Hiking.. A sport that is getting more and more popular. Everyone takes a walk now and then to discover places, but hiking is a lot more adventurous! The walking off the paths can be an exciting way to see more of the nature. Would you like to discover the beautiful nature of Valencia during a hike? Just outside the city you will find beautiful landscapes, Once Upon a Bike described them for you.
What most of the tourists don’t know is that the region around Valencia offers a large and diverse landscape. First of all, there is the amazing coastline with a lot of beautiful beaches and palm gloves. Second there is the bracing farmland of oranges and beautiful wineries. And last but not least you can find exceptional hills and mountains with rocky peaks, lovely pine-tree forests and gorgeous canyons if you go a little bit inland. This big diversity of the countryside is the reason why hiking in the surroundings of Valencia becomes such an extraordinary experience.
Vias Verdes
Vias Verdes, in other words the ‘Green Ways’, consists of hiking and biking tracks all over Spain. Also near Valencia are some tracks of the Vias Verdes. A train rails used to be on the same spot as where the Vias Verdes are nowadays. The rails disappeared after a long time of not using it, and then they decided to make it into hiking and biking tracks. All tracks are easily accessible as they are flat and even. For some areas it is even possible to have a guided visit. Take a look at the website of Vias Verdes for more information about the surroundings, walking routes and guided visits.
Pais Valenciano
Many walking tracks are available in the inland of Valencia. For example the ‘Pequeños Recorridos’ (PR). These walking tracks will take you through lovely wine fields, over shady forest paths and onto the stunning mountains. The tracks are located from 600 to about 1300 meters above sea level. They are available in any kind of difficulty. You can imagine a hike through the wine fields to be a bit easier than a hike on the narrow mountain tracks. Furthermore the length of the tracks differs from 10 to 50 kilometers. All by all you should be able to find a track that is perfect for you.
Some of these tracks start in Requena and Alpuente, which are located around 80 kilometers from Valencia. You can easily reach these places by train or a rented car. For more information on tracks you can contact the Spanish Mountains Sports and Climbing Federation (Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada).
Address
Carrer de Floridablanca 84
08015 Barcelona
Website
Phone number
0034 934 264 267
Montanejos
Nearby Valencia is Montanejos located. Montanejos is a wonderful little medieval village with a few hot springs and it’s a perfect place to hike. When you’re in Montanejos you can show your sporty you. The village is located in a mountain landscape, so it’s ideal for walking and cycling, but especially for hiking. Take a look at the website of Ayuntamiento de Montanejos for ten walking routes. Montanejos is one hour drive from Valencia, so you can get in Montanejos with your own car or you hire a car. Another option is to take the taxi. And don’t forget, it’s really recommended to jump into the hot springs! The water is still around 25 degrees in October. Take a look at this page for more information.
Close to the city
There are also some great places to go hiking if you prefer to stay closer to the city. For example the ‘Albufera Nature Reserve’ is located only ten kilometers away from Valencia. Albufera is the biggest lake of Spain. It is also a great place if you want to go bird watching. Besides, Albufera is known for its rice fields and the famous Spanish dish paella is made of this rice! So its recommended to taste the traditional ‘Paella Valenciana’ in Albufera. You can reach Albufera with the bus from Valencia, which is a cheap way to travel. Moreover you could go to the ‘Turia Nature Reserve’. This is a national park along the Turia River. It is located just 25 kilometers outside Valencia.
Tips
– Make sure you’ve good and sporty shoes on.
– Always bring enough water with you. Hiking can take a few hours and it can be really hot in Spain!
– You’d better not go for a hike in the midday, because around two and three o’clock it’s the hottest moment of the day. It’s better when you go in the morning.
– It’s recommended to hike in the autumn. It’s a bit colder and walking through the mountains and forests in autumn is really beautiful, because of the yellow and red leaves.
