Twenty minutes from the villa, the Palancia river plunges thirty metres down a moss-covered wall of tufa. This is the Salto de la Novia — the Bride's Leap — the most famous waterfall in the province, wrapped in the legend of a bride who leapt the river on the eve of her wedding and fell with her groom.
The outing is an easy 4 km loop from Navajas, the "village of the springs": along the way you pass the Brazal cascade, falling like a green curtain, and the Iron Fountain, pouring ferrous water from 13 spouts under a modernist pavilion. In summer the river pools become the best-loved wild swimming spot in the area, with shallow stretches perfect for children.
Navajas itself deserves the stroll: stately 19th-century summer villas, the monumental elm on the square (planted in 1636, Spain's "Tree of the Year" 2019) and the Arab tower of Altomira watching over the valley.
In July and August arrive before 11 am: access is regulated in high season (a ~€2 fee and paid parking). Bring water shoes for swimming and grippy soles — the wet tufa is slippery. In spring the waterfall carries its fullest flow.
Yes, in the Palancia pools by the waterfall and at the nearby river "beach", very child-friendly. Access is capped in high season.
Only in high season: a symbolic ~€2, plus paid parking in summer. Free the rest of the year.
The springs-and-waterfall loop takes 1.5–2 hours at an easy pace, photo stops included.
Image: Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Calma Villa: a luxury villa with heated hot tub and private pool for 12 guests, in the Sierra Calderona and 20 minutes from the sea.
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