Sendero Rio de la Miel: How to Find It and What to Expect

Sendero Rio de la Miel is a popular hiking route in Algeciras, Spain. In Spanish, Rio de la Miel means River of Honey. Sendero means path. I have no idea what the link is between the river and honey, but it is a nice route to walk.

The Sendero Rio de la Miel is 2 1/2 Km long. Most people should be able to walk it from beginning to end in around 45 minutes. Then it will take another 45 minutes to walk back again. However, if you go, you may want to set aside a few hours because there are plenty of good places to stop and enjoy the view. At the end of the route, you may also wish to dawdle a while. There’s a pool that’s filled by a waterfall. Many people who walk the Sendero Rio de la Miel spend a little time there before they turn around and head back. It’s a popular spot for taking a dip and having a bit of swim.

How to Get to the Sendero Rio de la Miel

The Sendero Rio de la Miel hiking route begins in the suburb of El Cobre [MAP]. If you are travelling from the centre Algeciras, it takes around 1 to 1½ hours to walk there, so many people make the journey by car. Although there isn’t a car park, as such, there is plenty of room to park on either side of the track that leads to the gate you need to pass through to begin your hike.

What to Expect

The start of the hiking route is barred by a gate. It’s probably there to stop people who fancy a dip from trying to drive part of the way. The first part of the route is a wide gravel track so, if there was no gate, it would be very easy to do.

To the left of the big gate, there is a smaller gate for pedestrians. It’s partially open and its position is fixed. The gap is just wide enough to permit a person to walk through. I presume the pedestrian gate is fixed in this way to make it impossible for motorcycles or cyclists to get through.

All told, it should take around 45 minutes to walk from the beginning of the route to the waterfall. The thing to know is there is a second pool. People often take a dip there as well. If you walk the Sendero Rio de la Miel you’ll see the other pool first. To get to the main pool you will need to keep walking for a further 10 minutes or so.

While you are walking, you will encounter a couple of tracks that branch off to the left or the right. However, the real Sendero Rio de la Miel route is always directly ahead.

The Sendero Rio de la Miel hiking route goes through some mountainous terrain but the incline is never particularly steep and the route offers some very nice views. In places, it’s even possible to see the Port of Algeciras in the distance along with all its distinctive blue cranes.

Along the route, you will also get plenty of opportunities to examine the little streams that run into the River of Honey. Tread lightly and you may get the chance to watch all the fish doing their thing.

You will also see a lot of trees while you are walking and a sign beside the track encourages people to take note of all the alder trees.

Halfway through the route, the wide gravel road ends and becomes a narrow track that has an old stone pedestrian bridge that crosses the stream. From then on in, you are walking over some very rocky ground.

When you reach a board that says “Fin de Sendero”, ignore it. The board may mark the official end of the route but it’s misleading. The waterfall and bathing spot is a little further on.

Things to Consider Before and After Your Hike

Spain is a hot country and walking the Sendero Rio de la Miel hiking route takes a little time, so I’d advise you to take along something to drink. I took 1 1/2 litres of fruit juice with me and was very glad that I did.

If you are feeling thirsty after you have completed the route, there’s a nice bar more or less opposite the start of the track, on the other side of the road. It’s called Bar Joaquin. I paid €1 for a tubo of beer. A tubo is a similar size to a Dutch vaasje or a British half-pint.

It’s a sad fact that many of the bars in Algeciras overcharge people visiting the town. The staff make up the prices as they go along. I hate that. However, I visited Bar Joaquin on a couple of occasions and paid the same for a beer as the locals do. One euro for a tubo of beer! That’s the cheapest beer I ever drank in a bar in Algeciras. If you feel hungry after your walk, you should be able to get some food at Bar Joaquin as well.

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