Villalba de la Sierra viewpoints

A ridge above the river

East of Villalba de la Sierra, the ground rises from the Júcar river plain to the Natural Park’s muelas, flat-topped limestone hills. The first lookout, Villalba viewpoint, stands at almost 1,300 m, overlooking the Océñigo, La Castilla and Santa María ravines. Higher up, along the Loma de las Resineras, you reach Peña del Águila.

A path then follows a natural ridge with five viewpoints close together: Santa María, La Cresta, El Pico, El Estrecho and El Repetidor, the last in a meadow area. The final one, El Salto viewpoint, overlooks the hydroelectric station’s settlement: the Salto de Villalba.

Francisco Javier Rodríguez Laguía, of the CuenCANP association, gives the viewpoint’s elevation as 1,283 metres and that of nearby Cerro Serrano as 1,303. Using Google Earth, he has calculated that on very clear days the Ocejón, in Guadalajara, might be visible around 140 kilometres away. The ascent passes through black pine and the descent through holm oaks, called chaparros here, beside the ruins of a building known as the Tina del Escalón. Below runs the Camino del Agua, following the conduit bringing drinking water to Cuenca from Arroyo Frío (Rollo Frío in the recording).

Plan your visit

Before you travel

These viewpoints do not form an approved trail: the official one in the area is the PR-CU 33, a PR (short-distance trail) sharing the start. The El Estrecho passage is difficult and can be dangerous, and the final descent is steep.

Combine with

The Piedra Yunque and the Ventano del Diablo. Beside the village is a stargazing point: the Serranía has been a Starlight destination since 2018.