The Alto Tajo month by month
The Alto Tajo in April: spring, morels and courtship displays
In April, spring takes hold in the valley bottoms of the Alto Tajo while the high parameras remain cool. Poplars and willows leaf out along the riverbanks, migratory birds arrive in force, birdsong echoes across the woodlands, and spring fungi fruit. Rivers maintain vigorous flows.
- Riverbank leafing
- Migratory birds
- Spring mushrooms
- Vigorous flows
- Easter week
- Avg. max (°C)
- 15 °C
- Avg. min (°C)
- 4 °C
- Rainfall (mm)
- 75 mm
- Frost days
- 4
Average of 110 atlas villages (ERA5, 2015–2024). The coldest in april is Masegosa (2 °C average minimum) and the mildest, Trillo (18 °C average maximum).
Landscape
Canyon floors turn green weeks before the open parameras: the contrast between fresh riverside foliage and red sandstone or pale limestone cliffs is among the most scenic of the year.
Birds
European bee-eaters, red-rumped swallows, and wheatears arrive, filling the woods with song. On the cliffs, vultures and other birds of prey are actively incubating.
Mushrooms
March mushrooms continue in higher pine woods, while morels and, toward month's end, St. George's mushrooms (Calocybe gambosa) appear in meadows and woodland edges.
Practical tips
Easter brings more visitors to well-known spots: set out early or choose lesser-known trails. Respect clearly marked raptor nesting buffer zones.
The night sky in april
Milder and still long nights. Toward late April, the Lyrids meteor shower peaks. The Milky Way begins rising in the eastern sky in the early morning hours.
Traces of time in this season
The season changes how you see these places. Their stories belong to other scales of time: from the formation of the landscape to the work and lives of those who inhabited it.
Valle de los Milagros: red sandstone towers in Riba de Saelices
Riba de Saelices
Cueva de los Casares: Paleolithic art, Neanderthals, and Islamic tower
Riba de Saelices
Barranco de la Hoz: the red canyon of the Gallo River
Corduente, VentosaContinue reading: Before us · First traces.
To visit: Book Los Casares before organizing the day. With heavy rain, substitute the walk with a confirmed cultural visit.
Check the conditions on each guide or start with the getting started guide.
Preguntas frecuentes
Which mushrooms fruit in April in the Alto Tajo?
Primarily march mushrooms at higher altitudes, morels, and toward late April into May, St. George's mushrooms. Fruiting depends heavily on rainfall and soil temperature.
Is it warm in April in the Alto Tajo?
Not especially. Daytime highs are pleasant, but nights remain cold and frost can still occur in the higher villages.