A Guide to Hiking Los Cahorros from Granada, Spain

I used to hate being dragged out for walks as both a child and a teenager, I thought it was the most boring activity in the world. However, over time and after travelling around I found a newfound love of hiking. It’s peaceful, you come across amazing viewpoints and as a plus in hot countries, it helps you work on your tan.

My newfound hobby means when I arrive at a new destination one of the first things I look for is a nearby hiking trail. On arrival to Granada, I stumbled across some incredible photos of the Sierra Nevada and more specifically the Los Cahorros trail.

Surrounded by the dramatic landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountains, striking suspension bridges and a bit of adventure this trail is a perfect day trip for those looking to escape Granada for a day.

This post explains everything you need to know about hiking Los Cahorros from Granada, Spain, so keep reading and start planning your next Spanish adventure.

How to Get to Los Cahorros Trail from Granada, Spain?

Whether you have a car or not it is possible to get from Granada to the start of the Los Cahorros trail. In order to get to the start of the trail you will need to catch the 183 bus to the town of Monachil. The bus leaves from Paseo de los Basilios every hour between Monday-Friday, the weekend service is slightly less see timings here.

It’s worth noting unless you already have a Granada travel pass, it’s cash only to pay for the tickets. It takes around 25 minutes to get to Monachil and the stop you want to get off is at the last one. It becomes obvious because everyone gets off the bus here as the bus turns around after this stop to head back. For the way back you just reverse this journey as where you get off is where the bus will come back to.

If you choose to drive to the start of the Los Cahorros trail you can park up alongside the river in Monachil or opt to park near Restaurante el Puntarrón.

What is the Difficulty of the Los Cahorros Trail?

The Los Cahorros trail is considered a moderately challenging route and is around 8km and took Josh and I around 2 and half hours. I think what is worth noting is whilst going through the Rio Monachil gorge you are having to more or less crawl under rocks, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with back issues or problems crouching down low.

Directions for the Los Cahorros Trail

After we got off the bus we headed straight down Calle de Carlos Carreras following the river and the signs for Los Cahorros. You will come across a bridge in town (location here), cross that bridge and follow the path before you come across a similar map to the one pictured above. Fair warning this map is in a different location to the one I’m talking about, so don’t let that confuse you.

We chose to follow the rivers path and it’s a pretty good way of knowing you are on the right track. Eventually, you will reach the first of a few smaller hanging bridges and the enclosed river path opens up with giant rock faces on each side of you. You are likely to see a few signs along the way for ‘Sendero Los Cahorros’ which should reassure you.

Another major point of the hike is the 63-metre-long suspension bridge you will reach just before heading through the gorge, make sure to stop to take in the views. We also saw some people getting ready to climb here, so if rock climbing is your thing, this is the place to do it.

The next section of the trail is through the gorge and this is the part I mentioned before being slightly challenging. The path becomes extremely thin and at points, you will need to use the handles built onto the rock face to climb around. At parts, I was bum-shuffling around the edge as it was too thin to walk on, but all part of the fun.

You will know when you have reached the end of the gorge as the trail opens up and you can see you are right in the middle of the Sierra Nevada mountains. From here walk away from the gorge and you will come across a sign directing you across a small bridge. Then you have an uphill climb, from which you will be rewarded with some unbelievable views of the mountains and nearby towns. This was 100% the best part of the walk for me.

Then simply follow the signs back to Monachil which will take you through some Andalusian countryside and farmlands. The trail will end near the car park by Restaurante el Puntarrón, so if you have chosen to park here you can always reverse this route, or alternatively from there, it’s a 10-minute walk along the road back to Monachil.

Don’t want to go alone check out this organised day tour from Granada to the Los Cahorros –.>

Other Things to Know Before Hiking Los Cahorros

This trail isn’t recommended if the area is experiencing or has recently experienced heavy rain, be sure to check local weather warnings before heading out.
Be sure to take a few snacks and some water for the walk, because they really aren’t any options to purchase these things after leaving the town of Monachil.
As per the point above it’s likely you will have a backpack for your essentials just be careful not to get it caught on the rock face when crawling around the edges.
This area is prone to extremely high temperatures in the summer months, again check the forecast before you head out and plan accordingly. If you do wish to go in the heat, pack extra water, suncream, and a hat and allow yourself extra time to complete the trail.
It seems there are a few different offshoots to this trail so to avoid getting lost, consider using an app like All Trails, they offer offline maps and you can get a free trial for a week.

Discover more fantastic things to do in Granada, Spain in my recent Instagram reel here.

Hiking Los Cahorros was one of my highlights whilst visiting Granada, Spain and I would love to go back to discover more of what the mountains in Sierra Nevada have to offer. After 32 countries and countless hikes, the Los Cahorros trail will certainly go down as one of the best.

Have you hiked Los Cahorros before, if so what did you think? If not tell us about your favourite hiking trail in the comments below.

PIN FOR LATER