🎵 Audio guide
The south-eastern limit of Salorino is formed by the Sierra de San Pedro, a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive, where it is possible to see Spanish Imperial eagles, black vultures, golden eagles and black storks. It is also part of the Tagus International Biosphere Reserve. The Torrico de San Pedro trail is part of the PR-CC 93 route which leads to the Cancho del Soldado (Soldier’s Rock). It is a linear, or out-and-back trail with a circular section, which passes through the gently rolling hills of the dehesa and climbs the mountain through Mediterranean forest.
The trail starts in the Plaza de Torrijos, following the old drovers’ road, the Colada del Camino de Albuquerque. It winds through the plain between old stone walls markings small plots of land – fields and meadows, until it reaches a gate.
Past the gate, the walls disappear and we leave the drovers’ road and enter into the dehesa. In the distance we can see Torrico, with its unmistakeable shape, as we follow the trail through two clusters of buildings and move deeper into the wooded pasture that is the dehesa.
After passing another gate, we encounter the Rivera de la Mula, whose waters flow into the reservoir of the same name, or the Charca Grande. At the fork in the path we turn left and begin the circular section of the trail. The right-hand fork is the path by which we will return later. We reach a gate and follow the fence to re-join the drovers’ road.
The path to the Cancho del Soldado runs diagonal to the slope of the hill with an elevation gain of 200m in 1.5km. The first 300m follow a track and then we move into the forest and continue on smaller paths and tracks until we reach the rocks that form the Cancho del Soldado.
At this point we can take a well-deserved rest and enjoy the magnificent views in a haven of peace. The return leg of the route is downhill to the junction where we turn left to follow the trail through the area where the dehesa meets the Sierra and pass by an old, forgotten apiary.
Passing through a gate and taking the right-hand path, we head in the direction of Salorino. We make a left turn to retake the track that we left earlier and pass a pig farm where, with a bit of luck, we can see pigs running around. Shortly after this point the trail returns to the start of the loop section at the fork and we retrace our steps back to Salorino.
Passing through a gate and taking the right-hand path, we head in the direction of Salorino. We make a left turn to retake the track that we left earlier and pass a pig farm where, with a bit of luck, we will see Spanish Imperial eagles. We re-join the drovers road and return to the Plaza de Torrijos.
Volvemos sobre nuestros pasos hasta pasadas las edificaciones agrícolas que dejamos a nuestra izquierda, entonces giramos 90º para ascender una pequeña ladera que no lleva a un mirador natural que nos deja impresionantes vistas del entorno. Un poco más adelante pasada una cerca llegamos al punto de partida.