PueblosBlancosDiscoveryTours: Castellar de la Frontera

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Castellar de la Frontera

Viewpoint of the Reservoir Guadarranque

(Mirador del Embalse de Guadarranque)

Prologue:

The village of Castellar de la Frontera is in the countryside of Gibraltar (Campo de Gibraltar) in the province of Cádiz and 30 min. from Sotogrande in land. The village is perched on a mountain top, within a castle, surrounded by walls of a well preserved Moorish fortress. On the other side you find the reservoir of Guadalranque which provides drinking water to Sotogrande, Algeciras and many comunities in between. We decided to take a hike to the Mirador de Guadaranque over looking the reservoir, and the castle. Castellar de la Frontera is located within the nature park of Los Alcornocales (the cork oak groves).

Directions:

Take the Autovia A-7 towards Campo de Gibraltar.
Turn off by Sotogrande onto A2100 towards Castellar de la Frontera.
At crossroad turn left onto A-405 passing the Zoo of Castellar.
You will reach the new village of Castellar de la Frontera.
From there you head to the castle of Castellar de la Frontera CA-9201 by taking a right turn at the crossroad.
Park the car by Venta Jarandilla and the hike will start from here by crossing the bridge on the left from the Venta.
It is a leasurely 1h walk to the Mirador de Guadalranque.

After leaving the coast road, the Cádiz countryside leads you through rolling hills of meadows and orange groves.

As you drive towards old Castellar de la Frontera you will pass a 17th century convent of La Almoraima, which is now a hotel and it is worth a visit.

You drive through a very lush forest of a great variety of cork oaks, shrubs and ferns.

This takes you into the Nature Park of Los Alconocales.

The popular Venta Jarandilla is a good starting point to hike from.

We walked to the left from the Venta over the bridge.

The vegetation reminds you of a primeval Iberian forest.

A botanical jewel and heaven for bird watchers.

A tarmac road leads gently upwards toward the viewpoint (Mirador).

Mirador de Guadalranque

From here you get a good view towards Castellar and the reservoir Embalse de Guadarranque.

The castle of Castellar de la Frontera

Los Alcornocales Nature Park

Los Alcornocales Nature Park was declared as a Nature Park in 1989 and it is one of the biggest in Spain, with an area of 167.767 ha. It reaches from the Straits of Gibraltar to the mountain ranges inland including the municipalities of Cortes de la Frontera, Ubrique and El Bosque.
Read more: Los Alcornocales Nature Park