Descent of Almadenes Canyon

Adventure for nature lovers: Unaccessible ravines, variety of wildlife, lushing vegetation, prehistoric sites, etc.

The adventure starts in El Viso, farming area full of rice fields in Calasparra. From there, we will get on rafts to start descending Cañón de Almadenes all the way to the dam of La Mulata.

In the area where the descent starts, the Segura riverbanks are wonderfully preserved, with unspoilt forests that end at the peaceful waters of the Almadenes Canyon. After a really smooth, effortlessly 500-meter descent, we arrive at a protected area with lots of animals (beavers, freshwater turtles, capped herons, purple herons, golden eagles, kingfishers, etc...), exuberant vegetation (oleanders, berries, fig trees, white poplars, black cottonwoods, willows, etc...) and riparian forest (pine trees, junipers, savin junipers, hawthorns…).

The excellent weather of the Murcia Region makes it possible to enjoy this descent all year round, although in the summertime you can also go for a little dip!

If we stay relatively quiet during the descent, it could be possible to watch animals in their natural environment: freshwater turtles sunbathing, herons, etc.

Archeology lovers will truly enjoy the prehistoric and Roman sites scatted throughout the Canyon, the riverbanks of which were home to different civilizations benefiting from the natural resources in the area.
Around halfway through the 5-kilometer route, visitors can see the Abrigos del Pozo site, used in the Epipalaeolithic period some 8,000 years ago. The site, considered UNESCO World Heritage, has schematic cave paintings from the Neolithic period. Utensils used by local ancient inhabitants have been found in various cave clay deposits. Some of those tools can be seen at Museo de la Encomienda. The cave, known as Cueva de los Monigotes, was also inhabited in the centuries 2-4 by people who painted scenes on its limestone walls.
José Javier Navarro, Qalat coordinator and rafting guide, tells us that the tour usually makes a stop at the cave known as Cueva de la Nutria, where people love to go for a refreshing swim.

Back in the raft the descent continues, arriving at the Casa de la Maestra area, next to the Quípar river mouth...this is the spot where the adventure ends.

Get Directions:
Get on the A-30 Freeway and take the Jumilla-Calasparra exit, then follow directions for Calasparra. Once out of the freeway and after about 10 kilometers on the RM-714 highway, you'll get to Venta Reales (Km 36). There you'll meet the Qalat Naturaleza guides and head for the Canyon.

Recommendations: 

Bring cool, comfortable clothing (you may get wet), swimsuit, camera and binoculars to see the birds...remember, if we are relatively quiet during the descent, we might get lucky and see some wildlife! Very important, this is a Wildlife Area, so utter respect for the environment is required.

You can also visit a list of companies that perform descents on the River Segura in different types of boats from Cieza to Blanca, swim including if you like.