Route through the astonishing Barrancas de Burujón

The famous ravines, also known as Carracas de Castrejón, are located 30 minutes away from the mythical city of Toledo. It is an incredible place, one of the most beautiful natural environments in the province.

Difficulty of the route: ★☆☆☆☆ (easy, but you should read this carefully before you go)

We went to the Castrejón reservoir in the middle of winter, after our A journey through the windmills of La ManchaHowever, it makes much more sense to visit it from the city of ToledoIt is only a few minutes away.

Our route through the Carracas of Castrejón

We tell you about our experience and everything you need to know to spend a spectacular day in this wonderful natural park in the community of Toledo.

How to get to Barrancas de Burujón?

We arrived on a Sunday, around 10am, it was cloudy and a bit cool. The first thing we saw on entering the park was a car park and a small chiringuito/bar, where many people leave their vehicles and venture out on foot. We wanted to get as close as possible in our championship.r, so we go straight ahead.

On entering the area and passing the car park, we head down a dirt track called the Road from Alcubillete to Burujón south, then turn left (east) up a small hill and go up the hill to the right. we stumbled upon something that caught us by surpriseEl Merendero.

In this picnic area there were some cars and campers parked, apparently they had arrived very early or maybe they had spent the night there, we don't know for sure. They had a big party going on, music of various styles playing at the same time, bonfires, picnics and barbecues, it was a small chaos concentrated in about 200 square metres, all this at 10 o'clock in the morning.

We wanted to see the gullies, rest and enjoy a peaceful Sunday, plus the skies were opening up and the weather was spring-like, so we decided to explore the area.

There was no more road ahead, the first viewpoint: Viewpoint of the JunipersSo we turned left where the road continued, but there was a no trespassing sign⛔.

(Talking to some locals who frequented the site, they told us that it was possible to go there by car, that the sign was wrongly placed, so we listened to them).

We continue for about two minutes and we park the car a few metres from the gully, just before the Second viewpoint of Los EnebrosWe got out and took in the scenery. There were no cars other than ours, but there were people walking around, which made us doubtful about the suggestion of those locals. After a few long minutes other cars started to park near us, as the car park of the picnic area was completely overflowing.

After one hour We were frightened, thinking that we had broken a law, but later we realised that it was because some tourists had lit bonfires on the banks of the ravines, which is strictly forbidden, not forgetting that it is a nature reserve.

Where to sleep or stay overnight?

It's hard to believe, but this area is quite depopulatedThe nearest campsite is in Toledo. We have checked different Apps y forums to look for nearby areas to sleep in a campervan, apparently there are people who sleep in their campers in the natural park itself, but there is no detailed information on whether it is legal or not. Nor are there any signs prohibiting overnight stays. We saw the Guardia Civil, whose main concern was illegal campfires, but nothing about overnight stays.

• If you dare to spend the night, let us know your experience.
• If you know more information about the area please leave it in the comments.

Here are some recommendations when visiting and taking care of the tourist attraction.

Our recommendations towards the Cárcavas de Burujón

The place is amazing, but before you go we want to give you some tips:

• We recommend going early in the morning or on a weekday, as Saturdays and Sundays are very busy.
• If you go on a weekend and don't want to be in close proximity to many people, we recommend walking along the ravines for about 1000 metres from the first viewpoint, as they are very long and most people stay within the first 500 metres. There is also a castle a little further on which you can get a close-up view.
• If you go in summer, we recommend you bring an umbrella and sun protection, as there are no trees or mountains nearby to provide shade.
• Beware of getting too close to the cliff, the clay soil is soft and there is a possibility of collapse.
• We remind you that the Barrancas are a nature reserve, so it is of utmost importance to take care of the area and avoid any possible contamination; No bonfires, No littering, No loud music, No throwing toxic liquids.
• Finally, if you liked our content we would appreciate it if you follow us on Instagram: @karibucampersThank you very much!

Geomorphology of the area: Why are they shaped like that?

The gullies are a sedimentary formation in the course of the Tagus River, the same river that embraces the ancient city of Toledo.

The gullies are the sinkholes or ravines produced in rocks and clay soils as a result of water from rainfall or, in this case, the erosion of the land as a result of the water flows of the Tagus River. This phenomenon is known as remontant erosion.

The Cárcavas de Burujón have a fairly high degree of evolution, with narrow, deep gorges that give the landscape a unique appearance, which can also be seen in Colorado, USA.

Many photographers come to the area to capture the perfect moment which turns out to be very cinematographic due to the contrast between the reddish earth, the blue sky and the reservoir.

Photo tip looking from the second viewpoint: During sunrise you have the sun in front of you and during sunset you have the sun behind you illuminating the reservoir (see photo above pointing north).