Cerro del Buitre

You can reach the beginning of the trail by car and park it there. At km. 4 of the A-326 (Pozo Alcon-Huéscar), going towards Pozo Alcon, after a sharp turn, turn right on the Camino de los Madroñales. This road has two crossroads: at the first one turn left and the next one turn right, until you get to the Cortijo de los Quemados, where you continue to the top the Collande del Laude hill and reach the starting point of the route.

At the starting point there is an information panel beautifully located between the Cerro del Buitre and the Peña del Buitre. The path starts to slowly rise, running in a zigzag, initially going through a lowland area, which soon turns into a thick forest of black and Corsican pine. Here you can hear the local birds singing loudly before you enter into the Barranco del Laude.

Following the course of the ravine continue climbing up the Collado de Poyo Ramos hill, notable for the strange shapes created by eroding the rocks. It is well worth a short stop, because from here you’ll get your first glimpse of the Cerro del Buitre (which looks further than it is!).

Your ascent continues to the high mountain meadows, an impressively green area in spring when the winter snow has melted. Here you will come across a small hut that serves as a shelter for shepherds. Between here and the Cerro del Buitre the vegetation becomes more open. Then, when you reach the Prados del Buitre (which may well be full of goats and sheep grazing) turn right.

Once you reach the top, you can admire a breath-taking views of the Sierra de Castril and the Sierra del Pozo, the Sierra de la Sagra to the northwest and, further south, the range that makes up the Sierra Seca. You can also see the river valley and the Portillo reservoir from here with Castril is in the background. The descent will take you to another hill with unbeatable views, from which you return along the same path to the shelter.

A little further down you will find a deviation. Cross the Pinar de las Potras forest, go down a more spare and rockier mountain slope (on which you came up), until returning to the point where you began the journey.