About Cascada La Mea
Cascada La Mea (or Cascada de la Mea) was an unexpected waterfalling excursion for us. The only reason why we visited the nearby town of Puentedey was to check out the impressive natural bridge along with that rare phenomenon of having a historic town built right on top of it! We didn’t even know that this waterfall existed! However, when I noticed some signage about this waterfall situated near the natural bridge, we decided to pursue it (especially since the natural bridge visit was very short). Unfortunately, the waterfall was only trickling (as you can see from the photo at the top of this page), but despite this disappointment, it did offer us a chance at examining closely the effects of water with high mineral content leaving behind interesting formations (e.g. the conical stalagmite at its base).
The hike from the trailhead (see directions below) was said to be a mere 10 minutes in each direction. Overall, we spent 25 minutes away from the car. The hike was along a narrow but well-defined trail leading gently uphill to the head of the small gully we were in. The trail dead-ended at the falls, where we were able to go behind what was left of its trickle. Under the low-flow conditions, it allowed us the chance at examining the interesting cone at the base of the falls. It appeared that this “stalagmite” was in a state of growth (albeit slow) for as long as there was water in the waterfall (a characteristic typical of limestone or karstic waterfalls). Thus, over time, it’s conceivable that the height of the vertical drop of the falls would actually shrink!
We didn’t linger long at this falls so we quickly went back the way we came, which was now a downhill hike. This time, we were able to pay more attention to the landscape before us, where we saw lots of windmills perched atop the ridges and hills surrounding flanking the gully we were in. The brook giving rise to Cascada La Mea (El Barranco de la Mea) was said to only flow in the Winter and Spring months. I guess our early June visit was too late.
Finally, the Puentedey Natural Bridge, which was the main attraction of the area, was said to be 15m tall by 35m wide and 80m long. While there was the historical town center atop the natural bridge, I did notice some lines (cracks?) radiating from the right side of the opening. I’m sure over time, water and ice can get into the cracks, expand and contract with temperature, and ultimately undermine the stability of the bridge. Over time, arches and natural bridges collapse, but it’s hard to say how much longer this place will stay standing atop the bridge. That said, the town of Puentedey was said to date back to 1351 so it has already stood for over 660 years!
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