Situation
Bara
Station
Duration (approx.)
7h
Difficulty rating (M.I.D.E.)
Type of route
Lineal
Elevation gain
+380m
BTT
Car combination
No
History and Culture
The waters of the River Alcanadre carve their way shortly after their source, winding their way through terraces, small waterfalls and enchanting crystal-clear pools. It seems to sense the long and arduous journey that lies ahead. In the upper reaches, it is time to learn to sculpt the rocks, play with shapes, and uncover the secrets of light and sound, so that it can later reveal them to us with extraordinary beauty and grandeur in the ravines of Gorgas Negras, Barrasil, Peonera and Los Fornazos.
Following the river’s course lies the greatest concentration of abandoned villages in the entire park and its surrounding area, with more than 10 uninhabited settlements. Bara, Nocito and Belsué are the exceptions. In recent years, houses have been renovated and rebuilt; the conversion of dwellings for rural tourism, catering services and a network of footpaths and routes through this area, as well as improvements to transport links, make exploring the Alto Alcanadre and the north face of Guara more accessible and convenient.
Bara has a Romanesque church and several manor houses; of particular note are the 19th-century Casa Otín, with a beautiful truncated cone-shaped chimney and a witch-scaring figure, and the 16th-century Casa Pariela, with interesting bas-reliefs of snakes and lizards on its windows. Both Miz and Bibán lie in ruins, but this does not detract from their charm. These villages were self-sufficient, with mills, a bread oven, agriculture and livestock; given their proximity to one another, they shared produce and, of course, a church.
The route runs close to the River Alcanadre, home to frogs, water snakes and many other creatures; numerous mammals and birds also come here to drink and cool off. Pine forests, junipers, holm oaks and gall oaks, as well as scrubland with heather, thyme, rosemary and savory, will accompany us on this route.
Description
1- Bara
2- 3- Paralelos al Río Alcanadre
4- Bibán
5- Miz
6- Bara
1 – Once we arrive in Bara, we’ll leave our car. We’ll head for the northern part of the village. To do this, we can take a path to the left before entering the village, keeping the church on our right, or we can cross the village and turn left, keeping the church on our left.
2 – These two paths join. A little further on, this path becomes a track. We will not take the first track that crosses the river on the right (we will use this on the way back), nor any path or track leading off to the left. Our aim is to keep running parallel to the River Alcanadre until, at a sharp bend in the river, we have to cross it.
3 – The path now climbs slightly and veers away from the riverbed, though it continues to run parallel to it along the opposite bank. We’ll descend a little and rejoin the riverbed. A little further on, a path will cross our way; we’ll ignore it and carry on straight ahead. On a slight incline, following the riverbed, we’ll reach Bibán.
4 – Once past Bibán, the path forks; we’ll take the right-hand fork, which descends into a small ravine, and then, after a series of ascents and gentle slopes, crosses another ravine and reaches Miz.
5 – Once in Miz, we’ll pass through the village and head east, or to our right as we arrive. As soon as we leave the village, the path forks again; we’ll take the left-hand fork and, running parallel to the Miz ravine, we’ll descend through woods and scrub down to the River Alcanadre.
6 – This is where the path we missed at the start of the walk comes into view. We’ll cross the river and, turning left, head back to Bara along this familiar path.
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