🎵 Audio guide
The Valgrande trail is a circular route which includes part of the GR-10 footpath and the E-7 European long-distance path between Valencia and Lisbon. It passes through the foothills of the Almenara and its olive orchards, until it comes to the area known as Valles, where it makes a 360° turn and returns towards Cadalso.
It mostly passes through areas of olive orchards, vegetable gardens and oak groves and the highlights are the views from the high points of the Almenara and the sea of oak trees which surrounds it, the gallery forest of the Árrago River and the Sierra de los Ángeles. There are also spectacular views of Santibáñez in the later part of the trail.
The trail starts next to the Chapel of Christ (Ermita del Cristo) in a narrow concrete alley between old stone walls. Looking back, we are rewarded with lovely views of the village.
We are accompanied on the trail by terraces of olive trees which cover the hillside along with oak trees, vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, meadows and vineyards. The trail climbs gently towards the Linares stream where the riverside vegetation coexists with the olive trees.
The concrete track ends at a junction where we continue straight on, on a track which climbs between hundreds-of-years-old olive trees and stands of oak trees.
The trail continues parallel to the stream and presently the hills of Santibáñez and la Aliseda appear in the distance. As the trail crosses into the territory of Torre de Don Miguel it starts to head downhill, passing through stands of oak trees and leaving behind Valgrande on the left.
After crossing the Linares stream we come to the area known as los Valles and the junction which marks the end of the outward leg of the trail. We leave the GR-10 and turn almost 360° to the left to skirt round Valgrande and head back towards Cadalso. As we cross a forest of pine and oak trees we are rewarded with marvellous views of the Almenara.
The trail continues for a short stretch through olive trees once again before coming to the junction of the Torre de Don Miguel dehesa on the right. We go straight on to walk round its perimeter through oak and pine trees, returning once more to the territory of Cadalso under a green canopy. At a small junction we continue straight on through olive orchards and vegetable gardens.
We can return to the village by way of a path beside the road where there is a display of old machinery from an old olive oil mill.