Hiking in Spain - GR10 Trail Guide


Be sure the check the main Hiking in Spain and Hiking in Europe pages for additional information and links.

overview map of gr10
GPX track here (GR10, GR188, GR110, GR111, PR-CC1, PR-CC184, PR-SA28, GR12 in Portugal, PR-TE1 through PR-TE8 in Teruel, plus waypoints showing locations of hotels/stores/fuentes). View in Google Maps here.

Here is my trip report for 2013, for everything except the section in Valencia.

Here is my trip report for 2014, mostly Teruel province plus a very short section in Valencia.

Official hiking organizations:

Prices below assume low season (everything except Christmas, New Year, Semana Santa, holidays, July, August). Sometimes late June, early September and weekends during spring and fall are also considered high season. Pricing information from hotelsearch.com, toprural.com, and ecoturismorural very unreliable.

Whether or not Saturday is considered high season for pricing, that day is usually the busiest at most hotels. Be prepared to camp then if you don't have a reservation.

Most towns have a water fountain. Stores in small towns face severe competition from a combination of daily fruit/bread trucks and delivery by hypermarts (ordering by internet) and many can be expected to shut down in the future. Bakeries (horno or panadería) sometimes also sell non-perishable food (canned goods, chocolate, etc). Stores and bakeries may have limited hours. It is best to always carry some extra trail food (biscuits, pan de molde, etc).

As of 2016, quantity of Airbnb.com listings is rapidly increasing for rural areas of Spain, so be sure to check that site. Booking.com is also increasingly being used by smaller hotels. But I would avoid using booking.com to make reservations and especially to pay with smaller hotels, since they often have internet problems. Sometimes booking.com shows vacancy in small hotel but either hotel is closed or no vacancy. So just use it to get availability and price range of rooms.

Quick Jumps

Teruel

Guadalajara

Madrid

Ávila

Cáceres / Salamanca

Valencia

gr10 part a
"Técnico" segment on the map above is a steep section in the Canal del Garbí, which requires use of the iron ladders and chains bolted to the walls of the gully. Not too difficult if descending and only carrying a daypack, but tiring if ascending, especially with a full load of gear. Only advantage of the alternative through Serra is no backtracking for those visiting Serra. Segment from Estivella is for those taking the train there, so as to avoid the section between Puçol and Serra. You can also take a combination of subway/bus to get between Valencia and Serra.

Abejuela

Andilla (see GR7 guide for accomodation info)

Arcos de la Salinas

Teruel

gr10 part b

GR10 between Valacloche and Cascante del Rio is overgrown and poorly waymarked. I recommend using the highway for this 2km stretch.

Albarracín

Bezas

Bronchales

Calomarde

Camarena de la Sierra (intersection with GR8)

Cascante del Rio

Cuervo, El

Frías de Albarracín

Gea de Albarracín

Griegos

Guadalaviar

Jabaloyas

Monterde de Albarracín

Moscardón

Noguera de Albarracín

Orihuela del Tremendal

Riodeva (see GR8 guide for accommodation info)

Royuela

Rubiales

Terriente

Teruel (see Cities not on GRs for accommodation info)

Tormón

Torres de Albarracín

Tramacastilla

Valdecuenca

Vallecillo

Villar del Cobo

Villel (intersection with GR8)

Guadalajara

gr10 part c

The GPX track for this section runs along a boring paved forest road between Chequilla and Peralejos de las Truchas, whereas the official route runs through the mountains, to the south of the paved road. Supposedly, the official trail is horribly overgrown.

Checa

Fuente La Parra (about 15km downstream of Poveda de la Sierra, along the Tajo River)

Monasterio de la Buenafuente del Sistal

Orea

Peracense (PR-TE4)

Peralejos de la Truchas

Pozondón (PR-TE4)

Poveda de la Sierra

Ródenas (PR-TE4)

Salto de Poveda

Villar de Cobeta

gr10 part d

Cifuentes

Huertahernando

Jadraque

Mandayona

Matillas

Ocentejo

Torremocha del Campo

Madrid

gr10 part e

Arbancón

Bustarviejo

Cabrera, La

Cogolludo

Fresnada, Camping La

Manzanares el Real

Miraflores de la Sierra

Patones de Arriba

Tamajón

Torrelaguna

Valdemanco

Ávila

gr10 part f

Note: the section from Cercedilla to San Lorenzo de El Escorial takes two days (lots of rock scrambling makes for very slow going). Three ways to split this section: (a) Take the train from Tablada to Cercedilla, then return the next day and resume. Train was running in 2013 but will be phased out eventually, since it has been superseded by the high-speed train between Madrid and Segovia; (b) Walk from Fuente Archipreste to Cercedilla via the Camino de Los Lomitos, then return the next day and resume. Trail is about 7km along the 1400m contour, so an easy walk; (c) Stay at the hostal in Tablada.

Barroco, El

Cebreros

Cercedilla

Cruceras, Las

Escorial, El

Mataelpino

Navacerrada

Navaluenga

Pelayos de la Presa

Robleda de Chavela

San Martín Valdeiglesias

San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Tablada

Tiemblo, El

Zarzalejo la Estación

gr10 part g

Barco de Ávila, El

Burgohondo

Hoyocasero

Hoyos del Espino

Navaredonda de Gredos

Venta de Rasquilla

Cáceres / Salamanca

gr10 part h

Abadía

Agallas

Alberca, La

Aldeanueva del Camino

Béjar

Cabezuela del Valle

Calzada de Béjar, La

Casar de Palomero

Caminomorisco

Cepeda

Descargamaría

Guijo de Granadilla

Horcajo de Montemayor

Jerte

Mogarraz

Mohedas de Granadilla

Monsagro

Ovejuela

Pinofranqueado

Robledilla de Gata

Sotoserrano

Tornavacas

Zarza de Granadilla

gr10 part i

Acebo

Cadalso

Cilleros

Gata

Hoyos

Navasfrías

Perales del Puerto

San Martín de Trevejo

Torre de Don Miguel

Villasbuenas de Gata

Villamiel