Sites of Peña Negra
A perfect place to take a walk, sit on a large rock to eat a snack, watch the sunset and even gaze at the stars.
Open map Piornal (Cáceres), España
A mountain pass between the Jerte Valley and La Vera with infinite views.
The pass between the Jerte Valley and La Vera is a special place. High mountain landscapes, small oak groves, low scrub and countless viewpoints with endless views. Large masses of granite rock and crowning the landscape the largest rocky outcrop of all, PEÑA NEGRA.
Would you like to take a walk with us through this unique place?
Shortly after passing Piornal (just 2 km later) on the way to Garganta la Olla, at the top of the mountain (more than 1200 meters of altitude), we find a kind of huge semi plain that crowns the ridge of the mountain between the Jerte Valley and La Vera (the Piornalegos call this place La Padrona, and there you see them walking on many occasions). It is a fantastic place to stop the car and take a long walk (to eat a snack, to take pictures or to see the stars at night). The ideal is to walk following a path or better, the track that leads from the road to Peña Negra. All the way, already from Piornal, is dotted with huge rocky outcrops (many of them you can climb and look out over the horizon). It is easy to feel like a child again. You want to climb, clear your arms, run, jump. The mountain air, cooler here than anywhere else, accompanies us, enhancing the feeling of freedom.
You can walk long distances and see fantastic landscapes of both the Jerte Valley and La Vera. But yes, it is not easy to walk if you get out of the way, because although the vegetation is very low (it is impossible to get lost) it is also very resistant and very tough, sometimes trying to get through the bushes is literally impossible.
And what can we say about the largest of the rocky outcrops, Peña Negra, which can be seen from afar. It seems small, until you get close to its base. For many, the challenge is not to get there, but to climb and feel like you are touching the sky with your hands.
Can you climb to the top of Peña Negra?
This is a compromising question. The answer is yes, you can climb it. However, you must go around the rocky outcrop through a more accessible area and finally you can reach the summit (in a few minutes). But why is it a compromised question? Because it is not considered a tourist attraction and, therefore, has no protections or handrails or any structure to ensure our safety. If you have vertigo, you will have a hard time at the top, because the fall to the bottom of the valley is spectacular. If it were to happen to you, it would not be the first anxiety attack that has been seen in the place. Of course, if you go up, use common sense and be very cautious and, of course, do not approach the cliff in any case (you can take very good pictures without putting yourself in danger). Of course, I don't think there is any Piornalego who has not climbed to the top of Peña Negra, but that doesn't mean anything.
Where to find us, how to get there
There is a hiking route (round trip) that goes from Piornal to Peña Negra, crossing the entire Padrona. This possibility will take us in total about 17 km.
What I would suggest is to go to the Padrona by car, go through the whole area and even make a shorter round trip to Peña Negra. To do this, going up from the Jerte Valley, cross Piornal and just at the exit take the junction that leads to Garganta la Olla. After a kilometer and a half we will come across a viewpoint on the side of the road built to contemplate this area (from the south side). We continue for a little more than a kilometer and when we see the sign indicating that we are at 1250 meters (just before starting the descent of the port) we will find a track on our left that starts with a Canadian pass. We cross it and, from there, we can drive as close as we want to the summit.
The other possibility is to go directly by car to Peña Negra, following the same track.
Going to Peña Negra by car
For the less experienced walkers, this may be the best way to get closer. However, the track (6 km) that allows us to climb up to the rocky area is partially asphalted (only half of it). Another part is dirt and may not be too easy to continue in the final part (depending on the rains and if it has been prepared recently). In any case it is not advisable to force.
From the moment you leave the road, you will follow the track for about 6 km until you reach the area. From there to the base of Peña Negra we will still have another 300-600 meters (depending on where you park). Remember, the place is not touristy. Don't do anything crazy and don't expose yourself for a photograph (your life is worth much more).