The Gebas Ravine – the lunar landscapes of the Barranco de Gebas

The village of Gebas is located in the Sierra Espuña and is popular with daytrippers and walkers, due partly to the cooling pine forests which surround it, but also to the lunar landscapes of the Badlands, which are popular with those seeking spectacular views, as well as with walkers.

The Gebas Ravine was declared one of the 8 Protected Landscapes of the Region in 1995, and has become one of the most spectacular places of natural beauty. It includes the Algeciras reservoir, where its turquoise waters are a perfect contrast against the almost white mountain rocks.

Built in 1995, the reservoir is part of the General Defense Plan against floods in the Segura river basin. It is an exceptional place for hiking and bird watching, where you can spot various species that have colonized the area, such as herons, seagulls, grebes, mallards or stilts.

The relief of this zone, which occupies an area of some 2,000 hectares between the mountains of Sierra Espuña, La Muela and El Cura, is characterized by gullies, ravines and canyons, which create what is popularly known as a moonscape. Vegetation is limited to grasses and populations of gypsum vegetation, and every year clumps of thero brachypodietea appear, but in general this is a harsh habitat for plant and animal life and the fauna consists only of a few rodents and other small mammals.

The ravine, known as the Barranco de Gebas, is located between the mountains of Sierra Espuña and Sierra del Cura, next to the towns of Gebas and Fuente Librilla. You have to take the A-7 in the direction of Alhama and take exit 631. Then, from Alhama, you must take the regional road that RM-515 in the direction of Mula and, after passing the last houses in Gebas, take a detour to the right towards the Barrancos de Gebas. At the end of the road you reach Casas de la Ermita, the starting point to this enchanting route.

It’s a unique and exciting landscape, providing a total contrast to the green of the Sierra Espuña above it, and is well worth visiting.