If you’re heading to the UNESCO-listed Granada Geopark in southern Spain and want to hike in the fascinating Gorafe Desert, you’re in the right place!
I recently did the entire Ruta del Desierto de Gorafe hike, which most visitors do by 4×4, motorbike, or bike. It’s surely a long trail, but oh my, is the nature that surrounds you mighty!
This is not a beginner hike, though it’s easy to walk, not too strenuous, and easy to follow. But the length of it makes it pretty exhausting, besides being constantly exposed to the elements, whether it’s sun or wind, which wears on you after several hours with no escape.
That said, this is one of the most spectacular hikes I’ve done in Andalucia to date, and I’ve done my share!
These colorful badlands used to be under emerged in water for millions of years. First, when this entire area was part of the sea, and then later, as it slowly closed the gap to the sea and turned into a giant lake, it saw rising and lowering water levels for another few million years.
Now, you can enjoy a desert landscape like nowhere else in Europe, and in this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know to plan your day hiking Ruta del Desierto de Gorafe.
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I’m Linn Haglund, the face behind Andalucia Hiking. I’m an avid hiker and after calling Andalucia home for over 10 years, I’ve covered my share of peaks, ravines, rivers, and valleys across all 8 provinces. I’m here to help you navigate this incredible region with thorough hiking guides, hiking tips, and gear recommendations.
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Table of Contents
Practical information
- Province: Granada
- Region: Granada Geopark in Gorafe (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Length: 24 km
- Time: 6-8 hours
- Elevation: 566 meters
- Route: Circular
- Difficulty: Moderate (due to the length)
- Hiking season: mid-September to May
- Hiking with dogs: Allowed, but keep in mind occasional vehicles on the road, bring enough water for your dog as well, keep an eye on signs of overheating, and if you go in the Pine Processionary Caterpillar season, I suggest you turn around at the halfway point, as there are pine trees on the last half of the trail where we saw many old nests.
How to get to the trailhead
The only way to get to the Ruta del Desierto de Gorafe trailhead is by car. First, you must drive to the small village of Gorafe (which I do recommend staying a couple of days in to see all the megalithic sites in the area), and then there’s a narrow, steep, and windy road up to the top of the hill.
On top of the hill, you’ll follow a dirt road along the edge until you reach an old, abandoned house, where you’ll see the hiking sign to Ruta del Desierto de Gorafe. This is where the trail starts. Looking at the house, walk to the right.
I do recommend following the driving directions to the trailhead by downloading my trail recording on Wikiloc. Clicking on “Follow driving directions to the trailhead” will reroute you to Google Maps and take you there easily.
CHECK OUT THE ROUTE ON WIKILOC
When is the best time to hike
Except for summer, due to the heat, you can hike in the Gorafe Desert the rest of the year. Due to no shade on the entire trail, hiking on any hot summer day will be suicidal.
If you’re not used to the Andalusian summer, you need to know that we sometimes have summer temperatures throughout October.
So even though I say the hiking season is from mid-September to May, you need to check the temperatures before you consider hiking in September, October, and even in May.
In the colder months, you need to prepare for possible cold winds accompanying you the entire day.
What to bring
Due to the length of the hike, make sure you bring enough water and food/snacks to keep you fuelled throughout the day. Nuts, dates, and fruits like bananas and apples are my go-to.
While I’m personally not a big fan, because I’m fuzzy, dried fruits like figs, pineapples, prunes, and mangoes are full of nutrition and lightweight, making them perfect for a longer hike like this one.
Next, let’s talk water. Especially if you go in the warmer months. We hiked last May, and it was scorching hot.
Make sure you bring enough water!
Especially if you hike with your dog, you need enough for both of you. Not only to drink, but you might need to cool down your dog’s body and maybe also your own neck and head to avoid overheating (that said, you should wear a hat!)
If you feel like you want to bring some extra security concerning the heat, I always have an emergency blanket or two at the bottom of my backpack. They’re lightweight and can be used in emergencies to warm your body if you get too cold or to cool down your body if you get too hot.
I’ve never needed them in any emergency settings. Luckily. I started bringing them after using them to stay warm when tenting in cool temperatures, but figured they’re good to have lying in the backpack together with a headlamp, because you never know when you’ll need them.
Besides, make sure you bring enough layers, a windbreaker, and even a buff, beanie, and mittens on days where temperatures can be lower and with possibilities of wind.
And I’ll mention it again, wear something to protect your head from the sun, whether it’s a hat, cap, or hoodie. You’ll thank me later.
THINGS TO BRING
- lunch
- fruit or other snack
- water (at least 2 liters per person/dog)
- camera
- layers of clothes in the colder months
- sunscreen
Where to stay
Gorafe is a small town amidst the Granada Geopark, and it’s known for its cave houses. So what better way to experience Gorafe than by staying in a traditional cave house?
We stayed in Cueva Rincón Bustamante and loved it! But here are some other alternatives with great reviews that you can check out if they’re booked out for your dates:
Hiking Ruta del Desierto de Gorafe
Starting at the trailhead by the abandoned building as described above, walk the road to the right. At the end, when you reach the next building on your left, turn left after passing it.
This is the direction you’ll keep walking until you get to the halfway point, where the trail will loop around towards the left to return to the starting point.
However, there are a handful of forks to be aware of. To make it easy for you, you have to keep left in all of them.
The first 1.5 kilometers are kind of boring on a dirt track surrounded by fields. But once you get to the 1.5-kilometer mark, a whole different world opens up to you!
The colorful and unique landscape hits you like a dramatic painting of another planet, and I was just in awe from that moment until I reached the van again.
The most well-known area is “Los Coloraos,” which means The Colorful, and refers to the many colors of reds, yellows, greys, and greens. There are some information signs in Spanish along the trail giving you the names of different valleys and hills.
At the halfway point, the trail takes you to the bottom of the valley along dramatic walls that seem more like they belong in a US National Park.
The hill back up again was quite challenging for us, as it was so hot, and it kind of felt like the heat quadrupled as we started ascending. Even our champ, Atlas, started struggling, though he’s not known for handling the heat very well.
But as we took several breaks uphill, we also turned around. And what we saw left us breathless. The bare badlands we walked up, which were hues of red and orange, were lush and green on the other side.
It felt like we came from a completely different landscape than what we looked at. It was just as if we had turned a coin to the other side.
After getting to the top again, the trail turns sharply left, so you walk parallel to the first half of the hike until you reach the trailhead again.
On this half of the trail, you’ll walk past small clusters of pine trees that have survived in the most hostile of environments.
If you hike with dogs, I don’t recommend doing this part of the hike in the Pine Processionary Caterpillar season from late December to late spring. We saw a lot of nests when we were there, though the caterpillar had already gone for the season.
You can read more about Pine Processionary Caterpillars and why they are dangerous for dogs here.
OTHER HIKES IN GRANADA
Reflections on hiking in the Gorafe Desert
Summing up, hiking in the Gorafe Desert is one of the best experiences I’ve had hiking in Andalucia. The landscape is like nowhere else I’ve been, and it never ends!
I was seriously in awe from start to end. When we reached the area with the pine trees on the way back, I was kind of relieved, because I could walk faster and not stop and take pictures everywhere! This is when I started to realize how tired I was.
It felt like a surprisingly break in the awesomeness, which sounds weird when I put it into words. But sometimes, experiences are hard to explain. They need to be experienced.
The Gorafe Desert is no doubt one of them.
Happy travels!