Heritage · Cobeta
Hermitage of the Virgen de Montesinos (Cobeta)
The Sanctuary of the Virgen de Montesinos stands in the canyon of the Arandilla River in Cobeta, surrounded by red rock crags sculpted by erosion. Opposite, in rainy periods, a waterfall plunges from an ancient hanging valley. Legend tells that the Virgin appeared to a one-armed shepherdess and sent her to Montesinos's castle in Alpetea.
- Municipality
- Cobeta
- Province
- Guadalajara
- Altitude
- 1,109 m
- Arandilla canyon
- Hanging valley waterfall
- Shepherdess legend
- Recreation area
A landscape of red sandstone
The sanctuary is nestled amidst a rugged, reddish landscape, flanked by natural stone formations sculpted by weathering along the canyon of the Arandilla River.
The waterfall of the hanging valley
Directly across from the hermitage, during seasonal rains, a cascade pours over the cliff. The stream flows from a hanging valley: a tributary valley left perched above the main canyon floor when the Arandilla cut deeply into the bedrock, requiring the water to plunge over the drop to reach the river.
The legend
A one-armed shepherd girl was searching for a lost cow in the canyon. The Virgin Mary appeared to her, helped her recover the animal, and instructed her to visit the castle of Alpetea, where the Muslim chieftain Montesinos ruled the territory.
Adjoining the sanctuary is a recreation area. Located in Cobeta.
Location
● Reference point · ● Villages · ● Places
Location diagram. Detailed map with tracks and names loads on zoom.
Reference villages: Cobeta · Torremocha del Pinar · Torete · Aragoncillo.
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