The best waterfall hikes and walks in Guadiato-Bembezar

In the era of Islamic domination, Córdoba had a defensive belt made up of watchtowers with the capacity to communicate with each other by means of smoke during the day and light signals at night. One of the most impressive is the so-called Torre del Beato, in the Sierra Morena. Near the Cortijo de la Soledad we find a path that goes unnoticed by those who don't know its location. If we follow it, after walking for a few minutes we are overwhelmed by the imposing sight of a 9-meter-high tower preserved as if time had stood still. It is an almost square tower built with rubble stones plastered with lime and sand mortar and reinforced with well-carved ashlars at its outer vertices. Its crowning of Syrian battlements is surprising, allowing us to relate it to other buildings from the emirate period, such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Inside, the tower is divided into two floors, in addition to the roof terrace crowned by the battlements. The first room is covered by a brick vault, with access to the second floor via a staircase attached to the wall. From the top, sheltered between battlements (some of which lie scattered on the ground, already surrendered to the passage of time), the lookouts could make out nearby towers such as the Palomas or the Siete Esquinas and keep an eye on the routes taken by the minerals extracted from the very bowels of the mountain. This treasure still has the capacity to surprise many hikers, the curious, cyclists and people seeking the peace of nature among the many paths that criss-cross the Sierra Morena. (Source: https://eventourcordoba.es/blog/la-torre-del-beato/)

One of the vestiges of the Caliphate period can be found in the mountains of Córdoba, less than 15 minutes by car from the capital. It is an ancient watchtower, a lookout from where you can enjoy one of the most impressive views of Córdoba and the Guadalquivir valley. Despite its name, it is actually an octagonal tower, meaning it has eight corners. However, inside it has a square floor plan, with each side measuring approximately 3.40 meters. Built of masonry, a construction method in which irregular stones are joined with mortar, a conglomeration of lime, sand and water without any order of courses. Originally, this tower was part of a network of watchtowers that surrounded the Caliphate of Córdoba and was visually connected to other towers. The Tower of the Seven Corners, despite its poor condition, is a popular destination for cyclists and hikers. A visit to this place can be combined with a visit to the Hermitages of Cordoba, the Baths of Poppaea and the Fountain of the Elephant. (Source: https://www.cordoba24.info/html/torre_siete_esquinas.html)

Located in the district of Santa Maria de Trassierra, next to the Arroyo del Molino, a tributary of the river Guadiato. It is a mill of Arab origin, probably from the 10th or 11th centuries, whose purpose was to grind flour. These medieval mills made it possible to produce flour in large quantities for 10th-century Caliphal Córdoba. (Source: https://www.conocetusfuentes.com/datos_elemento_884.html)

Located on the Caño Escaravita estate, just beyond the outlying neighborhood of Santa María de Trassierra. We found it in the western Sierra peri-urban district, next to the crossroads leading to the Ermitas and the Mirador de las Niñas, about fifteen kilometers from Córdoba. This is a zoomorphic water fountain on a pedestal from the Caliphate period, dating back to the 10th century. The sculpture represents a small elephant. Made of gray limestone from the Sierra Morena, it served as a support for the spout. The fountain is made up of three components: a water collection basin, a masonry pillar attached to it on its north side (which leads to a masonry irrigation ditch), and a rectangular pool located to the west of the canal. https://amedinacordoba.com/fuente-del-elefante/

The Baths of Poppaea are a natural stretch of small waterfalls alternating with small pools that follow the course of the Molino stream, near the mouth of the Guadiato River. This area was visited by Christopher Columbus. Its name comes from the place where the Cordoba poets of the Cántico Group used to visit, as during the Franco regime it was a safe place, away from the scrutiny of this intellectual group, as well as the homosexuality of some of them. One day, three members of the group, Pablo García Baena, Juan Bernier, and Ricardo Molina, were walking when they saw some girls bathing in the stream. The latter exclaimed, "Look, like Poppaea in the bath," referring to the Roman Empress Poppaea Sabina, a prominent figure at the time due to the film The Sign of the Cross (1932), in which actress Claudette Colbert appeared bathing in donkey's milk, just as the Empress did. The girls told the residents of Trassierra about this incident, and from then on, the story spread and became known as the Baths of Poppea. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%C3%B1os_de_Popea

A waterfall known as the "first spring of the Bejarano," whose water flow has always been active. There are few remains of an ancient structure from which the water flows: the aquifer catchment. The Romans knew how to harness this important spring, unique in these mountains, due to the large amount of water it provides every season (estimated at 20,000 to 35,000 m3/day). (Source: https://www.conocetusfuentes.com/ficha_detalle.php?id_fuente=10057)

An incredible place, a structure and construction that transports you to the Roman era. It is worth taking the route and spending some time enjoying the site.

A closed gate prevents you from continuing along this route.