Fuente del Fraile – Sanatorio

This route begins at the Tablilla crossing, a few metres from the Alfaguara campsite. After walking 1.5 kilometres along a dirt track, you will come across the Llano del Fraile, an old, disused recreation area, which used to have a majestic pavilion that no longer exists.

Here you will pass the first fountain along the route, of which only fragments remain. Fountains are frequently seen along this route.

Directly to the west, you will get superb views of the Peñon de la Mata. Follow the path leads you to the Carialfaquí farmhouse from which, after walking about 250 metres to the left, there is a hill where the trenches from the Spanish Civil War are still well preserved. The Peñon de la Mata has witnessed many important battles.

Leaving the Llano del Fraile, some steps will lead you through a calm path, surrounded by typical vegetation of the area.

In the background, the sky merges with the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, covered in the first layer of snow of the season, an image that accompanies you until you reach an old anti-tuberculosis sanatorium that was founded about forty years ago by a German lady. It was later donated to the Jesuits to be used as a spiritual retreat. For every ten people suffering from tuberculosis who were admitted (in exchange for payment), treatment was provided for two people who did not have the means to be there. However, only ruins of this building remain.

The route passes the Alfafuara campsite again. There is a fountain nearly half way along the route, known as Fuente Fría, which is an ideal spot for you to rest. If you continue walking in a straight line, you will reach the main track that comes from Puerto Lobo. If you take the track to the right, you will reach the Campamento Juvenil de la Alfaguara.