Zapateros – Hiking Stage, Reservoir and Forest

Three reference points are useful for finding your bearings in Zapateros: the town, the hiking stage from Riópar to Vianos and the Presa de Zapateros. The stage follows the Arroyo Zapateros before reaching Zapateros. The reservoir is about 1,500 m from the town, on the Arroyo de Las Crucetas, downstream from the confluence of the Arroyos de Los Solicos and de Las Yeguas. It lies within the municipality of Vianos.

Hiking Stage and Route

On the 28.140 km stage from Riópar to Vianos, Zapateros is listed at kilometer 14.160. This point is approximately halfway along the full distance. The route also passes the ruined Molino Zapatero.

What Each Distance Refers To

The distinction between the figures is important for planning: 14.160 km indicates Zapateros’s position within the 28.140 km stage, while about 1,500 m is the distance between the town and the reservoir. The first figure places Zapateros along the route; the second describes the reservoir’s location relative to the town. The figures therefore answer different questions: Where is the town on the hiking stage, and how far is the reservoir from the town? If you distinguish between the stage and the reservoir, each figure helps you get your bearings in a different way.

Structure and Shoreline Paths

Presa de Zapateros is a straight concrete gravity dam with a frontal fixed overflow spillway. Its capacity is 588,955 m³, and the reservoir covers an area of 6.7 hectares. These figures describe different measures: the facility’s capacity and the reservoir’s surface area. Between 2013 and 2015, improvements were made to the access roads and paths along the reservoir shore at Presa de Zapateros; railings, barriers and signs were also installed. If you are planning a visit to the dam, check the current conditions in advance.

Forest and Nature Observation

Within the municipality of Vianos, the publicly owned forest “Zapateros” is listed as MUP No. 63. Its public area covers 1,537.7403 hectares; the tree species recorded is Pinus nigra Arn. On January 23, 2024, Myrmoxenus ravouxi was also recorded in Zapateros (Vianos) at an altitude of 1,114 m. The area where it was found is characterized by Portuguese oaks and reforestation with Pinus nigra. The forest information describes an area and a tree species, while the species record is tied to a specific place, altitude and date. This distinction gives nature enthusiasts two different points of interest: the forest as a landscape feature and a precisely dated individual observation. The area of public forest is much larger than the reservoir’s 6.7 hectares of water surface.

Church History

The church in Zapateros may have been rebuilt in the last decade of the 18th century. Records from 1803 indicate that it was open for worship again afterward. This historical context adds a distinct time dimension to the landscape and route information.

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