Cascada Cimbarra Natural Area

The quaint village of Aldeaquemada, with around 600 inhabitants is worth a visit. © Michelle Chaplow
The quaint village of Aldeaquemada, with around 600 inhabitants is worth a visit.

Cascada de la Cimbarra Natural Area

Close to the Andalucia-La Mancha border and the Despeñaperros Natural Park are a series of magnificent waterfalls (cascadas), making a total protected area of 534ha. On the Guarrizas river, the waterfalls spill over an impressive, sheer wall of quartzite rock, 50m tall at its highest point of Cascada de la Cimbarra. Smaller but still spectacular is the Cascada del Cimbarrillo on the Arroyo de Martín Pérez and the Cascada de María Antonia on the Arroyo de la Cimbarrilla.

 

 

Access
Take the A4 motorway north of Jaen, towards the Desfiladero de Despeñaperros, and about 70km from Jaen is Santa Elena. Take a right turn towards the village of Aldeaquemada on the J6120 then the J6103. The Cascada de la Cimbarra area is to the right of this village.

Flora
There are holm and cork oaks, with an undergrowth of lentisc, rock roses and rosemary, as well as a reforested area of pines.

© Michelle Chaplow Families enjoying a day out by the Guarrizas river
Families enjoying a day out by the Guarrizas river

Fauna
Flying above the Cimbarra waterfall are raptors like the booted eagle and the golden eagle. Also here are griffon and black vultures, buzzards and kestrels. Swifts and blue rock thrushes are a common sight; look out for kingfishers and wagtails along the water courses. The surrounding woodland is also full of birdlife, such as larks, tits and warblers. Mammals here include foxes, genets and wild cats.

© Michelle Chaplow Walking in the Cascada del Cimbarrillo nature reserve.
Walking in the Cascada del Cimbarrillo nature reserve.

Walks
There are two signposted walks within the protected area. There is 6km walk from the village of Aldeaquemada to the Cascada de la Cimbarra. The other walk starts from a picnic area next to the Arroyo de Martín Pérez.

Rivers
The main watercourses of this area are the tributaries of the Guarrizas river: the Arroyo de Martín Pérez and the Arroyo de la Cimbarillo.

Villages
Aldeaquemada

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