El Piélago

The El Piélago Natural Monument lies at the point where the open countryside meets the foothills of the Sierra Morena, and is home to a beautiful section of the Guarrizas River with extraordinary natural and historic value.

Here you will find some interesting historic elements. A particularly important one is the Vadollano Roman bridge. This construction was part of the Vía Augusta, a prodigious work of civil engineering that connected the Imperial Capital, Rome, with Gades, today the city of Cádiz. This bridge marks the frontier between two very different landscapes. Upstream, the Guarrizas River slows down in peaceful pools. However, next to the bridge there is a rugged landscape where the river goes into a canyon between huge blocks of granite. Here, the river has to flow down over two small waterfalls. Further downstream, the branches of the rivers come together again in a deep pool.

Here you will enjoy well conserved riverine vegetation, with the arbutus standing out especially - there are some very large trees with perfect shade for a rest. Along with the murmur of passing water, you can see rare birds flying in the sky, such as the black kite.