Le Mont Del Fraile (Cerro del Fraile)

A 360° panorama of the Cabo de Gata - Nijar natural park, from the top of this peak, the highest point in the region at 493 meters above sea level. The park is of volcanic origin, and is the first maritime and terrestrial park in Andalusia. The view from the summit is magnificent, whether from the sea or the land.

Details

n°1065573

Creation:
09 Apr 2018

Last update:
29 Apr 2018

Last review:
07 Oct 2024

Activity: Walking
Distance: 7.05 km
Average duration: 3h 20
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 456 m
Descent: - 455 m
Highest point: 477 m
Lowest point: 20 m

Country: Spain
City: Níjar
Start/End: N 36.802696° / W 2.077005°
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Description of the walk

Start: in front of the Los Escullos campsite. Take the A-7 exit number 479 (Nijar- San Isidro- San Jose), continue for 20km and follow the signs to San Jose, then take the exit on the right towards Los Escullos - La Isleta-Rodalquiar. Continue for 3 minutes (3km) and you'll arrive at the Los Escullos campsite.

(S/E) Follow the wide road heading South-East.

(1) After approx. 200 m, turn right onto a beautiful and wide track which climbs southwards through stony fields. The path climbs gently upwards and you'll be able to take in the 2 almost twin peaks of Los Frailes in front of you. The path curves round to the West, then heads due South, still slightly uphill, to reach a fork in the road.

(2) Take the right-hand path (South-South-West), following the cairns on the ground. A little further on, the path turns West and passes 2 rounded dry-stone constructions resembling bories (shepherd's huts).

(3) The path forks again, first South-West then due South; follow the small cairns. The path becomes faint in places, but heads towards the ridgeline to reach a small pass at an altitude of 216 metres.

(4) Stay on the ridge, following the cairns as best you can, then bend towards the summit on a wide curve to the East. Reach the summit for a 360° panorama.

(5) Take the same route back to the campsite (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 21 m - Campsite Los Escullo
1 : km 0.14 - alt. 21 m - Path through the fields
2 : km 1.34 - alt. 101 m - Fork
3 : km 1.8 - alt. 115 m - Rounded dry stone structures
4 : km 2.56 - alt. 211 m - Small pass
5 : km 3.63 - alt. 476 m - Summit
S/E : km 7.05 - alt. 22 m - Campsite Los Escullo

Notes

Please note: the first part of the hike follows wide, easy paths, the second then follows well-marked ridge paths with cairns. There are no tricky sections.

Gears: hiking shoes are strongly recommended.

Warning: bring plenty of water.

Picnicking on the summit is possible, but the wind can be strong.

Worth a visit

Bring your camera and binoculars to enjoy the view.
(3) Two beautiful rounded dry-stone buildings.
(5) 360° panorama from the summit.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5

Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5

Route interest
4.8 / 5

Fablutte

07 Oct 2024 at 09:34 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very fine hike, with a magnificent 360-degree view at the summit.
The climb is steep at times and you need to be well shod as there are a lot of stones. Be sure to follow the cairns and on the way down follow the map at the start as the tracks are not very visible.

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Pierlo

25 Sep 2024 at 09:20 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Opinion shared with patbru54. A slightly demanding hike in the second part. Pay attention to the cairns to get your bearings. On the way down, you quickly find yourself off the track and the Visorando guide is very important in getting you back on the right path. At the summit, the magnificent 360° view more than justifies the effort. Thanks for sharing.

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titibof

25 Jun 2023 at 10:51 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A slightly strenuous hike in hot weather, but the reward is a beautiful view at the end. It's best to wear long trousers (if it's not too hot) as you'll be threading your way through the vegetation.

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rufy

10 Apr 2023 at 15:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello .
the circuit wasn't very busy but that's probably because of the season .
the view is simply exceptional .
I think it would be easy to return via a different path (more towards the seafront).
sinon tres belle rando .
rufy

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patbru54

16 May 2022 at 18:03 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The start of the path is just beyond the campsite, between two fences.
You have to pay close attention to the cairns as the path is not at all obvious.
On the way down, the path is not very visible and I had to use the GPS track to get back on the right track.
The view from the top is really worth the effort.

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FEANCOIS

03 May 2022 at 09:41 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb views from the summit. Be sure to follow the ascent path on the way back, as there are many cairns that can lead you astray on the way down.

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c'estici474

02 Mar 2020 at 22:03 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pretty path, steep in places, and a beautiful panorama at the top.

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nkt

07 Jun 2019 at 17:20 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pretty, fairly steep hike to the summit.
Many cairns.
Magnificent view from the summit.

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henri57

30 Oct 2018 at 16:50 3600

Hello,

@Yvesmarche

I don't know which format to choose for entering decimal degrees in my etrex 35.

Regarding GPS settings, so as not to overload this post, please ask your questions using the following link:

Hiking equipment

https://www.visorando.com/forum-randonnee...

A+

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Yvesmarche

29 Oct 2018 at 20:22 3600

Good evening, thank you for your reply but my "problem" is that I don't know which format to choose to enter the decimal degrees in my etrex 35. In fact, when I was there I wanted to enter the decimal degrees given by Visorando but I didn't know what type they corresponded to. I'm going to find out more tomorrow. Thanks for your help. Yves

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Mogette

29 Oct 2018 at 17:24 3600

Hello Yves.
To be honest, I haven't often wondered about GPS formats. The default is WGS 84, I think. I've just checked the summit waypoint on Google Maps and I'm right on top of Mont del Fraile. Personally, I use either Geo Tracker, Open Runner or Visorando to record my walks and Strava for cycling.
The difficulty I have is transforming the degrees, minutes and seconds (DMS) into decimal degrees and minutes or even decimal degrees, depending on the type of equipment used.
In the case of Visorando they are decimal degrees.
Kind regards
Joël

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Yvesmarche

29 Oct 2018 at 11:33 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

As with the Tabernas dessert, it might be a good idea to give the type of format for the coordinates when it's not the wgs84 standard. In my etrex 35 I have more than 100 types of format to choose from (in Spain they use 3 different types) and the one supplied does not correspond to wgs84? Mountain boots are compulsory as indicated. I'd like to point out that you can have a drink and a bite to eat at the campsite restaurant. They are very friendly. Best regards Yves

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