La Estela del Cigüela Starlight Walking Trail

La Estela del Cigüela is a 14 km circular walking route, signed PR-TO 28, that starts and ends in La Puebla de Almoradiel in the province of Toledo. The Starlight Foundation lists it as a Starlight trail, certified in 2021. It follows the Cigüela river, also spelled Gigüela, across the plain of La Mancha. The river rises in Cuenca and ends in the wetlands of Las Tablas de Daimiel.

The route leaves from the Puente Romano at the edge of town and drops to the river meadows. It passes the Alto de la Magdalena, the original site of the town, and the Pingazorras mill. That mill is the only one still standing of the 14 that once lined the river. The route then reaches the La Hita astronomical complex and returns along the old Cañada Real Soriana, crossing the Tahierro railway bridge.

La Hita is what ties the trail to the sky. The town describes white domes on the plain and two public telescopes, TEDI, a 770 mm reflector, and PHOENIX, a 150 mm refractor. Research instruments at the site are linked to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC). The town says the complex can be visited in any season.

We found no published sky quality reading for the trail. Our light pollution map estimates Bortle 6, a brighter sky than at most certified places. The core peaks about 21 degrees above the southern horizon. In our data, May, June and July give the most core hours.