1. THE CABRIEL ROUTE
The Cabriel route takes you through two very different kinds of forest: a gallery forest (well-preserved along this stretch of the Cabriel river) and a forest of Mediterranean pine and shrub of the kind typically found in these mountains.
Along the former you'll come across water birds such as herons, cormorants, kingfishers, wagtails and so on, plus other birds that use the trees by the river banks, like the golden oriole, the great spotted woodpecker and the European green woodpecker. You might also see birds of prey like the common kestrel on the rocky cliffs. Along the latter, you'll be more likely to see long-tailed tits, great tits, common chaffinches, lesser whitethroats and maybe even a booted eagle or two.
2. THE EMBARCADEROS ROUTE
The Embarcaderos (or jetties) route follows the shores of the reservoir that traps the waters of the Júcar and Cabriel rivers. You'll be able to spot water birds amongst the reed beds (western marsh harrier, common moorhen, swallows…) and on the water (coots, mallards, great crested grebes…). If you raise your eyes towards the surrounding mountains, you're likely to see golden eagles and short-toed snake eagles flying overhead. The rocky hillsides are habitats for species like black wheatear, stonechats and blue rock thrush, while the vegetation on the riverbank is home to a multitude of small birds such as the Eurasian penduline tit, European goldfinch, European serin, great tits and the like.