This is our favorite route in the Cebollera Natural Park, connecting two of its most interesting spots: the Puente Ra waterfalls and the “hoyos” (holes), small glacial lagoons where mountain streams originate.
Begin the route from the Lomos de Orio Hermitage, and from there take the path that leads down to the Puente Ra stream. After less than a kilometer of descent through a beautiful forest, you reach the stream. Go back up it and you can see the waterfalls.
Little by little, you advance, enjoying the surroundings, climbing along the river along a track that eventually becomes a path, just as the river narrows as you climb.
After crossing a wooden bridge, you will reach the wettest and most beautiful area of the mountain range (and probably the entire Rioja region), with all the stones covered in moss in a dense beech forest.
The river recedes below as the path climbs, but among the beech trees, you will discover a large waterfall that you can get closer to.
Continue along the path, which now leads to an open area among pine forests. After less than a kilometer, you come out onto a very wide track that borders the entire park. Follow it for 300 meters and, at the bend, pay attention to a path that leads up through the pine forest. Follow it steeply uphill for 500 meters until you reach open areas, continuing for another 800 meters until you turn off the path and head cross-country to look for holes among the meadows.
Holes are the small ponds that give rise to these streams that join together to form the mountain streams. They only have water in spring and early summer, when the humidity overflows throughout the meadows.
For the more adventurous, you can continue climbing to the summit of Cebollera Peak, 2,141 m high. If you don’t want to climb it, return along the same path you came to the waterfalls. To avoid repeating everything, you can take another trail that climbs to the main trail and return to the Hermitage.
The entire route is about 13 km and 700 m of elevation gain, and if you only do the first part of the waterfalls, it’s less than 5 km and 300 m of elevation gain. It can be done at any time of year, although there is usually snow in winter.
You can find the track for this route on Wikiloc:
