Las Ninas Reservoir

Come in a storm and the place empties. Cloud drifts below the ridge, showers pass over the pines, and a rainbow can open across the basin. On a clear day the draw is simpler: Canary pines down to the shore, picnic tables and barbecue spots under the trees, and walking and mountain-biking routes leading off into the Nublo Rural Park.

Inside the recreation area stands the Pino de Casandra, a pine tied to a local legend. In one version a young woman waited at the tree for a sweetheart who had died in a nearby ravine, and died there herself. In another, her father killed the man and then killed her at the tree. Cries and wailing are said to carry around the reservoir.

After dark the valley goes quiet, with goats and sheep grazing nearby and a sky full of stars. Lizards, rabbits and birds keep you company by day.

• The level follows the rain: almost empty in 2023 and 2024, the reservoir filled again in 2026 for the first time in 15 years.
• There is no drinking water at the reservoir itself. Bring your own for the day.
• Toilets are at the recreation area, kept clean, and include a wheelchair-accessible one.
• The walk down to the Soria Reservoir is steep, and the climb back is hard work in hot weather.

You come by car on the GC-605, a mountain road. The drive up from Arguineguín on the south coast runs through spectacular country, but it is steep, and the stretch down to the camping area is rocky in places. Cyclists use the road in numbers, so drive slowly and give them room. If mountain driving unsettles you, an organised excursion is the easier way in.

Two car parks lie about 600 m and 940 m from the reservoir in a straight line, with guideposts standing near them, and the rest is on foot. No bus comes close: the nearest stop, Pie de Cuesta, is about 4.3 km away in a straight line.

Best: after a wet winter, when the reservoir holds water, and on grey, stormy days if you want it to yourself.

Avoid: the heat of the middle of the day if you plan the walk down to the Soria Reservoir.

The level depends on rainfall, the recreation area fills with people in the daytime, and the climb back up from Soria is hard going in hot weather.

Las Niñas Reservoir lies inside the Nublo Rural Park, a protected area. Camping takes place at the designated camping area and needs a permit; wardens come round and check it. A day visit for a walk or a picnic needs no permission.