Puerto de las Palomas - the edge of the world

We were in Grazalema for the weekend and at some point - I don’t remember who suggested it - we decided to take the Cerro Coros hike starting at Puerto de las Palomas - one of the highest mountain passes in the Sierra de Grazalema.

Nothing dramatic. Nothing heroic.
Just a casual “we’re here anyway, why not?”

The sign said “medium difficulty.”
Fine. We like “medium.”

The trail starts gently, and then… suddenly you realise you’re walking on the very edge of the mountains.
Not metaphorically.
Literally on the edge.

On one side: a green-turquoise lake so far below it looks like a painting. That’s the Zahara–El Gastor reservoir. The colour that doesn’t look real until you stand above it.
On the other: open sky.

And above our heads, huge griffon vultures gliding in slow circles. Their wingspan is up to 3 meters. They nest on the limestone cliffs around your trail. People come from across Europe to watch them here.
You feel very small and very grateful that they don’t mistake you for lunch.

The best part? We were completely alone.
No groups.
No noise.
No “¡hola!” every 30 seconds.
Just us, the path, and the soft sound of the breeze.

It wasn’t a heavy hike.
Actually, it was surprisingly easy.
But there’s something about standing there with this enormous landscape under your feet and these giant birds above your head…
Breathtaking.

We came back dusty, happy, a little sunburned, and with that feeling you get when nature shows you something special without asking anything in return.

A perfect little hike.
Not difficult.
Very beautiful.
And honestly, I would do it again tomorrow.