Itinerary
Stage of low difficulty but a long journey (18.1 km) between the municipalities of Monda and Istán. The route can be done in about 6 hours with a drop of less than 290 meters.
A good part of the route runs along the old road that connected both towns, today converted into a forest track, and even with large paved sections. We will cross some of the best forest masses in this sector of the Sierra de las Nieves, where pine forests and cork oak forests abound. Close to the town of Istán we will find numerous orchards and farms.
Summary
Stage 6 of the GR-243, between Monda and Istán, runs along the southern border of the Sierra de las Nieves Biosphere Reserve. It takes advantage of the natural corridor where the pine-covered slopes of the Sierras Canucha and Blanca mountain ranges meet the hilly pastureland of Moratán, the rugged Mount Albornoque and the River Verde valley. The peridotite rock of the Sierra Real mountains completes the natural panorama.
The route takes us through a patchwork of landscapes which highlights the huge environmental value of this area. Then, after this initial variety of farmland, we approach the pine-covered slopes of Canucha, punished by forest fires.
The section along the northern edge of the Moratán Dehesa pastureland brings together the best of Mediterranean woodland, with dense Pine forest and plentiful Cork oak alternating with Gall oak groves, with some clumps of Pinsapo Spanish firs in the shady Canucha canyons. The Moratán pass represents the dividing line between the river basins of the Grande, to the east, and the Verde, to the west. Taking advantage of the clearing along the Albornoque stream, a tributary of the River Verde, it descends in the shelter of the immense Sierra Blanca mountains. At the valley bottom, cultivated plots and woodland dominate. Meanwhile, close to Istán it is the fantastic agricultural system that takes centre stage on the terraces surrounding the River Molinos. Its source, as well as being a thirst-quenching attraction, signals the end of the stage.