When you approach Cabañeros you feel a sensation similar to arriving at the African steppe, to the famous tanzania national park. Yes, overcoming the distances, but before the eyes of the visitor they open extensive meadows of long grasses with golden stems on these dates, rockrose and heather bushes and a horizon marked by gentle undulations.
Cabañeros is a large park, very large (with just over 40,000 hectares) and well preserved. In it we will also see mountains and mountains where forests of cork oak, gall oak and holm oak grow alongside oaks, strawberry trees and maples. And banks with ash trees, trade winds, willows. The set forms the best natural representative of the Mediterranean forest in the entire peninsula, in addition to an exceptional refuge for unique species. The sky of the Montes de Toledo is shared imperial eagles, great-tailed eagles, black vultures, black storks or kestrels. On the ground, deer, wild boar, roe deer…, among many other species.
© MELBA PHOTO AGENCY / Alamy Stock PhotoWHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT CABAÑEROS?
A natural space like this is interesting at any time of the year, but In the fall it has an added incentive: attending the deer rut. A time in which visits multiply to contemplate this animal spectacle.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU VISIT CABAÑEROS
Get to know the interpretation centers of the national park
At the main entrances to the park we find reception and interpretation centers, each focused on specific aspects.
- The one of Chopsticks House explains the geology, botany and fauna of the area.
- The one of Horcajo de los Montesthe newest, shows the park throughout the seasons of the year, as well as the culture and traditions of the Toledo mountains.
- The one of Tower of Abraham, next to the reservoir of the same name, it houses an exhibition about water.
4 x4 routes
On board a off-road and driven by guides We will tour the heart of the park, the raña. The guided tours are made from Casa Palillos and exclusively in these vehicles through the mountains, but you can do some stretches on foot at interpretive stops or routes that lead to enclaves such as the old Brezoso stream flour mill, from the 15th century. Today it is an interpretation center where you can learn about the life of the people who inhabited this territory in other times, most of them shepherds who built cabins that today give their name to this park.
© Revirado / Alamy Stock PhotoHiking in Cabañeros
Different have been designed Signposted routes to do on foot which we can learn about at the interpretation centers. They are itineraries of different levels of difficulty, although most are simple, and can be done independently or with a guide (free) if preferred.
Horse riding routes
In the area of Cabañeros, now outside the protected area, on the banks of the Bullaque Riverthere are horseback riding routes that allow you to get to know the park’s river ecosystem. The starting point is in the village of Las Islas, near El Robledo. The specialized company that makes them is adventurescabaneros.com. This same company carries out activities on the river such as canoe or kayak and they do it throughout the year.
© Jose Julian Rico Cerda / Alamy Stock PhotoObserve birds… and stars
It is advisable to dedicate part of the day to bird watching, because there are many and very varied. Raptors, insectivores… when the cranes (in mid-November and until the end of February) sunset outings are organized to see them that link with stargazing: astroturismocabaneros.com/product/avistamiento-de-grullas-y-estrellas.
© Juanma Hernandez / Alamy Stock PhotoVisit Cabañeros during the rutting
During the fall, the deer are the star of this place, when the well-known cries due to the males’ heat and you witness their fights or hear their peculiar roar. Between mid-September and mid-October are the main weeks where this natural spectacle takes place, which can be attended with guided tours that take you into the park by 4×4.
TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
In Cabañeros National Park it is located at northwest of the province of Ciudad Real and southwest of Toledo. From Ciudad Real to the entrance of Casa Palillos there are 51 kilometers. The visit is guided and requires prior reservation: visitacabaneros.es.
