Vereda de la Estrella from Güéjar Sierra

The walk starts at the car park by the Barranco de San Juan, at the end of the narrow road from Güéjar Sierra that follows the bed of the old Sierra Nevada tramway. Cross the Genil by the wooden bridge and climb to the path, which then runs almost level along the valley side, past the old chestnut called El Abuelo and the viewpoint of El Viso, with the north faces of Alcazaba and Mulhacén ahead. It passes the ruins of the Probadora and Estrella mines, crosses the Guarnón and reaches El Real, where two rivers meet, before a last climb up the Valdecasillas valley to the Cueva Secreta, a rock shelter. Return the same way.

It is 21.2 km there and back with 574 m of climbing; allow about 7 hours. The grade is Hard, for the distance: the path is narrow but easy, cut into the hillside.

There are unfenced drops beside the path, and the old mine mouths are unsafe to enter. There is no phone signal and no drinking fountain. Snow and ice lie on the upper part in winter; in summer the lower valley is hot.

The road in is single-track through the old tram tunnels. The bus from Granada goes only as far as Güéjar Sierra, nearly 6 km short.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.