route 12 from sax to elda and petrer

Route 12From Sax to Elda and Petrer

Salt-lands stolen from the sea on the banksof the Vinalopó

1 • Castle: Castillo de Sax

2 • Mount: Sierra Cabreras

3 • Lagoon: Laguna de Salinas

4 • Hermitage: Ermita de San Isidro

5 • Mount: Sierra de Salinas

6 • Pico la Capilla del Fraile

7 • Canyades d´en Cirus

8 • Cabeçó de la Sal

9 • Mount: Serra del Reclot

10 • Centre: Aula Naturaleza Monte Coto

11 • Encebras

12 • Refuge: Tres Fuentes

13 • Hamlet: Aldea de Algayat

14 • Mount: Sierra de La Horna

15 • Settlement: Ruinas íberas del Castillo

del Río

16 • Castle: Castillo de la Mola

17 • Sanctuary: Santuario de Santa María

Magdalena

18 • Hermitage: Ermita de Santa Bárbara

19 • Mount: Sierra del Cid

20 • Mount: Maigmó

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We start a circular route through one of the least known

territories of the Region of Valencia: the regions of L’Alt

Vinalopó and Vinalopó Mitjà. We will travel through

areas marked by the production of salt, lands that were

once below the sea, forming part of former lagoons, or

where the outcropping of salt deposits formed in extinct

seas from over two hundred million years ago. So, we

find ourselves in a land with names marked by “sal”

indicating the presence of this white substance so

important throughout human history: Sierra de Salinas,

Pueblo de Salinas, Laguna de Salinas, Saladares de

Villena and the Cabeçó de la Sal de Pinoso. We will

journey through these regions that owe their name to

the river Vinalopó, where we will find fields of vineyards

belonging to a Denominación de Origen [D.O. -

denomination of origin, equivalent to the French

appellation d’origene] and some mountains and isolated

sierras that guard, practically in secret, marvellous places

and natural treasures unknown for most people. We will

discover peaceful, beautiful towns. A land, too, of castles,

this having been, throughout history, an area between

the borders of the kingdoms of Murcia, Castille, Aragon

and Valencia. In addition, we will be discovering a rich

architectural heritage in the most populous towns, fruit

of the wealth generated by the powerful footwear

industry. Our journey will end at the Sierra del Cid,

where we will get to know the green lungs of these

regions and some marvellous views taking in our entire

route.

From Sax to a world of salt

Our route starts at Sax. As we have mentioned, this

whole area was, in its day, a territory disputed by the

kingdoms of Castille, Aragon and Murcia, so in the

different towns we find Christian castles built, in most

cases, over remains of Arab fortresses. The case of Sax is

a paradigm for, in the profile of the town, the powerful

castle presiding over the hill stands out in a singular

manner. So we should visit the castle not only for its

marvellous defensive architecture, but also to see the

panoramic views that open up at our feet. The streets

leading up to the castle are of Arab origin and are

adapted to the differences of height on the hillside; at

its centre we find the San Blas hermitage. It will also be

interesting to approach the north side of the crag that

sustains Sax castle, where we will find a circular pit with

a depth of between 10 to 15 metres deep for storing

snow. We now head for Salinas making use of the quiet

rural roads parallel to the route taken by the main road

CV-830. No sooner have we come out of Sax but we

pass some former gypsum kilns which deserve a visit

and, next thing, we find ourselves on the Cabreras

sierra. The first thing we notice on reaching Salinas is its

famous lagoon; the second is the impressive sierra of

the same name that closes the way to the west. Until

1950 vast quantities of salt were extracted from the

lagoon. From that year it started drying up and was

converted into agricultural land, which, along with the

overexploitation of the aquifers by drilling in the

surroundings, made the levels of underground water go

down considerably. This has meant the area covered by

the original lagoon is gradually reducing. Nevertheless,

in periods of heavy rains, nobody can deny the lagoon

reclaiming its space and it giving rise to agreeable

aesthetic surprise when the sheet of water returns. The

original lagoon had a surface area of 425 hectares,

filling the landscape with reed-beds, canes, yellow lily,

and esparto or needle grass, along with an abundant

Sax castle 38º 32' 33'' N 0º 49' 21'' W

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we can undertake an incursion through the Salinas

sierra. Its highest standing peak, at 1,237 metres above

sea level, is named Capilla del Fraile, although to reach

it we have to start our walk from the farm tracks that set

out from the south of the sierra. This mountainous

formation extends for nearly seven thousand hectares.

The presence of abundant mist creates moist

microclimates in enclosed gullies with the consequent

influence on the vegetation. Regarding wildlife, the

presence of rabbits, wild boar, dormice, foxes, badgers

are notable, and birds of prey such as the golden eagle

and Bonelli’s eagle. Being one of the least known

mountains of the Region of Valencia, nature remains in

a wilderness state to the surprise of visitors. From the

sierra, on days with good visibility, one can see as far as

the Mediterranean. We continue our route in a

southerly direction in search of the town of Pinoso. The

way leads us through a mosaic of fields with vineyards,

almond and carob trees. We will come across two

hamlets, Canyades d’en Cirus and Ubeda, models of

peaceful secluded spots. In the urban centre of Penoso

we should stop at the Clock Tower. Its story goes back

to 1887, when the project for its construction began. Its

great peculiarity is that it is a hand wound clock. A

crank handle is used to raise the weights that hang

from two cables, as if it were a cuckoo clock but of

extraordinary proportions. This whole area of Pinoso is

unknown territory for many Valencians, although much

valued by the Europeans who have bought up and

rehabilitated rustic properties, abandoned for some

decades, within the boundary of this town, seeking the

quietness, friendliness and light-qualities of these wine-

producing plains. Not far away from the town of Pinoso

we find the Cabeçó de la Sal. This is a mountain full of

magic and energy which has some 500 million tons of

salt reserves. About 200 million years ago (during the

Triassic period), all the vineyards of Pinoso were covered

by marine coastal lagoons, so the water was salty. It is

easy to imagine how the evaporation of these lagoons

led to the formation of the salt. The salt was covered by

layers of sediment, being left in the part below them all


Pinoso 38º 24' 27'' N 1º 2' 46'' E

presence of migratory birds. The Salinas lagoon is a

marvellous lonely wetland open to the traveller who

loves secluded spaces. A trip across the lagoon or

around its shores is highly gratifying, although the

lagoon is not without its dark history. From the end of

the 19th century various projects were put forward to

dry out the Salina as it was a focal point of infection and

aggravated the risk of flooding in the town. In fact, in

1751, the town of Salinas succumbed to a great deluge

of water. The technical experts of the day attributed the

destruction of the town to insufficient drying up of the

lagoon. The town’s position was moved to the higher

ground where it is found today. Walking through its

streets leads us to the baroque style church of San

Antonio Abad and the nearby hermitage of San Isidro,

already on the slopes of the Salinas sierra. On the

outskirts of the town we find the Paraje Casa Calpena,

another spot recommended for visiting. Casa Calpena is

a former palatial home destroyed during the Spanish

Civil War and rebuilt by the local council in 1999. In the

interior of the house the original construction has been

reproduced and there is currently a hostel which has

eight rooms sleeping six in each, with bathroom and

toilets, meeting room, dining room and kitchen. There is

also a recreational area and restaurant. From this point


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more humid atmospheres of the past. Along the way

we can observe various examples of this oak inherited

from former climatic conditions. In the vicinity of Monte

Coto is the town of Encebras and the municipal refuge

of Las Tres Fuentes [three waterspouts], which offers

modern facilities for those keen to immerse themselves

in nature.

From Pinoso to the banks of theVinalopó

Our route continues in the direction of Algueña.

Without any doubt what most attracts our attention as

we approach this town is the enormous opencast

marble quarry on the neighbouring Reclot sierra. It

makes a disquieting impression, but at the same time

hypnotic, the profile of the Sierra with its straight lines

silhouetted on the mountainous horizon. Algueña was

part of Pinoso until 1934 when, due to the population

numbers in the town, it was granted municipal

independence. Within the urban centre we will visit the

19th century parish church of San José, with its twin

towers, one housing the bells the other a clock, spotted

from practically any point within the municipal

boundary. From Algueña we head for La Romana.

Along the way, in search of peace and quiet, we can

visit the simple and pretty village of Algayat. On the

right hand side lies the Algayat sierra, which also

deserves a look around to discover the delightful spots

of Peña de la Mina, where we will find la Cova Negra

[black cove], of large proportions. We arrive at the

municipality of La Romana, which was dependent on

Novelda until 1929. Up until 1930 it was owned by the

Marquis of La Romana, who finally sold off the lands to

the inhabitants and the tenant farmers who cultivated

them. La Romana has an environment characterised by

wide streets with gardens and is flanked by two large

stands of pine, which contributes to increasing its

beauty. It will also be interesting to pass by La Carrasca,

a Holm oak of large dimensions situated in a beautiful

Salinas lagoon 38º 30' 36'' N 0º 52' 98'' W

until differing pressures from the earth’s crust made it

come out due to its greater plasticity, thus creating the

salt dome diapir formation which the Cabeçó de la Sal

de Pinoso shows today. Here, the salt was exploited in

the past by means of underground mining, based on

digging out galleries until the rock salt was reached.

This “conventional” mining has nowadays been

substituted by the practice of dissolving the salt by

means of deep boreholes. This is a method that is used

for massive halite (rock salt) deposits. The system is

based on forcing the salt to dissolve by the injection of

water from the surface through tubing, directly onto

the rock salt. The brine (salt water) is sent through a

series of pipes to the Torrevieja salting factories where it

functions as a big crystallisation pool. The work dates

from 1972, motivated by the increased demand for salt

from the domestic market. A visit to the Cabeçó de la

Sal will enable us to discover the extraction holes, the

different streams with high concentrations of salt and

the Cueva del Gigante [giant’s cave], a mine dug to

extract an inaccessible concentration of rock salt. There

are also different micro-reserves of flora. And at the

summit, the most spectacular spots can be seen, with

potholes and dolines resulting from the salt extraction

processes. We leave the Cabeçó de la Sal and, but still

within the municipal boundary of Pinoso, we visit

Monte Coto, on the Reclot sierra, where there is a

“nature classroom” teaching and information centre,

from where various different footpaths set out that

enable us to get to know these natural spots that have

escaped the hand of humans, omnipresent in area. One

of these footpaths is known as the Senda dels Gal‧lers.

The route bears the common name in the local dialect

for the Valencian oak, a botanical gem that still survives

in these Mediterranean woods, as vestiges from the


Nuestra Señora de los Nieves [Our Lady of the Snows], a

baroque style church from the 15th to 18th centuries

which proudly shows off its thirty-metre-tall bell tower,

the former minaret of the mosque. At Monforte del Cid

we must try the Anís Paloma [an aniseed liqueur],

included in the Specific Denomination of Traditional

Spirit Beverages of Allicante, a similar official

denomination to that of wine.

We leave the town of Monforte del Cid and now head

for the neighbouring Novelda. The architecture of

Novelda is notable for the modernist buildings. So, we

can find three of the best examples of this style in

Valencian territory, the Modernist Museum-House, the

Gómez-Tortosa Cultural Centre and Mira House. These

works were sponsored by the powerful Novelda

bourgeoisie of the early 20th century, who had become

wealthy from the benefits obtained by the

development of agriculture, commerce and financial

activities.

Now in the direction of Monòver, just three kilometres

outside Novelda, a relevant artistic-historic group is

located on a slope of La Mola hill. We refer to La Mola

castle, declared a Place of Cultural Interest. La Mola

castle is of Almohad origin, built in the 12th century

over a former Roman fortification and was the the town

of Novelda’s first building. It is an irregularly shaped site

enclosed by thick defensive walls.

The most outstanding element of the fortress is its

triangular tower, situated at the end of the courtyard

and a much later construction than the castle, given

that it dates from the 14th century. This tower is one of

the first examples of Catalan-style civic-military building

in Valencian territory. It is known by the name of the

Torre de los Tres Picos [tower of the three peaks] and is

the only one of its kind in the whole of Europe. At the

natural environment and which is over a thousand

years old. We can reach our next destination, Aspe,

through relatively unspoilt traditional rural scenery, at

the foot of the Horna sierra. As we get closer to this

town we see the characteristic vineyards growing “uva

embolsada” [dessert grapes that are prepackaged],

which we will also come across in the surrounding

towns, a very high quality product and with the

Denomination of Origin “Uva Embolsada del Vinalopó”.

Aspe has an interesting artistic-historic heritage

reflected in its old quarter, which retains the flavour of

its Arab roots. With winding streets that come out onto

tiny plazas, Aspe’s old quarter can be divided into two

parts: the early part, which had to be walled and is

centred around the Plaza Mayor, and the expansion,

which is found centred around the Plaza de San Juan.

Around the Plaza Mayor we can enjoy two great

architectural gems: the Town Hall, with a Renaissance

style façade, and the baroque style Basilica de Nuestra

Señora del Socorro. In the vicinity of Aspe we must visit

the Iberian Age ruins of Castillo del Río, incredibly well

preserved and in an abandoned rural environment of

great beauty.

Through the places that inspiredAzorín, with liqueurs, footwear andnature parks

From Aspe we approach Monforte del Cid along the

CV-825, crossing the now exhausted river Vinalopó. We

reach this town and allow ourselves to wander round its

streets, also with clearly Arabic reminiscences, and

narrow streets in the Moorish neighbourhood. We find,

build over the remains of an Arab fortress, the church of


Santa María Magdalena sancturary. Novelda38º 24' 41'' N 0º 47' 57'' W


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foot of the castle is the sanctuary of Santa María

Magdalena, with a daring building in the modernist

style built in 1918 entirely of marble, with similarities to

the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Once we have passed La Mola hill, we reach Monòver,

the city which saw the birth of the great writer of the

so-called ’98 generation, José Augusto Trinidad

Martínez Ruiz, better known by his nom de plume,

Azorín.

So, one of the first things we should do on reaching

Monòver is visit the Azorín museum-house. It is a

characteristic dwelling of the 19th century which

recreates the home in which the Alicante prose writer

lived. The three-storey building houses an exhibition of

objects and belongings of Azorín, as well as the writer’s

library, made up of a bibliographic collection of 14,000

volumes, some of them from the 16th century, and his

correspondence.

Two buildings declared Places of Cultural Interest will

attract our attention in the environs of the village: the

Santa Bárbara hermitage, with a bold Valencian and

Italian baroque style, and the ruins of the castle. We

leave the beautiful town of Monòver and head for the

footwear capital: Elda. So, on arriving at this place, we

visit the footwear museum. Officially opened in 1999,

the museum has four permanent exhibitions and one

travelling.

The permanent collections show us items related to the

mechanisation of footwear manufacture corresponding

to the 19th and 20th centuries, with an interesting

collection of sewing machines and window displays.

We can also enjoy other collections like one that makes

a review of footwear used by humans throughout

history, or one showing footwear belonging to the

famous in culture, art or sports.

There is also a collection of local footwear, another

showing the footwear of the great designers or

miniatures. Two awards are promoted from the

museum, and despite their scant tradition, they have

already acquired social relevance: the prize for the “Best

Shod Woman in Spain” and the “Luis García Berlanga”

journalism prize for best article on women’s footwear.

From Elda to Petrer we hardly have to cross the street,

since the great expansion these two towns have

experienced since the mid-20th century, has meant

that they are right next to each other forming the Elda-

Petrer conurbation.

An interesting fact about Petrer is that it was the last

bastion of the Republican government under Negrín,

who set up his residence and the seat of government in

the municipality. In Petrer we shall visit the

monumental mediaeval castle built between the 12th

and 14th centuries, declared a Place of Cultural Interest

and where Roman and Arab remains have also been

found.

Their excellent state of conservation is due to the works

for their reconstruction being finished in 1982. Also

within the municipal boundary we find the Arenal del

Amorxó municipal nature area.

This is a dune formation proper to coastal areas, which

is situated inland, with the presence of solids, flora and

fauna characteristic of the coastal dune ecosystems: a

natural extravagance worthy of being known. To end

our route we will make a tour around the neighbouring

Sierra del Cid, which forms a crescent-shaped massif, at

either end of which we find the two peaks of the sierra.

There are various different footpaths that lead us to get

to know the sierra. We propose going round it on the

PR.V-36. The first thing that will catch our attention on

this stretch is the abundant vegetation there is on this

sierra: a leafy woodland of Aleppo pine, accompanied

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Santa María Magdalena sanctuary. Novelda 38º 24' 47'' N 0º 47' 52'' W


by Holm oak and the typical low scrubland of the

Mediterranean. Without doubt we are in the midst of

the great green lungs of the area, which presents fertile

lands to a large extent but with an arid appearance.

Although modest, the animal presence is active, with

the peregrine falcon, golden eagle, Eurasian sparrow

hawk and goshawk, or else the wild boar, green snake,

foxes and mouflons [wild mountain sheep]. As we

approach the summit, the edge of the footpath drops

down the hillside towards the bottom of the gully.

People who cannot stand heights should stay hard by

the other side of the path well away from the precipice.

The summit is reached after the way has been steep

and difficult, but the recompense of the views that the

summit offers makes the obstacles seem few. Practically

the entire group of sierras of southern Valencia is in

sight, although our attention will be particularly caught

to the east by the impressive Maigmó at 1,296 metres

which, together with the line of the coast silhouetted

against a shimmering sea, will leave the viewer in

ecstasy before such visual beauty. In the immediate

vicinity of the Sierra del Cid we can enjoy surprising and

thrilling spots of nature if we head for the Rambla de la

Rabosa, the Racó Xolí, or the Catí-Foradà Bronze Age

(15th century B.C.) site. We end the route barely six

kilometres from Sax, where we set out on this route that

has allowed us to get to know a special and surprising

area, marked by winegrowing and salt extraction.

Practical information

Fiestas, food and craftsThe cuisine of these inland regions of L’Alt Vinalopó and

Vinalopó Mitjà combine traditional country produce.

Among the most representative dishes found are:

gazpacho [a chunky tomato soup served chilled], rice with

rabbit and snails, gachamiga [flour and garlic puree],

fassegures [dumplings], giraboix [cod, tomato and potato]

or ajotonto [cod, garlic and potato], which may be

accompanied with the famous wines of the area, amongst

those that stand out the aromatic Fondillón. The dessert

grape, Uva Embolsada, with its Denominación de Origen,

is an unusual product of the area where dry aniseed

liqueurs are also produced - the Anís Paloma of Monforte

del Cid being particularly noteworthy. Saffron is also

produced and sold locally. To finish, we have cakes and

sweet pastries, the Mistela wine [produced from a must of

mixed grape varieties and fortified with wine alcohol] and

the excellent white and red wines of the area. With regard

to fiestas, in the lands of Vinalapó the splendour of the

Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos [Moors and Christians] is a

reference not to miss on the area’s festive calendar. But

there are also the festivities of San Antón, the countless

romerías [religious processions and local pilgrimages] to

the sanctuaries and hermitages in the area, the carnivals in

February [marking the beginning of Lent], with Novelda’s

forty-hour carnival procession standing out, and the

festivals of the patron saints of every town and city. In

handcrafts we find leather goods; woven chair seats and

other furniture in cane, rush and fibre; festive embroidery;

esparto or needle-grass craftwork, pottery, bobbin lace,

and marble work.


Sierra Salinas 38º 30' 58'' N 0º 53' 97'' W


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Recommended time of yearAny time of year is good, although preferably spring and

autumn. In summer it is important to avoid the hours

around midday when the sun is hottest. Lovely landscapes

are made by the fields of vineyards with the autumn

colours, as well as the almond tree blossom between

January and February. The Laguna of La Salinas shows its

sheet of rainwater before the start of winter.

Public transportRegional trains stop at Sax for the start of the route. For

the return, the regional trains also stop at Elda-Petrer.

Bicycles are transported free of charge on the railways.

RecommendationsIn case you want to do the route just as it is proposed,

by bike or on foot, a word of advice: a mountain bike is

better or, as a minimum, one of the hybrid types. We do

not come across waterspouts for quenching thirst and

refreshing ourselves away from the urban centres, so

we should fill up whenever we get the chance. The best

times of the day to travel are very early morning and in

the evening as the temperature is agreeable and the

light is especially good. If anyone wants to use a car on

the tracks where it is permitted to drive, the main track

must never be left, since it is much better and more

respectful to the environment. To get to know in more

detail each area of nature that we propose, leave the

vehicle parked at a suitable safe spot and make shorter

trips on foot.

RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY:

National Geographic Institute: Scale 1:25,000, sheet numbers: 845-II and IV; 846-III; 870-II, III and IV; and 871-I and III.Further information: www.comunitatvalenciana.comInformation on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es

TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE:

Tourist Info EldaC/ Nueva,14. 03600 EldaTel. 966 98 03 [email protected]

Tourist Info Elda-MuseoAv. Chapí, 32. 03600 [email protected]

Tourist Info Elda-SagastaPl. Sagasta, s/n. 03600 [email protected]

Tourist Info Monforte del CidPl. del Parador, 10 03670 Monforte Del CidTel. 965 62 11 90 [email protected]

Tourist Info NoveldaC/ Mayor, 6 03660 NoveldaTel. 965 60 92 28 [email protected]

Tourist Info PetrerC/ Cura Bartolomé Muñoz, 203610 PetrerTel. 966 98 94 00

Tourist Info VillenaPI. de Santiago, 5 03400 VillenaTel. 966 15 02 36 [email protected]

Petrer castle 38º 29' 34'' N 0º 45' 75'' W

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route 12 from sax to elda and petrer

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