Santa María Gorge – Path of the Fishermen

We started the route from Candeleda and left through the Convent of the Conceptionist Sisters. Following the GR-180 – Valle del Tiétar, but which we leave immediately, entering the Regional Park of La Sierra de Gredos, to continue along the PR-AV 46 – Path to the Puerto de Candeleda by the Trocha Real.

It is a transhumant road used in the times of the Mesta, since the herds saved time and the payment of the gate of the Roman Road of Puerto el Pico.

The so-called Trocha Real since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was conditioned to access the peaks of Gredos and carry out the royal hunts of mountain goats, starring Alfonso XIII.

As we move forward we enter the Throat. It is simply beautiful and its large and round stones give us a glimpse of the force in which the water can descend in times of the thaw of the south face of Gredos.

Finally we arrive at Puente el Puerto, of Roman origin, which is part of the Trocha Real or Camino del Puerto de Candeleda used since time immemorial to cross the Sierra de Gredos in a north direction.

We cross it and immediately we begin the return turning on the other side of the river. It is at this point where the Gorge de Santa María is born. Created from the junction of the Dark Throat, which we pass under La Puente el Puerto and the Gorge Blanca, which is the next bridge without railings that we cross.

We descend along the left bank of the Gorge de Santa María, following the Sendero de Pescadores / SL-AV 3, observing the immense boulders formed by its torrential waters and creating fast and turbulent currents creating round holes called Hoyas where you can bathe when the water It is calm and storms are not expected.

The descent on this side is not complicated, but it does have a few different steps. The first is that we just mentioned by the White Throat. A flat, swaying bridge without railings, although it is wide and short. Then downstream we find a pair of steps between rock walls that have ropes to help us. Nothing difficult and rather fun and finally to cross the Arroyo Castañarejo we have a Mono Bridge, short, easy and fun.

At the end, we left the Regional Park of La Sierra de Gredos and arrived following the path to Candeleda. … And if you let me recommend…. You can eat or drink in an idyllic place La Barranca, Café-Bar de Candeleda. You can’t be better, eat better, or be treated better!