Garganta de los Infiernos

The Garganta de los Infiernos is a nature reserve in the Sierra de Tormantos above the Jerte valley, and its feature is Los Pilones: a stretch where the stream running over granite has, over thousands of years, drilled a series of near-circular potholes into the rock, some several metres across and deep, linked by chutes and small falls. Swimming in them is the reason most people come, though the water stays cold. A path of about an hour from the visitor centre near Jerte reaches the site, climbing gently through chestnut and oak. Above, longer routes continue into the reserve toward higher pools and viewpoints. Summer pressure has led to a daily quota on parking and access at the trailhead.

What you actually see

• Los Pilones - circular granite potholes drilled by the stream.
• The linking chutes - falls and slides between one pool and the next.
• The chestnut woods - forest on the approach path from the valley.
• The upper reserve - longer routes to higher pools and viewpoints.

When to go

May to September for swimming, with June and September quieter than July and August; the water is cold in any month. Access quotas apply in high summer and the car park closes when full, often by mid-morning.

Honest expectations

Summer access is capped and the trailhead fills early, sometimes before nine. The granite around the pools is extremely slippery and accidents happen. There is no lifeguard and the pools are deep in places.

Nearby

Jerte and the cherry valley lie below; Yuste and La Vera are south over the pass.