Walks in Cabañeros National Park · Route no. 03

El Acebo and Las Fuentes Walk: hiking in the Montes de Toledo

🇪🇸 Ver esta ruta en español

The most accessible walk in the park: an almost level stroll from the Tabla del Acebo picnic area, with an accessible wooden boardwalk at the start, a viewpoint facing the Boquerón del Estena, woodland of holm, Portuguese and Pyrenean oak, two cold-water springs and a peat bog.

Stream between quartzite rocks in Cabañeros National Park
A stream between quartzite rocks in the park.
⬇ Download the full route guide (PDF)Acebo and Las Fuentes trail · map, GPS points and practical information to print and take with you

Route facts

Distance3 kmthere and back from the picnic area
Time1 h 15 minthere and back
Ascent+10 mvirtually level
DifficultyEasyaccessible boardwalk

An out-and-back route: you return the same way. Figures from the park’s official fact sheet.

VariantDistance (there and back)Time
From the picnic area car park3 km1 h 15 min
From the village of Navas de Estena7 km3 h
  • 🐕 Dogs: yes, on a lead
  • Booking: not needed (open access)
  • Accessible: wooden boardwalk at the start
  • Springs: Fuente Fría and Fuente de las Chinas
  • Best season: all year round

Distance from Cork Valley

22.2 km

Measured to the car park of the Tabla del Acebo picnic area, which the official fact sheet places 2 km from Navas de Estena; from Cork Valley it is 20.8 km to the village.

Road distance to the start of the walk, measured on the OpenStreetMap road network from Cork Valley in Hontanar.

Route map

Map of the Acebo and Las Fuentes trail walk (real trace, OpenStreetMap data) Acebo picnic area car park · start 39.4974, −4.5411 Navas de Estena alternative start (7 km return) Accessible boardwalk (approximate position) Viewpoint facing the Boquerón (approximate position) Springs and peat bog Fuente Fría · Fuente de las Chinas (approximate, end of the path) Área recreativa de la Tabla del Acebo · open in Google Maps1 2 3 Final del camino cartografiado · open in Google Maps4 KEY path on foot (track) point linked to Google Maps N 00.51 km Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL licence)

Points 1, 3 and 4 open Google Maps when tapped. Path drawn from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence). The springs and the peat bog are not mapped: they are placed approximately along the final stretch. Distances and times from the park’s official fact sheet.

Waypoints and how to get there

You can start in the village of Navas de Estena itself (7 km there and back) or, better, at the car park of the Tabla del Acebo picnic area, 2 km from the village (3 km there and back). The path begins with a wooden boardwalk accessible to people with reduced mobility.

  • 1
    Tabla del Acebo picnic area — car park and picnic tables. Recommended start.GPS: 39.4974, −4.5411 · Open in Google Maps
  • 2
    Accessible boardwalk — a wooden boardwalk suitable for people with reduced mobility, at the start of the walk.
  • 3
    Viewpoint facing the Boquerón del Estena — the park's official fact sheet places a viewpoint facing the Boquerón; its exact position is not mapped, so it is shown approximately along the path.
  • 4
    Springs and peat bog — the two springs that give the path its name and a peat bog, a fragile waterlogged habitat and a rarity in these hills. End of the path.GPS: 39.5077, −4.5481 · end of the mapped path · Open in Google Maps
⚠ Still to be checked on the ground: the exact position of the two springs, the peat bog and the viewpoint, none of which appear on OpenStreetMap and are shown approximately on the map.

What the walk is like

This is the easy walk in Cabañeros: barely 10 m of ascent along a wide path that leaves the village of Navas de Estena and passes the Tabla del Acebo picnic area, the best place to park. From there the path begins with an accessible wooden boardwalk; a viewpoint looks out towards the Boquerón del Estena, the gorge of the neighbouring route.

The path carries on through holm, Portuguese and Pyrenean oak to the Fuente Fría and the Fuente de las Chinas and ends beside a peat bog, a small upland wetland that is very rare in these hills. You return the same way: 3 km in all from the picnic area, or 7 km if you set off on foot from the village.

Photographs

Stream between quartzite rocks in Cabañeros National Park
A stream between quartzite rocks in the park.
Mediterranean woodland in Cabañeros National Park
Mediterranean woodland in the park.
Waterfall and pool between quartzite rocks in Cabañeros National Park
A waterfall and pool between quartzite rocks.
Hind hidden in the scrub of Cabañeros National Park
A hind in the scrub.
The Estena valley from Navas de Estena
The valley from Navas de Estena.
Holm oak woodland and grassland in Cabañeros National Park
Holm oak woodland and grassland in the park.
Dalmatian on the terrace of a wooden cabin at Cork Valley
At Cork Valley your dog sleeps indoors with you; in the park it only has to be on a lead.

Practical information

What to take

  • Water and something to eat
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Sun cream and sunglasses, especially in summer
  • A lead for your dog (compulsory)

Park rules

  • Stay on the waymarked paths
  • No fires, camping or drones
  • Do not take plants, stones or fossils
  • Take your rubbish out of the park
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult

🐕 Dog friendly. The park allows pets on every walking route, always on a lead. They may not enter the visitor centres.

Open access: no booking or permit needed. Park information on +34 926 78 32 97 · usopublicocabaneros@oapn.es.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a wheelchair-accessible walk in Cabañeros?

The Acebo and Las Fuentes path begins with a wooden boardwalk designed for people with reduced mobility, and the whole walk has barely 10 m of ascent. The park's official fact sheet does not state how far the accessible boardwalk itself runs.

How long is the Acebo and Las Fuentes walk?

3 km there and back from the picnic area car park, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Starting on foot from Navas de Estena makes it 7 km and around 3 hours.

Can you drink from the springs?

The route passes the Fuente Fría and the Fuente de las Chinas, but the park's official fact sheet does not certify the water as drinkable, so it is safer to carry your own.

Do I need to book this walk?

No. It is open access, with no booking or permit required.

Where to stay

Casa Espejo de Cork Valley al atardecer, con la piscina privada iluminada y el dormitorio al fondo

Cork Valley · Mirror Houses and wooden cabins

The natural base for this walk: adults-only, pet-friendly rural accommodation in Hontanar, in the heart of the Montes de Toledo, 130 km from Madrid and 59 km from Toledo. Mirror Houses that reflect the dehesa, wooden cabins, a private Nordic hot tub and a saltwater infinity pool. Your dog sleeps indoors, goes everywhere with you and even has a pool of its own.

Certified Starlight Destination and Alojamiento Rural Singular of Castilla-La Mancha.

Other walks in Cabañeros

The five Cabañeros walks we recommend to our guests, with their road distance from Cork Valley:

Take the route guide with you

Everything about this walk — map, GPS points, what to take and the park rules — in a four-page PDF ready to print or save to your phone before you set off, because there is no mobile coverage along much of the route.

⬇ Download the full route guide (PDF)Acebo and Las Fuentes trail · map, GPS points and practical information to print and take with you

Route guide produced by Cork Valley using data from the official fact sheets of Cabañeros National Park (Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales). Map trace: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence. Distances and times as given in the park’s official fact sheet. The map is for orientation and does not replace a topographic map or a GPS.

¡Hola! ¿Te puedo ayudar en algo? 🌿