INTO THE GRIFFON'S WORLD - THE SIERRA DE CASTRIL

Nature’s song

A harsh call dragged me out of my dreams. I lay in the blackness, wrapped in my snug sleeping bag in my old tent that’s practically home away from home.

Alert now, I listened to the sounds of the night, to the consistent rush of the Rio Castril a few metres away. Nothing, then an otherworldly shriek, followed by a rattling ‘hohohohahohoooh’ filled the blackness. A tawny owl, perhaps a pair, were close. I lay awake and listened to their strange conversation for 20 minutes as the creature repeated its wistful song.

An escape

I had desperately needed to escape the humdrum of work, emails, and endless cycle of Covid that short-circuited any ability to look into the future and plan for something better. I went to a place where only the present matters, where I always go, back to nature.

The Sierra del Castril

Squeezed up against the northern frontier of Granada province, the Sierra de Castril was as far as I could get from home in lockdown Spain. For a few days at least, this wild place would give me refuge…joy and wonder to top up tanks parched of enthusiasm. This ‘natural park’ has much going for it. It’s part of Spain’s largest area of protected land, bordering the Cazorla protected area which spans over 2000 square kilometres of forests, rugged mountains, and deep gorges. Wildlife doesn’t recognize state borders or lines drawn between different protected areas, so to eagles, wild boar, otters, and all other manner of beasties, this is essentially one landscape.

**A ‘cerrada’, a tear in the vast cliffs dominating Castril’s flanks**

An uninspiring start

The approach to the Sierra is as unpromising and uninspiring as anywhere in Granada province, perhaps ensuring that the Sierra de Castril receives few visitors or attention. Driving north from Baza, a flat, featureless, scrubby plain stretches out across the landscape. Occasional depopulated towns and stumpy olive trees provide the only distraction. Just when you’re wondering why the hell you came to this remote corner of Spain at all, the crenelated peaks of the Sierra de Castril rear up in a wall along the northern horizon and life creeps back into the landscape. The land becomes greener, more alive with flowers, insects, and birdsong.

The town…

Nestled at the foot of the mountains is the cute town of Castril. It’s set upon steep slopes where the Rio Castril leaves the mountains behind and flows out into the plains and badlands. The town is classic rural Andalucía…twisted alleys, whitewashed, elegant buildings, and pretty squares. Old men pass the time of day in cafés and ragged dogs sprawl out strategically in sunny doorways. The town is dominated by a church and the ruins of a great Moorish castle towering above the town on a sharp rocky pinnacle – La Peña de Castril. It’s a nice spot to grab a coffee or a tinto de verano, but if you want nature then you must continue north into the Sierra.

**Glowing waters of the Embalse del Portillo**

**In spring Castril’s rivers and wetlands are an amphibian’s paradise**. **This is an Iberian spiny toad**

Into the wild

A rough drivable track leads 15km into the Natural Park, running initially along the eastern fringe of the Embalse del Portillo – a large reservoir, itself a beautiful sight on a sunny day, with luminous blue-green waters. The road quickly descends into the lush valley, following the fast-flowing tea-coloured waters of the Rio Castril, upwards, towards its source. The valley is swathed in riverine forests and framed perfectly by mountains and sheer cliffs on either side, the summits of which exceed 2000m. Castril is famed for its ‘cerradas’, spectacular side canyons carved by rushing watercourses and cascades. The cerradas themselves refer to points where the gorges become too steep to continue further on foot – without some hardcore climbing equipment that is!

**Rugged landscape in the upper Castril valley**

**Waters rush from deep underground at the Nacimiento del Rio Castril**

El Cortijillo

About 20 minutes slow drive up the valley, right at the heart of the protected area, is the campsite and restaurant of El Cortijillo. El Cortijillo is a lovely ‘old school’ kind of place, presumably once a finca. It’s located right next to the river, surrounded by the forest, the mountains rising beyond. It’s about as rustic a getaway as you could expect to find in Andalucía. Camping for 2 works out around €15 a night, and there are some nice bungalows for around €50 per night if you fancy a bit more comfort.

**Strange rock formations take on lifelike forms…this one looks like a girl and a wolf (at least to me!)**

With the tent set up, it was time to explore the abundance of marked trails that Sierra offers. Continuing further up the valley the road peters out at the Cortijo del Nacimiento, the starting point for many great hikes. A short but beautiful option is to the Nacimiento del Rio Castril (The birthplace of the Rio Castril). Here, near the head of the valley, the trees fall away, and the landscape, still squeezed between giant rock walls, becomes rugged and austere. Look up and you’ll see the valley’s signature griffon vultures soaring on the thermals high above – a majestic sight.

Water from stone

The reason for the trail’s name is justified as you reach the base of a high cliff at the head of the valley. Here the river is truly ‘born’ from beneath the earth, water bursting out of cliff face through a series of caves, in roaring, gushing cascades. It’s a lovely place. I ended up contemplating just how far those subterranean waters had flowed through the dark places of the earth, only to emerge into the sunlight once more.

**The great walls of the Cerrada Magdalena**

**Cascades and crystal pools at the base of the Cerrada Magdalena**

Exploring the cerradas

Next day it was time to explore two of Castril’s signature ‘cerradas’, the first being one of the Park’s more popular hikes, up into the hills just to the northwest of the campsite. It’s a gentle hike up through forested hills before the route turns sharply to the east, revealing the huge cliffs that tower above. The Magdalena stream that exits the ‘Cerrada’, rushes below and as you approach the base of the cliff, you’re treated to the sight of a series of stepped waterfalls that crash into emerald pools.

The rusty grey/orange face of the cliffs competes with the cascades for attention. Your eyes are drawn up to heights that are dominated by the 2.5-meter wings of vultures lazily riding the thermals. Below the vulture, flocks of jet-black choughs, arch along the cliffs underneath. The scale and sheer verticality of the place makes you want to just stand and stare.

**Taking in the magnificence of the Barranco de Buitre**

The vulture’s ravine

To the south of the Cerrada de Magdelena is another gigantic tear in the valley, the Barranco de Buitre. This is no less impressive, but more isolated. Situated above a lonely farmhouse high on the slope of the valley, this river again drops in a series of waterfalls as it leaves the ‘Cerrada’. It’s a popular spot for canyoning, abseiling down steep waterfalls into an otherwise inaccessible gorge that races down to unite with the Rio Castril, just above the head of the reservoir. All these are easy walks but reward with spectacular vistas.

Into the griffon’s world

The next day we tried a more challenging route, a circuit up the Sendero Hoyos de Moreno, Barranco Canalejas. Beginning just north of the Magdalena route, this trail rises steeply from the main road, following the Barranco Canalejas into the remote mountains on the eastern flank of the valley. Passing through some beautiful forest, the upper trail enters a region of rocky badlands and eroded vertical spires.

The griffon’s lair

Trail markers are sometimes a little misleading, so keep a close eye on the route. In the eastern section of the trail, rain and thunder forced us to beat a hasty retreat, but not before the loud flapping of wings and the image of a giant vulture soaring away drew my eyes to one of the rocky towers not far above me. A griffons aerie! One of the vultures, tantalizingly close, remained on the nest, studying us curiously. We were the day’s novelty entertainment in the vulture’s world.

A privileged view

The nest was set behind a bush on the cliff face, inaccessible from above and below. The giant bird, his interest peaked, marched out alone on the narrow ledge and stared at the humans below. The humans then stared with awe and wonder back at him. Vultures are common in Castril, but usually, all you see is a dark silhouette floating above – here the griffon was up close and personal. Close enough to make out the colours and textures of his plumage, his sharp beak, tailored to slice flesh, and the royal ‘ruff’ around his neck. A privileged view, and the vulture, turning his head curiously to get a good look at us, seemed equally intrigued, but not intimidated. I love these rare moments of contact with wild spirits. It lifts the heart to a higher place.

Nature’s inspiration

A few minutes shared with the griffon was a fabulous highlight of what had been revitalizing and inspiring escape into the wild, into the valley of the griffons. I will need to draw on every bit of the power and inspiration of nature in the challenging months that lie ahead.