoir and the lower starting point of the Senda de los Pescadores are reached via Pozo Alcon on the A-326. If you are staying in Cazorla and want to combine the nava and the reservoir on the same day, you will cover a lot of mountain roads. It is better to choose one of the two approaches.
Car hire: the flexible option
With a car in Cazorla or Vadillo Castril, you can drive up to the nava in the morning and stop at the Puente de las Herrerias on the way back. An ordinary car is sufficient to reach the nava when the ground is dry. After rain, or on the track to El Hornico, a vehicle with greater ground clearance is more comfortable.
Hire a car at Malaga Airport
Taxi or private transfer
Transfer from the airport or the Costa del Sol to your hotel in Cazorla, La Iruela or Pozo Alcon. Without a hire car, you can also book a same-day return taxi to the nava or the Bolera dam.
Book a taxi or transfer
*No credit-card details or advance payment are needed to request a quote. Cancellation is free. Book ahead in high season to avoid price rises and to make sure the vehicle you want is still available.
Other transport options
Coaches reach Cazorla from Ubeda or Jaen and, with a change, from Malaga or Granada. How to make the journey from Malaga is explained in the Cazorla guide. Local buses serve Pozo Alcon, but none of these services follows the track to the nava or the lane to El Hornico. Without your own vehicle, the most practical option is to stay in Cazorla or Pozo Alcon and book a taxi for the return journey on the same day.
