Nacimiento del Rio Cuervo

The Cuervo rises in the Serrania de Cuenca where groundwater emerges from a limestone cliff at around 1,600 metres and falls over a face thickly grown with moss and covered in travertine, a limestone the water deposits as it flows, which the moss then colonises, building the formation outward over centuries. The result is a curtain of water falling through green rather than over bare rock. A boardwalk of about a kilometre and a half runs from the car park to the falls and around a small circuit, easy and largely accessible. In hard winters the falls freeze into ice formations, which draws its own visitors. The site was declared a natural monument in 1999 after erosion from foot traffic prompted the boardwalk.

Highlights

• The mossy falls - water dropping over travertine grown thick with moss.
• The travertine build-up - limestone deposited by the water itself.
• The boardwalk circuit - about a kilometre and a half, largely accessible.
• The winter ice - the falls freezing in hard cold spells.

When to go

April to June for the fullest flow from snowmelt; December to February for the frozen formations, when the road may need care. Flow drops considerably by late summer and the falls can be thin.

Practical notes

The falls are modest in height and can be reduced to a trickle in late summer. Parking is charged and limited in season, with the site closing when full. Winter access depends on road conditions at altitude.

Nearby

The Ciudad Encantada lies south; the Serrania de Cuenca and Alto Tajo surround the area.