Pico del Alar – circular by Salinas de la Inesperada from Ocentejo – Parque Natural del Alto Tajo

In texts that discuss names and toponyms, the Arabic term "ar-mayyan" appears to be linked to salt flats or places where salt is extracted. And they must be right, because near the mountain village of Armallones, in the high mountains of Guadalajara, in the heart of the Alto Tajo Natural Park, salt mines have existed since ancient times. The "white gold" of the Alto Tajo has been highly valued since the Middle Ages, when industrialization and the salt trade began in the upper Tagus basin. There are brackish springs and salt settling ponds from the first river deposits in Peralejos de las Truchas to the vicinity of Trillo. The Salinas de la Inesperada were very productive for the inhabitants of Ocentejo, Armallones, and Canales del Ducado until the mid-20th century. They are now in ruins and appear completely abandoned, although they remain a notable element in the archaeological, historical, and cultural heritage of the towns of Alto Tajo. The old salt flats are near the Hundido de Armallones, a remarkable natural landscape and a magnificent representation of the reliefs that distinguish the impressive canyon of the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, with great limestone walls, rockfalls, a tuff waterfall, large Jurassic folds, and a beautiful emerald-green riverbed. The salt flats, the Hundido, the path of the Hocino ravine, and the juniper forests in the high moors provide enough attractions for an interesting hiking route in the wild kingdom of the Alto Tajo.