The 458 hectares of territory of the Dehesa del Generalife is home to a rich natural heritage with more than 200 catalogued plant and 111 animal species, but it also contains numerous important remains that reveal the archaeological wealth that the site has inherited from the Nasrid period. These include the Albercón del Negro, the ruins of the Palace of Dar Al-Arusa, the Aljibe de la Lluvia and the Silla del Moro.

DEPARTURE> APARCAMIENTO DEL CEMENTERIO

Declared a Periurban Park by the Regional Ministry of the Environment in 1995, it is located to the south of the River Darro and to the east of the capital of Granada, practically linked to the city. Although there are other access routes to the park, such as the Paseo del Aljibillo and the Cuesta de los Muertos, de los Chinos or del Rey Chico, starting the itinerary at the San José Cemetery allows you to leave your car parked in its car park.

WAYPOINT 1> ALBERCÓN DEL NEGRO

From there starts a forest track that climbs up to the recreational area of Llano de la Perdiz. Taking this route, the remains of the Albercón del Negro -whose water fed the Alberca de los Alijares, next to the palace of the same name- become the alpha and omega of the route through the Dehesa.

If you continue along the path, which winds through the olive grove that covers the southern side of the Dehesa, known as the Monte de Cenes, the next Nasrid landmark is the Aljibe de la Lluvia, which is still used to draw water in case of fire or by the workers of the Dehesa when there is any work to be done.

WAYPOINT 2> ALJIBE DE LA LLUVIA

As an explanatory sign next to this cistern points out, many of the hydraulic engineering works that brought water to the Nasrid palaces are still standing. The same panel tells us that the Aljibe de la Lluvia (Rain Cistern), which is still in very good condition, although today only the upper vault and an outer wall next to which there is a pool built later, served to supply water to the Palace of Dar al-Arusa.

Following the path that starts at the Aljibe de la Lluvia, a recreational area with stone tables, barbecues and swings, you reach the paraje de Las Norias, which took water from the Acequia Real and, with their serpentines, carried it up to a nearby pool. This reddish earthen path leads to a viewpoint that offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city of the Alhambra.

As it says on the sign that perfectly indicates the points of greatest interest that can be contemplated from the watchtower, the view can stroll from the basin of the Darro to the humanised landscape of the city, the view can wander from the basin of the Darro to the humanised landscape of the city with a beautiful transition from the fertile plains of this river, dotted with farmhouses and market gardens, passing through the oldest quarters, the Albaicín and Sacromonte, until reaching the density of the modern urban nucleus. But leaning on the railing of the viewpoint, the hiker can see much more than the old and modern face of the metropolis, also the hills of the Generalife, the Silla del Moro, the ruins of Dar Al-Arausa, the Fuente del Avellano, La Vega, Sierra Elvira, the remains of the Nasrid walls, the Ermita and Cerro de San Miguel, the Natural Park of the Sierra de Huétor or the Abadía del Sacromonte.

WAYPOINT 3> RELOJ DE SOL

If you retrace the path that started at the Aljibe de la Lluvia and return to the forest track that leads from this point to the Llano de la Perdiz recreational area, you will come to an area dedicated to rest and relaxation. There, the visitor will find a sundial that lacks a gnomon, as the time is read through the advance of the shadow on its surface. The iron of its sphere is the landmark that guides to different points in Granada, such as the sierras of Loja or Tejeda, the Castle of Moclín, Sierra Elvira, or the peaks of the snow-capped massif, such as the Alcazaba, Mulhacén or Veleta.

WAYPOINT 4> VEREDA DEL RÍO DARRO

After crossing the recreational area, where hikers can enjoy the swings, tracks and sports circuits, you reach the northern slope of the Dehesa del Generalife. A few metres further on is the start of the Quejigar del Darro path, which runs through one of the few remaining areas of authentic holm oak woodland in the vicinity of the city. Along its route through the holm oak forest, the walker can contemplate a magnificent view of the Darro basin with the Sierra de Huétor as a backdrop. As you go down the northern slope of the Dehesa and reach the riverbank, the higher humidity allows an interesting gall oak forest to develop in the final stretch, with some hazel and ash trees.

WAYPOINT 5> SILLA DEL MORO

This road connects with a path that runs parallel to the Acequia Real o Acequia del Generalife. If you take this route you can link up with the itinerary that leads to the Silla del Moro, a vantage point that offers magnificent views of the Alhambra and the city.