He doesn't know at what moment, the earth abandoned all its colors to suddenly turn golden and reddish. In the distance he hears new sounds, like those of rain that is born in the trees and not in the sky. Walk, the autumn reflections change brightness and the sun penetrates everywhere but its light has something of nostalgia. And there, when she least expects it, she sees the chestnuts fall.
The Tiemblo chestnut tree is the best excuse to take a walk among autumnal watercolors in the province of Ávila and just 90 kilometers from Madrid. Especially if we learn to respect the environment from the first moment we step into this storybook setting.
After driving for an hour and a half along the N-403 from Madrid in the direction of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, perhaps, you discover the traces of some traditional Edward Scissorhands. Even Bitelchús, confused by the Burtonian multiverse, may even appear hitchhiking on the side of the shoulder.
And as we penetrate the nature of this corner of the province of Ávila, all the irresistible clichés of Tim Burton's films come to mind, from the bucolic yellows of Big Fish to that forest that seems to censor the rays. of sunshine to give unique prints.
Although the Tiemblo chestnut grove is worth visiting at any time in autumn, we recommend avoiding long weekends and holidays during this time in order to enjoy a calmer and more solitary experience. After paying the entrance fee (6 euros per car plus 2 euros per person), access to the chestnut grove is a trip to a different and ideal world where you can spend a day with your family.
Considered the largest chestnut forest in the Central System and one of the oldest in the Peninsula, the Tiemblo forest deploys a circular route of up to 4 kilometers through the Iruelas Valley natural reserve, among other alternatives of different lengths.
As we get closer, we check the palette of colors that permeate the trees, between golden, reddish and orange tones. We cross the chestnut brook through a wooden bridge that takes us fully into the treetops, some dressed in colors, others dying, with their viscera exposed and the feeling that the rider of Sleepy Hollow will spring from their insides at any time.
Armies of logs through which it would be impossible to run and an obligatory stop: the Majalavilla shelter, made up of stones covered with moss and an interior where urban art murals that evoke chestnut icons such as mushrooms and the griffon vulture.
After leaving the shelter, all the ancient chestnut trees seem to bow before one of the great protagonists of this forest: El Abuelo, a chestnut tree with an estimated age of more than 500 years and a height of 19 meters. Icon of the Tembleños, this legendary tree has been fenced to prevent its deterioration. Further ahead, chestnut trees similar to the veteran stand out, with huge, bare trunks.
Finally, we reach the wooden bridge of the Yedra gorge, a tributary of the Alberche river that originates in the Sierra de Gredos and whose channel flows between trees that emerge from the aquatic bottom itself. The sounds of nature intermingle, an autumn song sighs between the canopies and among the leaves we find small hedgehogs that turn out to be the spiked wrappings of the hundreds of chestnuts that fall and flood everything. Attention, in any case.
If you were thinking of bringing home a bag of chestnuts to alleviate the cold winter nights, the truth is that you shouldn't. The Salvemos El Castañar platform has been raising awareness for more than five years about the need not to stray from the established path and not to take home the fruits camouflaged on the ground.
Regulating access by paying an entrance fee during the autumn months and limiting the capacity to 400 people is another of the measures that drive conservation attempts by the El Tiemblo City Council, although there is still much to do. In fact, many experts are calling for greater regulation beyond the autumn months.
On the other hand, if you prefer to opt for a more sustainable alternative, you can take the bus that goes up and down regularly from El Tiemblo for 1 euro. You can check the schedules on the City Council website to make sure.
In this town in the province of Ávila, the rural adventure extends between wooden houses and restaurants like Casa Mariano, a legend of El Tiemblo. Their steaks, suckling pig and fried fish know this in large quantities but without detracting from the best flavor of traditional cuisine.
And it will be there, sitting in the heart of a town that has learned to live in the middle of an eternal chestnut grove, where the colors sneak in and envelop you to remind you that nature deserves to be protected. That autumn was this.
