like in the movie The Wizard of Oz, You must follow the yellow signs to follow the traditional path, with a forest and agricultural track, ten kilometers long (around four hours) through the forest between the Salamanca municipalities of Cepeda, Herguijuela de la Sierra and Madroñal in the heart of the Natural Park. The Batuecas. The circular Path of a Thousand Colors is considered one of the most spectacular for its multicolored landscape. Due to its low difficulty, you can go accompanied by the little ones.
Just like in this technicolor movie from the last century, On the Path of a Thousand Colors in the Sierra de Francia we find the brown of the leaves that cover the path, the ocher of the historic buildings of the municipalities, the green of the meadows, the yellow of the chestnut trees in these days of autumn, the blue of the streams and, when spring arrives, even the white of the cherry blossoms.
The path enters through a veritable orchard of oaks, holm oaks, chestnuts or hazelnuts that also has a great variety of mushrooms and autumn mushrooms, which add a touch of red to this explosion of colors drawn by nature.
Cepeda
As it is a circular route, you can start exploring either of the two Castilian-Leonese towns. From Cepeda, the beginning of the route is located in a Romanesque fountain, one of the emblems of the town, which is located in the middle of the ring road, on the C-512 highway towards Sotoserrano.
It is interesting to visit this town of 500 inhabitants with mountain buildings built on a pre-Roman fort. The wooden frames perfectly placed along the facades are especially striking. Finally, the Humilladero hermitage and the Old School also stand out.
Along the way you cross the spectacular medieval bridge of La Dehesa that crosses the small stream of San Pedro del Coso. During the route you can also see one of the most beautiful alder forests in the Sierra de Francia.
Madroñal
The trail continues in the direction of Herguijuela de la Sierra, a town that has kept its typical buildings practically intact. After passing through the town, the route continues towards Madroñal, where cherry trees take over the landscape, along with orchards and farmland. The maximum splendor of this municipality is reached in spring. You can also start the route here.
The name Madroñal comes from the strawberry tree, with its colorful fruits, although it is actually the cherry tree that has become the hallmark of this town. On the return to Cepeda you can see oaks, hazelnuts, hollies, strawberry trees and chestnut trees, the typical landscape of this area of the Las Batuecas Natural Park.
Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park
It is a labyrinth of mountains and valleys located in a strategic position between the two plateaus, making it a unique corridor of biological communication. In 2006 it was declared a Biosphere Reserve and two years later it was included in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
This natural space also serves as a refuge for diverse fauna, such as the ibex, the black vulture, the griffon, the eagle and eagle owl or the peregrine falcon, as well as other species that feed on carrion such as Egyptian vultures, crows, and foxes. and wild boars. Accompanying the enormous trees, we also find waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water.
The existing difference in height and the orientation of the slopes mark the existence of areas with a clear Atlantic influence, and others with a Mediterranean tendency that favor a great fauna and floristic diversity, and allow the production of cherries, grapes, olives or chestnuts.
“Being in Las Batuecas”
This area is crossed by rivers such as the Francia or the Alagón. In the Batuecas valley there are a set of cave paintings, ancient hermitages and the Carmelite monastery of San José, which is worth visiting. This valley has also left its mark on expressions such as “being in Las Batuecas”, as a result of the Letters written from Las Batuecas by the Poor Labrador by Mariano José de Larra.
Another emblematic point of the Park is the Peña de Francia, from where you can see the Pico Hastiala, the Pico Mingorro, the Mesa del Francés, the Cabriles, the Campo Charro, the mountainous succession of Las Hurdes, the Sierras de Béjar and Gredos. Other notable points are the Belén valley in Herguijuela de la Sierra and the meanders of the Alagón in Sotoserrano.
In La Alberca you will find the Casa del Parque, which has all the necessary information to enjoy this natural space. In addition to obtaining publications and other informative or souvenir objects, in the center you can discover the values and richness of the natural and cultural heritage of the Park through its different rooms. It has a monitor that facilitates this task.
There is also the Visitor’s Corner, where you can organize any of the routes you choose with the help of a model of the entire Park or the Memory Corner, where attention is focused on the people who inhabit this space, some of them with jobs worth preserving, such as basket weaving.
Regulations
Fire is completely prohibited and neither liquids nor solids that could contaminate the place can be poured. Washing is not allowed in rivers or fountains and you must try to keep both the Path of a Thousand Colors and the park completely clean. In addition, it is essential to respect the fauna and flora along the way, the geology and the existing constructions as much as possible.
Free camping is not allowed, so if you want to spend the night in the area you will have to visit the campsites or accommodation available.
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