Barrancas de Burujón, the unusual place in Toledo
The waters of the Tagus and the wind have been sculpting these reddish walls for 25 million years to give them the spectacular appearance they enjoy today. The red of the cut ones in contrast with the blues and greens of the Castrejon reservoir grant to the Burujon Canyons of a landscape worthy of Colorado's canyon.
But we don't have to cross to the other side of the pond to be able to see them with our own eyes. It is enough to take the car and go to this Toledo enclave in the vicinity of torrijos , one hour from Madrid . Either by the A-5 (Extremadura road) or by the A-42 (Toledo road) until joining the CM-4000, where we will find the exit at kilometer 26, in the Burujon outskirts.
Aerial view of the Barrancas de Burujón
The first thing we will see is refuge of the Barrancas , which serves as a beach bar and information office. Normally it is open every weekend. (from Friday to Sunday) between September and June . July and August is the low season due to the high temperatures that the area reaches, so if we want to make sure that it will be open, the best thing to do is call before.
It has a large covered terrace, and to eat, dishes of the day with local recipes: carcamusas, migas, stew stew … It also offers information to the visitor and, if a sufficient group gathers, guided tours with a monitor.
We leave it aside taking the path to the right. From here the ground is dirt with some complicated sections, so you will have to go slowly pulling first and second gear (beware of low cars). We won't be long in reaching Junipers viewpoint , with a spectacular panoramic view of the surroundings.
From the front the reddish cuts, clay gullies of a kilometer of extension that in some sections they get to surpass the hundred meters of altitude. The highest point is the Pico del Cambrón, where Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente He came to record a pair of eagles for one of his reports.
The viewpoint of Barrancas de Burujón
Below we have the Castrejon reservoir , built in 1967 to contain the waters of the Tagus. In this meander it creates a fluvial plain with an average of 40 Hm3. Following the course of the river we would soon find the meander of the Calaña Canyons , which are usually included together with those of Burujón (sometimes named as those of Castrejón) as part of the same enclave.
From here we can make route through the canyons . There is a path that goes around the cliff to do on foot or by bike that will test our vertigo. We, however, continue by car, the most advisable thing to do in the middle of a heat wave. And it is that, in addition to our camera and our binoculars, we must not forget the hat, the sun cream and the bottle of fresh water.
Continuing the ecological path of the ravines, we will see different viewpoints with various explanatory signs and numerous warnings so that we do not lean on the railings. The largest of all is Cambron viewpoint , where we will obtain some enviable photos.
We follow the path until we reach a fork. To the right indicates the GR path that crosses the ravines. Things are going to get more and more difficult for the car, so we decided to turn around at ruins of an abandoned house . Not without first leaning over the edge of its precipice, which without a railing offers an overwhelming panorama in every way.
Whoever has been to the American Bryce Canyon will have a little déjà vu here in Toledo
In the fields that surround the cut we will see mostly cereal plains, with some plantation olive trees and bushes of juniper, esparto grass, thyme, broom or rosemary. At the water's edge, elms, willows, poplars, tamarisks and poplars.
The fauna is mainly made up of birds of prey, with the occasional mammal (civet cat, polecat, wild cat) and the reptiles and amphibians typical of these wetlands (frogs, lizards and snakes). In 2010 it was declared natural monument , in addition to being a Special Protection Area for Birds and a Site of Community Interest of the Natura 2000 Network.
Returning to the fork, taking the left option, we would immediately come out to the beach bar at the entrance. Ideal place to have a snack, eat, look at the photos we have taken and comment on the play before returning home.
Burujon Canyons