Today we are going to talk about another mountain range that is of great importance in the Iberian Peninsula. It's about the Universal MountainsIt is a mountain system that is located on the southeastern border of the Iberian SystemIts extension covers a large part of the Aragonese region, the Sierra de Albarracín in Teruel, and the southeastern part of the Alto Tajo, between Guadalajara and Cuenca. It is an area well known for its numerous hiking trails and rural tourism, especially in the Montes Universales region.
In this article you will be able to know the characteristics and geology of the Universal Mountains as well as one of the best hiking routes you can do. You want to know more? We explain everything here.
Key features
The Universal Mountains have some of the most powerful characteristics of the mountainous areas of Spain. The peaks that it possesses are between 1.600 and 1.935 meters high. In these mountains is the source of the Guadalaviar river. This river is known as Turia once it joins the Alfambra river in the city of Teruel.
All the mountains found in this system are arranged in a northwest to southeast direction inside the Iberian internal arch. In the northeast it borders the Caimodorro massif, whose age is estimated to come from the Paleozoic. In addition, it also borders Loma Alta de Villar del Cobo. To the southeast, they collide with the Cuenca mountain range and to the east with the Guadalaviar valley.
We are in its hydrography to an important river of the Alto Tajo. This one was born in the bosom of the Universal Mountains and, for this reason, it is quite famous. The Tagus River is the largest in the entire peninsula. They also have the Levantine rivers that make up the Turia and the Júcar, which are prominent rivers in the Montes Universales area.
As for its mountain ranges, they are formed by strata that come from the Mesozoic. Some areas have limestone plateaus from the Jurassic with abundant karstification. Karst terrain is best known for its peculiar formation. In the Loma Alta and Griegos we find a proliferation of fields of sinkholes and lapiaz.
In the south of the Paleozoic nucleus some tabular synclines of Cretaceous origin are aligned. Some calcareous karstified cornices stand out and descend through parts of a valley shaped like a cradle, due to a periglacial formation. In the karst nucleus we find sinking sinkholes that have some river courses. The head of these courses are in the Universal Mountains.
Montes Universales, where the Tagus is born
Not only is the Tagus river born in the Universal Mountains (known as the longest in the entire peninsula) but also the Cabriel and the Guadalaviar. This makes the Universal Mountains are a tourist target with rural getaways, hiking and conservation tourism. There are numerous cabins for rent to spend wonderful weekends with family and friends, huge beautiful trails, and a whole place to enjoy nature and escape from obligations, referring to the .
In these areas, the traditional architecture that takes us away from modern areas stands out. We can see great works in railings, landscapes that alternate meadows and pine forests, etc. Further, transhumance was practiced in ancient times. This landscape is in harmony thanks to the chasms and sinkholes that give rise to truly spectacular forms. It is worth going to rest and enjoy nature.
There are also museums, tastings of many local delicacies, and hiking and biking trails in the countryside. We are going to explain in detail one of the best routes that can be done through the Universal Mountains.
Route through the Universal Mountains
The route lasts a full weekend. The proposal is to start the route through the Mirador del Portillo. We can leave the vehicle and walk up to the viewpoint that is conditioned. It is located at a height of 1.800 meters, which will offer us incredible landscapes of nature and everything that surrounds it. From this point, we can also identify some points of interest thanks to the existence of some indicative panels that indicate where we have to emphasize our sighting.
We continue along the road to descend to the Tagus valley. In this area we find an alternation of pastures and pine forests. The channel where the river Tagus is born is perfectly signposted and we can see it up close. This point is where the river begins to receive its first contributions of water temporarily. Although it is counted as the source of the Tagus, you cannot see a stable riverbed, but it is the first contribution of water that will begin to flow from that place until traveling 1072 km throughout Spain until reaching Lisbon.
We continue advancing along the road in the direction of Frías de Albarracín. We travel 3 km before reaching the town and we find you with some pine forests that look like a large hole in the ground. It is the Sima de Frías. The walls are protected by a wooden fence. It is 80 meters in diameter and about 60 meters deep. If we want to see it completely well, we must surround it.
In the afternoon, we'll have a much more relaxed plan. We'll visit the town of Griegos, one of the highest settlements on the entire peninsula. It is 1600 meters high. You will find yourself totally surrounded by pastures where there are many cows.
Second day of the route
We set out in search of the Campo de Dolinas de Villar del Cobo. We will see a great depression of about 350 meters and 50 meters deep with little vegetation. These dimensions surprise even the camera that will not be able to capture everything.
We can complete the morning by visiting the Trashumacia Museum located in the center of the town of Guadalaviar, where you can learn about traditional life in the Montes Universales. To end the weekend, we'll visit the town of Villar del Cobo, where we'll see examples of traditional architecture with whitewashed facades and outstanding ironwork.