PEÑAFLOR CASTLE AND VEDADO DE EGUARAS

We enter the white Bardena and we will change landscapes: first the ravines and their sculptural walls, then the extensive cereal fields, followed by a low forest and finally we access the Eguaras reserve, a valley surrounded by high cliffs and in half the ruins of the Peñaflor castle, one of the many that were built in this border land between the kingdoms of Navarra and Aragon. The landscape is arid, especially if the heat is severe, but it has the singular beauty of the desert, its solitudes and its silences, and in the distance, always, and as a backdrop, the spectacular enclaves of Pisekerra and El Rallón.

PRACTICAL TIPS

-The route is long and can become arid as soon as the heat gets worse, bring plenty of water and supplies.

-We will enter Bardenas through Arguedas and after passing Castildetierra we will stop next to a stone cabin and a wide esplanade from where we will begin the route. Please note that the access road is dirt so the car will get stained with dust from the roads or mud from puddles.
-The route is not signposted but it is easy to follow since at all times we see the castle to which we are heading. You have to cross ravines and streams that, depending on the time of year, are more or less full. It is noted that there may be a risk of unexpected floods, but if the day is clear there are no problems.
-We have not gone up to Peñaflor Castle, nor do we believe it is possible. They are just the ruins of a tower but, even so, the enclave is spectacular.

-The forest that surrounded the Peñaflor castle burned in July 2021, seriously deteriorating this spectacular natural environment.