Presa del Tranco – Cañada Morales Trail – PR-A 193

The Presa del Tranco – Cañada Morales Trail – PR-A 193 begins at the El Tranco dam, on the road to Cortijos Nuevos. If you want to avoid the paved stretch, you can start at the point where pathway begins to border the reservoir, 1.1 Km.

This route enables us to enjoy the proximity of water, as the majority of the route is a nice walk along the banks of the Tranco reservoir with almost no change in altitude, in the heart of the Nature Reserve of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas.

This reservoir was built between 1929 and 1944 and came into use in 1946.With a capacity of almost 500 cubic hectometres (498), it is one of the largest in Spain, most of the water being provided by the recently risen Guadalquivir River. The traumatic process of expropriation from the inhabitants of the area had a dramatic effect on the region.

We walk through the forest of Aleppo pines, immersed in dense Mediterranean scrubland, with an abundance of juniper, mastic, kermes oak, various species of rock rose, shrubby germander and climbing plants like honeysuckle and bindweed.

We will also see beautiful holm oaks, ashes and some oak trees, and meadows that are flooded in years with abundant rainfall and abandoned farmhouses.

On the other side of this relaxing mass of water, you'll see some of the most rugged mountains in the Sierra de Segura mountains, and small villages like Fuente de la Higuera and La Platera. Water birds like the grey heron and the great crested grebe can be seen.

In the place known as El Chorreón, which owes its name to a waterfall, there are splendid views over the reservoir and the surrounding mountains.

From this point the trail climbs up by a narrow path to the village of Cañada Morales, through pine groves with dense Mediterranean scrubland, olive groves and orchards, finally bordering the river of the same name.