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Place · Valdemeca

Fuente de la Ardilla picnic area

Fuente de la Ardilla is a picnic area in the Serranía de Cuenca Natural Park, within Valdemeca, just over 3 km from the village along the Huerta del Marquesado track. It has a barbecue building, untreated natural-water spring, tables and parking, and is the start of the PNSC-08 mycological trail.

Aerial view of forest tracks crossing the trees beside the Fuente de la Ardilla
The surroundings of the Fuente de la Ardilla picnic area, seen from the air in 2024. Photo: «Ortoimagen», Sistema Cartográfico Nacional (2024) · CC BY 4.0
Best time
Autumn, for the mycological trail
Municipality
Valdemeca
  • Picnic area
  • Valdemeca
  • Mushrooms
  • PNSC-08
  • Sierra de Valdemeca

The mushroom mountains

The area lies in Sierra de Valdemeca, the part of the Park made of rodeno, red sandstone: reddish sandstones and conglomerates, unlike the limestone elsewhere. This soil and its climate support distinctive flora and rich fungal diversity. PNSC-08, the Park’s mycological trail, starts here, showing mushroom habitats: Scots-pine woods, maritime-pine woods and meadows.

Good conduct

Park only in the designated area. Look at and photograph mushrooms; gathering requires knowledge of municipal regulations. The Park organises guided visits here through «Del centro al sendero» (from the centre to the trail).

Combine with

Valdemeca, with its visitor centre and Paisaje Ilustrado.

Frequently asked questions

Which route starts here?

PNSC-08, Fuente de la Ardilla-Estepares, the Park's mycological trail: 4 km and an hour and a half, easy, through Scots-pine and maritime-pine woods, meadows and clearings.

Where can you park?

In the picnic area's designated parking zone: cars must stay there.

Carry on from here

Lands and landscapes

From here, follow the memory of the land

These readings connect Fuente de la Ardilla picnic area with the stories, the work and the villages around it.

Where it is

Location of Fuente de la Ardilla picnic area BeamudCampillos-SierraLa CiervaCuencaHuélamoHuerta del MarquesadoLaguna del MarquesadoTejadillosValdemecaValdemoro-SierraZafrilla PNSC-S8: Fuente de La Ardilla-Estepares (Micológico)PR-CU 105: Sendero de la casa de CuraPR-CU 112: Beamud - Molino de Juan RomeroPR-CU 113: Ruta cicloturista de ZafrillaPR-CU 20: Ruta de los CastillosPR-CU 38: Sendero de los ArroyosPR-CU 39: sendero de la VegaSendero interpretativo de la laguna del MarquesadoSL-CU 15: Sendero de la Laguna del Marquesado Huerta del MarquesadoValdemecaLaguna del MarquesadoBeamudPaisaje Ilustrado of ValdemecaValdemeca Visitor Reception CentrePaisaje Ilustrado of Huerta del MarquesadoPrao de San Roque picnic areaCentenar viewpointFuente del Royo picnic areaBeamud viewpointFuente de los Pastores picnic area
Municipal boundaries: © IGN (CC BY 4.0). Route lines: simplified official tracks; source and GPX on each page. Approximate position (area).

● Reference point · ● Villages · ● Places · ━ Routes nearby

Location sketch. The map with paths and names loads as you scroll to it.

Reference villages: Huerta del Marquesado · Valdemeca · Laguna del Marquesado · Beamud.

Open the full map and its historical layers →

OpenStreetMap See it on the 1930s map

Where the data on this page come from
Name
Location

«Source consulted»: the primary source has been read. «Reference located»: the source has been identified but not yet read. «Open question»: the figure needs confirmation.