Walks in Cabañeros National Park · Route no. 01
El Chorro Waterfall Walk: hiking in the Montes de Toledo
Cabañeros’ most famous waterfall, reached through oak woods laced with yew, holly and birch — botanical rarities at this latitude — and, for stronger walkers, the climb to Rocigalgo, the highest point of the Montes de Toledo at 1,448 m.
Route facts
An out-and-back route: you return the same way, so the full walk is twice these figures. The park’s official fact sheet gives one-way data.
| Variant | Distance (one way) | Ascent | Time (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Chorro waterfall | 4 km | +200 m | 2 h |
| Chorrera Chica | 5.5 km | +300 m | 2 h 45 min |
| Rocigalgo peak | 9 km | +700 m | 4 h |
- 🐕 Dogs: yes, on a lead
- Booking: not needed if you walk it on your own
- Free park guide as far as El Chorro, by prior booking
- Best season: autumn to spring (more water)
Distance from Cork Valley
Via Los Navalucillos: 22.0 km from Cork Valley to the village and another 15.9 km to the Las Becerras car park, taking the turning at km 16 of the CM-4155 and continuing along a dirt track. The park recommends a high-clearance vehicle for that last stretch.
Road distance to the start of the walk, measured on the OpenStreetMap road network from Cork Valley in Hontanar.
Route map
Points 1, 3 and 5 and the white circle where the footpath begins open Google Maps when tapped. Track and path drawn from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence): 3.2 km of track plus 0.8 km of footpath add up to the official 4 km to the waterfall. The Chorrera Chica is placed approximately, at its official distance along the route. Distances, ascent and times from the park’s official fact sheet.
Waypoints and how to get there
The walk starts at the Las Becerras information hut. According to the park’s official fact sheet, take the turning at km 16 of the CM-4155 road, about 10 km from Los Navalucillos, and follow a dirt track that crosses the river Pusa to a small car park beside the hut.
- 1Las Becerras — car park and park information hut. Start and finish of the route.GPS: 39.5750, −4.6601 · free, unsurfaced car park with few spaces · Open in Google Maps
- 2Track through oak woods and riverside forest — first level stretch along the Camino de la Calanchera, as far as the end of the track.GPS: 39.5527, −4.6487 · end of the track / start of the footpath · Open in Google Maps
- 3El Chorro waterfall — the best-known waterfall in the park, 4 km from the start.GPS: 39.5473, −4.6430 · Open in Google Maps
- 4Chorrera Chica — a second, more sheltered fall, 5.5 km from the start (approximate position on the map).
- 5Rocigalgo peak — 1,448 m, the highest point in the Montes de Toledo, 9 km from the start.GPS: 39.5275, −4.6157 · Open in Google Maps
What the walk is like
From the Las Becerras car park, the first 3 km and a bit follow an easy track (the Camino de la Calanchera) through oaks and riverside woodland; the final stretch to the waterfall is a mountain path, with rocky sections where it pays to watch your footing. The quartzite along the way preserves ridges and fossil trails more than 400 million years old, from when these hills were the floor of a sea.
At 4 km you reach El Chorro, the best-known waterfall in Cabañeros. If you want more, carry on 1.5 km to the Chorrera Chica, and stronger walkers can continue to the summit of Rocigalgo, with views over the whole massif. You return the same way.
Photographs
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)
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
- Groups of more than 25 people must notify the park
🐕 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 the route on your own. For a free park interpreter-guide (as far as El Chorro only), book at reservasparquesnacionales.es or on +34 926 78 32 97 · usopublicocabaneros@oapn.es.
Frequently asked questions
Is the El Chorro walk suitable for dogs?
Yes. Dogs are allowed on every walking route in Cabañeros National Park as long as they are kept on a lead. They may not enter the visitor centres. At Cork Valley your dog sleeps inside the accommodation with you.
Do I need to book to walk to El Chorro?
No. You can walk the route on your own without booking. Booking is only needed if you want the park's free interpreter-guide, which goes as far as El Chorro.
How long does the El Chorro walk take?
The park's official fact sheet gives 2 hours one way for the 4 km to the waterfall, so about 4 hours there and back. Continuing to the Chorrera Chica takes 2 h 45 min one way, and the full climb to Rocigalgo peak, 4 hours one way.
When is the best time to see the waterfall?
Between autumn and spring, when the stream carries most water. In a dry summer the fall can be reduced to a trickle.
Where to stay
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:
- El Chorro Waterfall WalkThe 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 Walk · hiking route in ToledoLa 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)El Chorro de los Navalucillos · map, GPS points and practical information to print and take with youRoute 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.