A trip to the interior of Alicante
When someone talks about Alicante, what do you think of? Benidorm surely comes to mind right away. Maybe also Altea, Jávea, Calpe or other coastal towns. The safest thing is that you think of its beaches and, of course, also of its rice dishes. And if it can be in a restaurant with sea views, even better. (We have not come here to suffer!). However, like any coin, this province located south of Valencia has two sides.
On the one hand, it has its most mediatic side: sun and beach tourism, as they say, with its 200 kilometers of beaches, coves and cliffs, and its more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. On the other, and kept in a safe place, it has a more unknown facet , but no less worthy of admiration for that: the inland Alicante.
Not everyone knows it, but we are facing one of the most mountainous provinces in Spain, with the Sierra de Aitana and its 1,557 meters above sea level as its maximum exponent. Today, we enter rocky terrain and move away from the coast to discover its most beautiful villages and its most idyllic landscapes, to discover, in short, a new Alicante. An Alicante without a beach. Because beauty (also) is inside...
The Castle of Guadalest
THE VILLAGES
Surrounded by Sierra de Mariola, Alto de Biscoi, L'Ombria de Benicadell, La Serreta, Carrascal de la Font Roja, Sierra de la Carrasqueta and Els Plans, we find the beautiful municipality of Alcoy. Known for its famous Moors and Christians festivals, this town in Alicante is full of beauty, nature and tradition in equal measure. Nestled between natural parks, the known as the city of bridges, it has an interesting medieval past , which we can still see thanks to the fragments of walls recovered in its old town or the castle of Barchell, on the outskirts. In addition, it also breathes influence of modernist architecture , so important in 19th century Catalonia, with clear references to art nouveau.
Our escapade ends in the Marina Baja, specifically in The Castle of Guadalest . Despite its small size, its particular charm, its famous castle and its marked Muslim past , have earned him to join the select club of the "most beautiful villages in Spain".
Alcoi
THE ROUTES
Despite not having the fame of other mountainous or wooded areas such as the regions near the Pyrenees or the communities located in the north of Spain, Alicante hides endless natural landscapes that must be visited at least once in a lifetime. Font Roja Natural Park , for example, is located 11 kilometers from the urban center of Alcoy and is one of the best preserved natural spaces in the Valencian territory. Through their hiking routes, such as the Menejador itinerary or the Barranc de l'Infern itinerary , you can see clear examples of Mediterranean forests full of holm oaks and gall oaks, monumental trees, snow wells and the characteristic fauna of the area.
Another mandatory stop is the ** Fuentes del Algar **, located 3 kilometers from Callosa d'en Sarrià. With a 1.5-kilometre-long circuit along the Algar riverbed, which means 'cave' in Arabic, it has spectacular waterfalls, springs, canals and centuries-old ditches.
For lovers of hiking, there are numerous formidable routes to get into the interior of Alicante. El forat de Bernia, a very popular route through the Sierra de Bernia in which you can literally cross the mountain thanks to a natural hole ; the Guadalest valley, a privileged enclave of high landscape value; conquer the Sierra de Aitana, also known as the roof of the Costa Blanca, and discover its Partagat and Forata springs; contemplate the source of the Vinalopó River, in the Sierra of Mariola , a natural park in the north of Alicante with the route of the Caves or snowfields of Agres, the Molins route, the greenway of Virtudes as the main routes to enjoy on foot.
Algar Fountains
THE HOTEL
Finding a hidden gem in the heart of Alicante's nature, although it may seem so at first, is not difficult. In the Guadalest valley, 50 minutes from the capital, we find ** Vivood Landscape Hotels .** It is a new hotel concept designed by the architect Daniel Mayo and with a clear objective: the evasion
With a minimalist, modern and, most importantly, sustainable architecture, we find a project created with the heart and that easily adapts to the environment. Its suites with glass windows offer panoramic views of the surroundings, blurring that invisible border between the guest and the landscape. An accommodation where you can rekindle your senses in the middle of nature, but without giving up urban whims, such as a private heated Jacuzzi or an infinity pool with views of the mountains.
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Urban whims in the middle of nature