• Protected Area: not included
• Watershed: Mediterranean Catchment Area
• Main Watercourse: Río Castor
• Municipality: Estepona
• Coordinates: x: 309019 / y: 4040074 / z: 142 m
• Location: convoluted
• Access: convenient
• Swimming Potential: medium.

How to Get There

From the A-7, the old CN-340, take exit 160 and take the exit off the roundabout by the petrol station towards Viveros Estepona following the Alberdina road.   After covering 3.5 km you will reach a wide esplanade next to the AP-7. Park here and continue on foot through the Los Molinos-El Nicio Ethnological Park. The dirt track continues for another 2.5 km until it approaches the Castor River, which you will have seen earlier while walking through a delightful oak woodland. When the dirt track ends, follow the footpath towards the riverbank, which rises along the left bank of the river (when looking downstream). Over the next 750 m, make your way as best you can to overcome any obstacles in your way.

Interesting Facts

The area is surrounded by jagged hillsides covered with maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) and light coloured limestone through which the water cascades down from a small waterfall that feeds this large pool. If we continue upstream, there are two breath-taking cauldron-shaped plunge pools.  The pool’s name comes, of course, from the presence of this shy mustelid. There are also some ruined lime kilns in the area.

Please Note

The centre of the pool is deeper than an adult. Some dare to leap from one of the rock faces on its sides, but this is seriously dangerous, not only because of the jump, but also because of how difficult it is to reach the ledge. It is well worth going down the river along the riverbed itself to enjoy the rest of the pools, particularly the one located at a weir very close to the path used to reach the first charco. The only place to sit and rest is on the edge of the pool in the centre, covered by small and medium sized round boulders. There is not much shade, and the sun reaches the pool virtually all day long.