SL-CU 4: Sendero interpretativo Lagunas de El Tobar

SL-CU 4, Sendero interpretativo Lagunas de El Tobar, is an easy circular local trail of 5.5 km and 51 m of elevation gain, starting in El Tobar, Beteta. It follows the Masegar stream upstream and explores three karst lakes, Pequeña, Ciega and Grande, on a figure-of-eight route.

Pines and slopes around the lake of El Tobar, covered in fog — The lake of El Tobar in the fog. Photo: «Laguna de El Tobar con nieblas - panoramio», JHerranz (2010) · CC BY 3.0

Code: SL-CU 4
Distance: 5.5 km
Elevation gain: 51 m
Time: 1.5 h
Layout: Circular
Difficulty: Easy

Walking time without travel or stops. Difficulty as graded by the official source. «Easy» does not mean accessible.

SL-CU 4
El Tobar
Lakes
Beteta

Where to start

At the washhouse in El Tobar, beside Fuente del Arca, within Beteta.

The route

It follows the Masegar stream upstream to Laguna Pequeña, continues to Laguna Ciega and the sluice gate of Laguna Grande. It climbs to the highest point, with the best view of Laguna Grande, and circles it via a viewpoint and the spring before returning along the main track. The route forms a figure of eight. The lakes have their own entry.

Difficulty and time

Circular, 5.5 km and 51 m of elevation gain, 1 to 2 hours. Easy.

Before you set out

The much longer PR-CU 90, a short-distance trail, also starts in El Tobar.

Official route · Federación de Deportes de Montaña de Castilla-La Mancha y Diputación de Cuenca (Senderos de Cuenca) (SL-CU 4). Description, track and notices on the official route page (in Spanish). Before you set out, check there for changes or closures.

The lake of El Tobar and reed beds below the cliffs — The lake of El Tobar, in 1975. Photo: «Cuenca (provincia) 1975 15», LBM1948 (1975) · CC BY-SA 4.0

The lake of El Tobar between reed beds and wooded slopes — The shore of the lake of El Tobar. Photo: «Laguna de El Tobar», Mabelcalabuig (2005) · CC BY-SA 3.0 es

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take?

Between 1 and 2 hours, with altitudes from 1,157 to 1,188 m.

Who promotes it?

The regional government's Provincial Sustainable Development Delegation.

Carry on from here

Lands and landscapes

From here, follow the memory of the land

These readings connect Sendero interpretativo Lagunas de El Tobar with the stories, the work and the villages around it.

Where it is

● Villages · ● Places · ━ Simplified official route

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

Reference villages: Beteta · Masegosa · Cueva del Hierro · Lagunaseca.

Open the full map and its historical layers →

Download GPX track · Official source

Where the data on this page come from

Name: Federación de Deportes de Montaña de Castilla-La Mancha (FDMCM) / Senderos de Cuenca source consulted, 10 October 2026
Municipality (INE code): Federación de Deportes de Montaña de Castilla-La Mancha (FDMCM) / Senderos de Cuenca source consulted, 10 October 2026
Route data: Federación de Deportes de Montaña de Castilla-La Mancha (FDMCM) / Senderos de Cuenca source consulted, 10 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.