INSTRUCTIONS FOR VISITORS
-You are in a protected natural area in which activities for public use are regulated by an Order from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development.
As a visitor to the space, you should know:
- Activities for public use have an implicit component of risk, as they are carried out outdoors, on uneven and even slippery terrain; and above all because of the flood risk that being downstream of a dam implies. You must assess these risks and decide whether or not to carry out these activities under your sole responsibility. To assess the risks, you should also consider your age and physical condition.
- There are (or will be) two trails enabled in the natural monument: the PR-CU-53, and the interpretive trail. It is not allowed to leave the trail or the marked rest areas. If you want to rest or eat, and you have no place in a rest area, you must continue walking to the next area where there is free space.
- You can bathe in the river, but only in the pools. It is strictly forbidden to bathe outside the pools, slide down the ramps, walk inside the channel and step on the tufa formations. The tuff formations and the active stromatolite ramps (which are within the channel) are very valuable, perhaps the best representations of these geomorphological elements in the Iberian Peninsula, and they are very fragile. The natural monument has been declared mainly to protect them.
- You should not use soaps, detergents or the like in the river. Sunscreens are also a source of water pollution, make reasonable use of them (for example by not applying them to the water or allowing them to be absorbed by the skin before bathing).
- It is strictly forbidden to make a fire at any time of the year or to use stoves and the like. In addition, between June 1 and September 30, smoking is prohibited in the mountains.
- You cannot use umbrellas, awnings, tents and similar objects, which must be anchored or secured to the ground, vegetation or rocks. Other items such as chairs or refrigerators are not prohibited, but it is not advisable to take them to the natural monument: remember that you are in a natural monument, not in a water park.
- Both for conservation reasons of tuffs and stromatolites, as well as for your own safety, the use of floats, tire rims, inflatable boats and the like is prohibited. In addition, the use of cuffs and floats for children is discouraged: they give a false sense of security in the water, increasing the risk of drowning. Remember that the Cabriel River is not a bathing area: there is no lifeguard, and there is a strong current in some sections and waterfalls several meters high.
- It is mandatory to collect and take with you any waste that you generate: from containers and food scraps to cigarette butts and tissues.