Fuentes del Hondón - Source of the River Hondón

Some of my younger friends have suggested that my walks are too tough so here is one that is so easy you can take your granny with you. If you are looking for a walk that won’t kill you but will get you out into the fresh air and superb scenery of the Sierra de Cádiz, this is it. An added bonus is that it takes just 3 to 4 hours so if you start early, you can combine it with a good lunch at one of the restaurants in Ubrique, Benaocaz or El Bosque.
The walk starts just before Km 26 of the A-373 between El Bosque and Ubrique where you will see the back of a very large road sign on your left and immediately behind it the entrance to a small track. Drive up the tarmac slope and you will find plenty of parking where the tarmac ends and the track begins. Head off up the slope and just follow this wide track. It is a working farm track and children and adults alike will enjoy the close contact with goats, pigs, cows, donkeys, etc that roam the area - just beware of the occasional 4x4 as they tend to be more dangerous! After a few hundred yards the track kinks to the left and continues its ups and downs offering plenty of opportunities to take a few photos including some excellent views of Salto del Cabrero in front of you.

My photos may not do the trail justice as they were taken on a rare cloudy day. At the lowest point of the walk you will see a stream bed on your right which is usually dry and then a little further on, just by a big gate into a field, the track crosses the River Hondón which, while hardly a mighty river, does always seem to have a steady low. Don’t be tempted to drink this water as cattle often cool off in it... among other things. Once over this ridge the trail goes up a fairly steep slope and if you did bring Granny along you might need to give her a tow up here but don’t go too fast as there are some more views to snap here including La Silla (the Saddle) behind you and the Castillo de Aznalmara peeping up behind a hill off to the left.

When you reach the top of this slope the track veers down to the right and becomes narrower. Ignore the green gate and head down through the tunnel created by the vegetation. After a short descent you come to a fork and on your left you will see an “angarilla” - a gate made up of a series of posts held together by wire. Go through this gate and you find yourself at your destination - the source of the River Hondón which, depending on recent rainfall, will range from a bubbling spring to a gushing torrent. Granny can sit here surrounded by goats cooling her feet in the spring water (now you know the real reason why I told you not to drink it!) while those who wish can make a short excursion into the meadows beyond the springs and enjoy the vegetation, rock formations and birdlife, including vultures which are usually perched on top of the crags or soaring over your head. Unfortunately the path around the back of the farms has been closed off by one of the farmers so once you have rested, it is time to retrace your steps and head back to the car. Don’t forget to pick Granny up as you go past the spring and please make sure she is the
only old goat to get out of that gate as you go through it!

More photos

Route map