Walks in Cabañeros National Park · Route no. 04

Plaza de los Moros Walk: hiking in the Montes de Toledo

A short waymarked climb to the summit of La Umbría (812 m), the Plaza de los Moros, where the remains of a Bronze Age settlement survive and one of the finest panoramas of the Montes de Toledo opens up, with black vultures, griffon vultures and golden eagles overhead.

Horcajo de los Montes at the foot of the sierra, Cabañeros National Park — Horcajo de los Montes at the foot of the sierra.

⬇ Download the full route guide (PDF)Plaza de los Moros · map, GPS points and practical information to print and take with you

Route facts

Distance3.5 kmcircular, from the car park

Time1 h 30 mincircular

Ascent+150 mcumulative

DifficultyEasy to moderatestony sections

A circular, waymarked route, self-guided with a leaflet. Figures from the park’s official fact sheet.

Variant	Distance	Time
From the car park (1 km from Horcajo)	3.5 km circular	1 h 30 min
From the village of Horcajo de los Montes	the official fact sheet gives no distance	3 h 30 min

🐕 Dogs: yes, on a lead
Booking: not needed if you walk it on your own
Park guide by prior booking (guided version)
Waymarked and self-guided with the park leaflet «Un bosque mediterráneo»
Best season: autumn to spring

Distance from Cork Valley

64.5 km

63.5 km from Cork Valley to Horcajo de los Montes and another 1 km along the lane signposted with a green board off the Horcajo–Alcoba de los Montes road.

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

Directions from Cork Valley Start of the track (car park) on Google Maps

Route map

Points 1, 2 and 3 open Google Maps when tapped. Track and circuit drawn from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence): 717 m of track plus a 2.2 km circuit, adding up to the 3.5 km of the official fact sheet. Distances, ascent and times from the park’s official fact sheet.

Waypoints and how to get there

The route starts at a car park on the edge of Horcajo de los Montes, reached by a signposted lane off the Horcajo–Alcoba de los Montes road (CM-403), 1 km from the village. It is the same starting point as the Sierra del Castellar de los Bueyes route. From there, 700 m of track lead to the start of the waymarked circuit.

1
Car park — start of the track, 1 km from Horcajo along a signposted lane off the CM-403.GPS: 39.3198, −4.6379 · start of the track as mapped on OpenStreetMap · Open in Google Maps
2
Start of the waymarked circuit — the path leaves the track and begins to climb through holm oak, cork oak, Portuguese oak and strawberry tree.GPS: 39.3181, −4.6309 · Open in Google Maps
3
La Umbría summit · Plaza de los Moros — 812 m; remains of a Bronze Age settlement and a panorama over the Montes de Toledo.GPS: 39.3163, −4.6351 · Open in Google Maps
4
Descent on the sunny side — the circuit rounds the hill and returns to the starting point; watch your footing on the stony sections.

⚠ Still to be checked on the ground: the exact position of the car park. OpenStreetMap does not record it, so the map places the start where the mapped track begins, and the distance has been measured to Horcajo de los Montes plus the kilometre of signposted lane given in the official fact sheet.

What the walk is like

From the car park, 700 m of track lead to the start of the waymarked circuit, which climbs the hillside through holm oak, cork oak, Portuguese oak and strawberry tree. The ground is stony in places: wear proper footwear.

The summit of La Umbría (812 m) is the Plaza de los Moros: it preserves the remains of a Bronze Age settlement and offers one of the finest panoramas in the Montes de Toledo. With luck, black vultures, griffon vultures and golden eagles will be riding the air above the ridge. The circuit rounds the hill and brings you back to the start: 3.5 km with 150 m of ascent.

Photographs

Traditional herders' chozo hut in Cabañeros National Park — A traditional chozo: the herders' and charcoal burners' huts that give the park its name.

Sunset over the sierras of Cabañeros National Park — Sunset over the sierras of the park.

Landscape of Cabañeros National Park — Park landscape (Gargantilla).

Holm oak woodland in the countryside of Horcajo de los Montes — Holm oak woodland in the countryside around Horcajo.

Panorama of the sierras of Cabañeros National Park — The park's sierras, the landscape that opens up from the top.

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
Hiking boots
Sun cream and sunglasses, especially in summer
A lead for your dog (compulsory)
Binoculars for the birds of prey

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
Proper footwear: stony sections
Follow the circuit waymarkers

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

No booking is needed if you walk it on your own: the route is waymarked and self-guided with the park leaflet «Un bosque mediterráneo». There is also a guided version, bookable at reservasparquesnacionales.es or on +34 926 78 32 97 · usopublicocabaneros@oapn.es.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Plaza de los Moros?

It is the summit of La Umbría, at 812 m, above Horcajo de los Montes, where the remains of a Bronze Age settlement survive. The walk up to it is a waymarked 3.5 km circuit.

How hard is the Plaza de los Moros walk?

The park's official fact sheet gives 3.5 km with 150 m of ascent and 1 hour 30 minutes. The main difficulty is the stony ground, so hiking boots are worth wearing.

Do I need a guide for this walk?

No. The circuit is waymarked and self-guided with the park leaflet «Un bosque mediterráneo». A guided version can be booked with the park.

What birds can I see from the summit?

Black vultures, griffon vultures and golden eagles fly over these ridges. Cabañeros holds one of the largest black vulture populations in the world, so binoculars are worth carrying.

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.

Check availability See the Mirror Houses and cabins

Other walks in Cabañeros

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

El Chorro Waterfall Walk · hiking route in ToledoThe park's most famous waterfall · 4–9 km one way · 37.8 km from Cork Valley
Boquerón del Estena Walk · hiking route in ToledoThe Estena gorge and its fossils · 6 km return · 22.2 km from Cork Valley
El Acebo and Las Fuentes Walk · hiking route in ToledoThe easiest and most accessible · 3 km return · 22.2 km from Cork Valley
Plaza de los Moros WalkLa Umbría summit and a Bronze Age settlement · 3.5 km · 64.5 km from Cork Valley
La Viñuela Walk · hiking route in ToledoOak woods and the deer-filled raña · 13 km · 46.6 km 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)Plaza de los Moros · 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.