Ebro Gorge – Estilla Chozos Trail

We begin the route in the Burgos village of Orbaneja del Castillo, located in the heart of the Hoces del Alto Ebro y Rudrón Natural Park. We park at La Cascada car park, one of several along the BU 643 road, since access to the village centre is restricted to authorised vehicles. From this very spot you already get a taste of what the route has in store: the impressive 25 metre waterfall and the Turquoise Pools, a spectacle that captures you from the very first glance.

The route starts by climbing the stairs up to the village. From there you can see the entire waterfall of the Molino de la Cascada, which flows over travertine formations, creating natural terraces covered in moss and lichens. It is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque scenes in Castile and León. As you ascend, you can also see how the small river springs directly from the Cave of Water, crosses the centre of the village, and eventually disappears into the Ebro. It’s no coincidence that Orbaneja del Castillo is one of the province’s major tourist attractions.

We turn right onto Calle de La Cuesta, where it’s practically impossible to keep walking without stopping to photograph the views that appear as we gain height.

At the end of the village, we follow the signs for the Orbaneja Shepherd Huts Trail (Sendero de los Chozos). We continue climbing while enjoying panoramic views of the medieval village, nestled between the gorges and the karst landscape shaped by water. I must admit this stretch had me just as mesmerised as the time I’m spending on this introduction 😉.

The path continues across a flatter area of the Bricia Plateau, leading us to the Estilla Shepherd Huts. These traditional agricultural structures served as temporary shelters from heat or cold and as storage for tools and provisions. In this area, 38 huts are preserved or restored, forming a truly unique ensemble.

We then turn left towards the Valdelaguna Ravine, which we leave to one side as we continue straight through holm oaks. The trail takes us into the province of Cantabria, within the municipality of Villaescusa de Ebro, where we find the ruins of an old Civil War fort. From there, we continue through holm oaks until reaching an ancient fossil meander, a remarkable example of the geological evolution of the Ebro canyons. Today it is abandoned by the river and occupied by meadows, lying far above the current riverbed.

We descend towards Villaescusa de Ebro, where we cross the river for the first time via the bridge that leads into the village. We turn left to join the Ebro Nature Trail (GR 99), which runs parallel to the gorges and where it’s common to see local fishermen.

Shortly afterwards we reach the Tobazo Waterfall, a unique rocky wall in Cantabria from which water flows out of underground currents filtered through the Lora Plateau. The spring forms travertine thanks to the water’s oversaturation of carbonates.

We continue for several kilometres along the GR 99, re entering Castile and León, winding alongside the river through beech and hazel forests that are now beginning to sprout. The trail accompanies us until the famous rock formation known as the Camels’ Kiss appears before us: two petrified camels that seem to be kissing, leaving between them a gap shaped like the map of Africa. Another of the many attractions of Orbaneja del Castillo, declared a Historic Artistic Site in 1993.

And of course, we couldn’t finish the route without enjoying the cuisine of this beautiful Cantabrian Burgos enclave.