Quebrada de los Cuervos

About this place

Quebrada de los Cuervos, the «Crows' Ravine», is a protected landscape in Treinta y Tres Department, 45 km from its capital. It is a deep rocky gorge cut by the Yerbal Chico creek among hills up to 300 m high. Its name comes from the red-headed vultures nesting on its cliffs, and it is a rare hiking spot in a country of plains. In 1944 Dr Francisco Nicasio Oliveres donated 365 hectares to the municipality, and it stayed little known and hard to reach for years. On 21 August 1986 it became the first protected natural area of its kind in Uruguay. It joined the national protected areas system in 2008 and grew to 19,395 hectares in 2020. A 1994 survey recorded about 100 bird species. A path drops among shrubs, palms and native trees, including 87 of the country's 224 native tree species, to a clear creek running among dark metamorphic rocks. Below are calm pools mirroring the slopes, small waterfalls and gravel, with vultures circling high above the cliffs. From upper viewpoints the green gorge winds to the horizon. It lies about 24 km along a gravel road from Route 8 at kilometre 306.7, so a car is essential. The path is steep and rocky, so take your time, wear suitable shoes and bring water and food, as services are limited. Avoid going down after heavy rain, when the creek may flood. Leave no rubbish, do not disturb nests and ask at the entrance about path conditions.