#Los Cahorros trail – Hiking in Sierra Nevada

Los Cahorros is a hiking trail in the lower hills of the Sierra Nevada, Andalusia. It’s located in Monachil, a small municipality just 8 Kilometers from Granada’s center and Alhambra. Los Cahorros gorge is a well-known destination for climbers for many years but in recent years it has become famous for this adventure yet family trail. It’s perfect for people looking for an Indiana Jones-like adventure.

Los Cahorros trail

Los Cahorros is a circular trail, that means you start and finish in the same place (near the restaurant). The trail is roughly 8 km long and the altitude difference is 400 m, with a maximum of more than 1100 m of altitude.

We can divide the trail into two parts: the first 2 km through the Los Cahorros gorge and the remaining 6 km where you have to walk up and down the hill to return to the restaurant. The famous hanging bridges, the waterfalls swimming spots and the rocks you have to crawl under are all in the first part. The second part starts at the end of the gorge and consists of a return via a high limestone rock track.

It is considered a family hike and we saw many kids doing it apparently without problems. However, you should bear in mind that you will need to scramble under overhanging rocks and cross a 15 meters high and 55 meters long hanging bridge. There are also metal handles set into the rocks to help you past some of the most difficult parts.

Check here full information about the trail in a printable PDF.

Our experience & Tips on Los Cahorros trail

We love doing hikes in our holidays and when heard about Los Cahorros we had to include it in our itinerary. It looked like a great warm up for the unbelievable caminito del rey. Beautiful views, a cascading river that creates rock pools for swimming, narrow caves and tunnels that you have to crawl through or hang off the rock face, walking along the gorge and, of course, the famous hanging bridges made our day memorable and fun!

On the downside, we found the trail unbalanced because almost all the interest points are in the first 2 km and the reaming 6 km is just about walking under the sun without much to do/see. Yet, we had a great time and recommend it to families and adventurous people alike.

We did the whole trail as planned but the truth is made, barely anyone else did it. People disappeared completely when we got out of the gorge, crossed the river one last time and started the climb. Truth be told, after that the landscape becomes less and less interesting. Many people tend not to make the complete circle, but return when they get to the end of the Gorge.

We went in August and it was a very hot day (Summer in Andalusia…what else?) which made the second part of the trail less pleasant. If it’s possible to go in milder temperatures and always take a lot of water!

The trail is becoming more and more popular and can be a bit crowded on weekends and holidays. Try to avoid them. We went on the high season on a weekday and there were many people but not enough to make it less pleasant.

How to get to Los Cahorros

You can only reach los Cahorros by car or by bus. As far as we known there aren’t any tours to Los Cahorros.

How to go to Los Cahorros by car

From Granada take the Monachil exit from the A-395 southern ring road (Ronda Sur). Take the exit for Monachil and follow this road for roughly 6 km until you reach the village of Monachil. There, cross the bridge and continue to the “scenic road” (Carretera de la purche) to the Sierra Nevada. You will soon find the restaurant El Puntarron. Park there, or turn right and continue into the dirt road about 1 km until you find “Merendero Los Cahorros“, where you can park.

TIP: We actually got there by taking “Carretera de la Purche” from Sierra Nevada road (A-395). It has a sign saying “scenic road”, don’t miss it! It is a really beautiful drive and it goes directly to Los Cahorros and then Monachil.

How to go to Los Cahorros by bus

Service 183 goes to Monachil approx. once an hour Monday – Friday. On Saturdays, the service is mornings only, with the last bus back at 13:40. There is no service on Sundays. After Monachil you just need to walk into the restaurants area described above. Find timetables here.

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