Holy Chestnut Tree
It is an enormous and very ancient chestnut tree specimen located in the area called Hoyo del Bote, in the Sierra Real of Istán, in a beautiful spot which enhances even more its merit. It is probably the oldest tree in the whole of the Sierra de las Nieves as it is estimated to be between eight hundred and one thousand years of age.
The Holy Chestnut has a perimeter of some thirteen and a half metres and it is currently being proposed that it be declared a Natural Monument.
As legend has it, in the mountains where this age-old tree is found great exploits took place throughout History. Amongst them of note is the rebellion of Sierra Bermeja at the beginning of the XVI century, whose most representative witness was the so-called Holy Chestnut, under whose branches King Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarch, held a thanksgiving mass, back in 1501.
How to get to the Holy Chestnut?
To get to the Holy Chestnut we can take the bicycle Istán-Holy Chestnut route from Istán, or take the route that starts from San Pedro Alcantará and goes around the La Quinta Golf Club.
Following this last route, we will take the road which goes from San Pedro to Ronda until we get to the La Quinta Golf Club. We go around the Golf Club until we reach a bridge crossing a river, but we must not cross the bridge, just take the left-hand lane at this point.
From here to the Holy Chestnut is a distance of some 13km. Due to the abrupt nature of the terrain it is advisable to travel this route in a 4x4.