Place · Cañete
El Postigo de Cañete
El Postigo is the landscape formed by the Virgen, or Tinte, river beneath Cañete's walls: a gorge in Jurassic limestone between Cerro del Castillo and La Picota, with substantial tufa formations and a roughly ten-metre waterfall, Pozo de la Horca, below Virgen de la Zarza hermitage. It was prepared for walking in 1993.
- Municipality
- Cañete
- El Postigo
- Tufa
- Tinte river
- Pozo de la Horca
- Cañete
A river beneath the wall
The Virgen river, also called Tinte, rises at Las Fuentes spring, about two kilometres from Cañete. At El Postigo it cuts a gorge in Jurassic limestone between the castle hill and La Picota. The whole ravine is lined with tufa, rock deposited by lime-laden water. Purple willows, elders, snowy mespilus and climbers grow. The river drops towards the Mayor, its largest waterfall, Pozo de la Horca, about ten metres high, falling below Virgen de la Zarza hermitage.
What it was used for
It was land of gardens and mills, probably also cloth-dyeing works. Through the postern naming the place, townspeople reached mills, gardens and water. Above, the 10th-century Muslim wall has been greatly altered by houses and balconies built against it.
Plan your visit
Paths for a walk of a few minutes have existed since 1993.
Before you travel
Tufa is fragile: stay on the paths.
Combine with
Puerta de la Virgen and the hermitage immediately above.
Frequently asked questions
What is El Postigo?
A confined stretch of the Virgen, or Tinte, river, a Mayor tributary, beneath the old town walls. Named after a narrow postern through which villagers reached water-powered works, gardens and water.
What can be seen?
Jurassic limestone, tufa, purple willows, elders and snowy mespilus, and the roughly ten-metre Pozo de la Horca waterfall below Virgen de la Zarza hermitage.
Carry on from here
Lands and landscapes
From here, follow the memory of the land
These readings connect El Postigo de Cañete with the stories, the work and the villages around it.
Where it is
Where the data on this page come from
- Name
- Ayuntamiento de Cañete source consulted, 5 October 2026
- Medio/empresa por confirmar source consulted, 5 October 2026
- Municipality (INE code)
- Ayuntamiento de Cañete source consulted, 5 October 2026
- Medio/empresa por confirmar source consulted, 5 October 2026
«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.