The Júcar Canyon, a riverside route and the historic Poblado del Salto represent different sides of Villalba De La Sierra. This gives you a useful starting question when planning your trip: should the landscape, an activity on the Júcar or industrial history be the focus of your stay?
Júcar Canyon and Ventano del Diablo
The Júcar Canyon stretches for 11 kilometres from Uña to Villalba De La Sierra and has vertical walls about 200 metres high. Its length describes an entire section of the canyon; the height of its walls gives another dimension to this landscape. The Ventano del Diablo offers a different perspective: formed by karst erosion, it is a natural viewpoint above the Júcar with panoramic views.
The Ventano del Diablo is directly beside the road connecting Villalba De La Sierra with the Ciudad Encantada and Uña. The road connection and the course of the canyon thus serve as different points of reference: the viewpoint is beside a road between the three places mentioned, while the canyon stretches from Uña to Villalba. When comparing the natural attractions, you can therefore consider a longer stretch of landscape alongside a single viewpoint.
Activities and routes along the Júcar
Los Cortados de Villalba de la Sierra lie in the Júcar Canyon opposite the Ventano del Diablo. Canyoning there combines hiking, swimming, jumps and a descent through the riverbed. The focus is therefore on a combination of different types of movement and water activities, rather than on panoramic views alone. Arrangements may vary; check them in advance if canyoning is part of your plans.
The Via Ferrata del Ventano del Diablo starts at the Ventano del Diablo. Technical access requirements may vary; check the requirements in advance. Stage 5 of the Camino Natural del Júcar offers a different way to experience the area’s connection with the river. It starts at an information board on the Júcar in Villalba De La Sierra and, after the starting point, runs parallel to the river for almost its entire length.
The starting points also clearly distinguish the two routes: the Via Ferrata starts at the viewpoint, while the Camino stage starts at the information board by the river. To choose between them, you can first compare the type of activity you want and the respective starting point. The stage is defined by its almost continuous parallel course alongside the Júcar; the Via Ferrata is based at the Ventano del Diablo.
Industrial history and local character
The Poblado del Salto de Villalba opened in 1926 together with the El Salto hydroelectric plant. The complex includes residential buildings, former technical buildings and a small church in the historicist style. The different types of buildings offer a different focus from the canyon and riverside routes: here, the interest is in the history of a settlement that opened alongside a hydroelectric plant, and in its architecture.
Villalba De La Sierra is also part of the Serranía de Cuenca Starlight Tourist Destination. This status within the programme may change in the future. Together with the Poblado, it complements the natural and river-related attractions with another way of placing the town in a tourism context.
Choose a hotel and focus for your trip
When searching for a hotel in Villalba De La Sierra, it helps to decide on your focus first: are you most interested in the canyon and viewpoint, canyoning or a riverside stage, or the Poblado del Salto? These are different reasons to discover the area, and they don’t have to be combined into one fixed itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Palomera, Tragacete, Almodóvar del Pinar, Olmedilla De Alarcón, Monteagudo De Las Salinas, Alarcón, Reíllo, Saelices
Go to the broader travel overview: Cuenca.
