like in the movie The Wizard of Oz, You must follow the yellow signs to follow the traditional path, with a forest and agricultural track, ten kilometers long (about four hours) through the forest between the municipalities of Salamanca de Cepeda, Herguijuela de la Sierra and Madroñal in the heart of the Park Natural. .The Batuecas. The Thousand Colors Circular Trail is considered one of the most spectacular for its multicolored landscape. Due to its low difficulty, you can go there accompanied by the little ones.
Like in that technicolor movie from the last century, On the Path of a Thousand Colors in the Sierra de Francia, we find the brown of the leaves that cover the path, the ocher of the historic buildings of the towns, the green of the meadows, the yellow of the chestnut trees in these autumn days, the blue of streams and, when spring arrives, even the white of cherry blossoms.
The path enters a real orchard of oaks, holm oaks, chestnuts or hazelnuts which is also home to a wide variety of mushrooms and autumn mushrooms, which add a touch of red to this explosion of colors drawn by nature.
Cépeda
As it is a circular route, you can start exploring either of the two Castilian-Leonese towns. From Cepeda, the start of the route is at a Romanesque fountain, one of the city’s emblems, located in the middle of the ring road, on the C-512 highway towards Sotoserrano.
It is interesting to visit this town of 500 inhabitants with mountain buildings built on a pre-Roman fort. The perfectly placed wooden frames along the facades are particularly striking. Finally, the Humilladero hermitage and the Old School also stand out.
Along the way, you will cross the spectacular medieval La Dehesa bridge which crosses the small stream of San Pedro del Coso. During the route you will also be able to see one of the most beautiful alder forests in the Sierra de Francia.
Madronal
The trail continues towards Herguijuela de la Sierra, a village that has kept its typical buildings practically intact. After passing through the town, the road continues towards Madroñal, where cherry trees invade the landscape, as well as orchards and agricultural land. The maximum splendor of this town is reached in spring. You can also start the route here.
The name Madroñal comes from the arbutus tree, with its colorful fruits, although it is actually the cherry tree that has become the trademark of this town. On the way back to Cepeda you can see oaks, hazel trees, hollies, strawberry trees and chestnut trees, the typical landscape of this area of the Las Batuecas Natural Park.
Las Batuecas-Sierra de France Natural Park
It is a labyrinth of mountains and valleys located in a strategic position between the two plateaus, making it a unique corridor of biological communication. In 2006 it was declared a biosphere reserve and two years later it was included in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
This natural space also serves as a refuge for a diverse fauna, such as the ibex, the black vulture, the tawny, the eagle and the eagle owl or the peregrine falcon, as well as other species that feed on carrion such as the Egyptian vulture, crows, and foxes and wild boars. Accompanying the enormous trees we also find waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water.
The existing height difference and the orientation of the slopes mark the existence of areas with a clear Atlantic influence, and others with a Mediterranean tendency which favor a great diversity of fauna and flora, and allow the production of cherries, grapes, olives or chestnuts.
“Being in Las Batuecas”
This area is crossed by rivers like the Francia or the Alagón. In the Batuecas Valley there is a set of rock paintings, ancient hermitages and the Carmelite Monastery of San José, which are worth a visit. This valley has also left its mark on expressions such as “being in Las Batuecas”, due to the Letters written from Las Batuecas by the poor Labrador by Mariano José de Larra.
Another emblematic point of the Park is the Peña de Francia, from where you can see the Pico Hastiala, the Pico Mingorro, the Mesa del Francés, the Cabriles, the Campo Charro, the mountainous succession of Las Hurdes, the Sierras de Béjar and Gredos. . Other notable points are the Belén Valley in Herguijuela de la Sierra and the meanders of the Alagón in Sotoserrano.
In La Alberca you will find the Casa del Parque, which has all the information you need to enjoy this natural space. In addition to obtaining publications and other informative objects or souvenirs, you can discover at the center the values and richness of the natural and cultural heritage of the Park through its different rooms. It has a monitor that makes this task easier.
There is also the Visitor’s Corner, where you can organize any route you choose using a model of the entire Park or the Memory Corner, where attention is focused on the people who live in this space, some of them with worthwhile work. preservation, like basketry.
Regulations
Fire is completely prohibited and no liquid or solid likely to contaminate the premises may be spilled. Washing is not permitted in rivers and fountains and you must try to keep the Trail of a Thousand Colors and the park perfectly clean. In addition, it is essential to respect as much as possible the fauna and flora of the route, the geology and existing constructions.
Free camping is not permitted, so if you want to stay overnight in the area, you will need to go to available campsites or accommodations.
