Sunflower Books: Landscapes of the COSTA BLANCA: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

Costa Blanca, 3rd ed (2005), updated 20/08/08

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in the Costa Blanca region given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

Excellent book. I am surprised that you do not include the tour around the Penyal d'Ifac, national park at Calpe, in your short walks section. It deserves more than a brief mention in the text and can be highly recommended. (User, 10.06)

Car tour 2: This car tour is so wonderful that we did it with a bike and we can only recommend this also to others - but start your bike tour in Pego, not in Denia, it will then be about 85 km on virtually traffic free roads (except for the way through Pego and the last 10 km). The road numbers of several of the roads have changed compared to the description in the book (AP1001 from Beniarrès to L'Orxa (or Lorcha in Castellano, as it is written on most maps) is now CV701), but that's not a problem as there are always signs. Only one minor correction: At the 54 km point you have to turn right to Beniarrès directly at the petrol sign, not after it. For those who really do it with a bike: The ascent from L'Orxa to the ridge seems really hard, but even if your have to descend and walk on foot (pushing your bike), it will not take you longer than 30 minutes to get to the 'flat topped' ridge, where you can ride again. (User, 6/06)

Walk 1: When you arrive in Denia by train (recommendable, if you come from Calpe, Alicante, Benidorm or anywhere in between), leave the train one stop before Denia station, at "Alqueres" (a request stop, just after the "Denia Hospital" station) and walk up the "Cami del Pou de Ia Montanya" (see city map of Denia on p. 9), just next to the train station. It is signed to Montgo Natural Park and the Ermita Pare Pere. From here it's 15 minutes up to the entrance of the Parque Natural... One hint for safety (I haven't experienced it myself, but heard it from locals I met during my walk): In the morning the upper part of Montgo is often in clouds. Don't start this walk unless the top of the mountain is clear of clouds (normally, latest around early afternoon), otherwise parts of the way may be difficult to navigate. Apart from that, you'll miss the fabulous views... On the rocky path after the 1h03min-point, carefully watch out for the waymarks, especially in the steep and rocky sections. When you round the bend at the 2h05-min point don't be surprised if you can't identify the true summit: only the "Denia" peak has a cross, the cross on the true "Montgo" summit has disappeared. A short time after the 2h05min-point pay attention: To the left, a clear and obvious path marked with stones leads to the "Denia" peak, the one summit which has a cross. Don't fork left here, the correct path lies ahead and is less clearly visible. Once you have passed this point, the path is also clearly marked with yellow-white PR-paintmarks all the way to the "Montgo" peak (from where you can see the mountains of Eivissa). The rest of the way is extremely easy to navigate and exactly as described in the book. Don't miss the mentioned detour to the Cova de L'Aigua. (User, 4/05) + I was based a few hundred metres from the junction of the CV738/CV735 at Jesus Pobre. There is easy access to the Montgo national park nearby and there are two excellent trails on the south side of the mountain which link up with your walk 1. (User, 10.06). + Walk 1 cannot be accessed by the route mentioned due to new buildings and roads in Denia. Then the 2nd para should read"up the lower slopes TO the old trail. We could not see the true summit marked with a cross. (User, 8/08)

Walk 3: Beautiful and in principle as in the book. Only some hints: The description does not mention all ruined houses, junctions and forks - but the yellow-white PR-waymarks and signposts especially on the circuit track are quite reliable, follow them when in doubt. The ''mis-information board' at the 33 minute point is no longer that - it is now empty! After the 1:34 point, the description says 'when the path splits, follow the PR markers to the left' - we were quite unsure here, because there were no PR-markers to the left, but instead yellow marked poles to the right, we followed these and it worked out fine - the descent was very easy this way, and we ended up at the correct forestry track to turn right and meet Casa Mikadi. If between the 1:57 and the 2:10 point you don't have any views of the coast, don't be astonished: You would either have to be 5 m tall to look over the trees or it has to be winter, where the trees don't have leaves that block your view. By the way: The walk takes about 3 hours (or less), as mentioned in the title, and not 3:20 as mentioned in the walk description. (User, 6/06)

Walk 4: The W and N slopes are badly damaged by a huge forest fire. The path itself is unaffected. (User, 3/06) + The vegetation is slowly recovering at the north and west slopes after the forest fire mentioned by User 3/06 - very interesting to see and alone worth a visit. The walk as described in the book is meanwhile identical with the excellently signposted and waymarked walk PR-289 - the red-white or red waymarks mentioned in the book are only faintly visible, but there are everywhere yellow-white PR-waymarks and signposts for the PR-289, which have (according to the waiter in the restaurant next to the Font del Moli) just been refreshed in April 2006, so currently you can rely 100% on these waymarks. Only one change at the start of the walk: You walk up the asphalt road as mentioned in the book, the 11 minute point is after crossing a bridge over a water channel (a house with a yellow garden wall is to the right hand side) and then walk uphill a broad track some 30 m to a signpost and follow the PR-289-sign to the left (straight on it goes to the peak of the Puig Campana). The sign at the 6 minute point has been removed. (User, 6/06) + Re the short walk from the Font del Moli at Finestrat (the lower slopes of Puig Campana}. There seems to have been a lot of development at the Font del Moli - there's a big recreativa area/ car park and information booth, which made the outset of the walk very confusing....we couldn't find waymarking that corresponded to the early instructions. There has also been a very extensive estate of new villas built ( in a "rustic style") on the lower slopes. It took some time - 30 mins or so - to walk through all this villa development, just following our noses, trying to stay in the right direction and keeping as "uphill" as possible. We did eventually find a track which must be the remains of your outward route - it was quite a find amongst lots of "no paseo/privado" signs. We then had a lovely 20 mins or so on a contour track through thinned out pine trees and shrubs on the open hillside. I think that we then somehow picked up the correct downward tracks - and found a very narrow field edge path by Villa San Miguel that took us back into Finestrat itself.... I think that this short walk 4 really needs to be re-researched ...at the moment you have to be really self-reliant and determined! Finestrat is a really good area to go to if you've got a late afternoon/evening flight home from Alicante: you can get onto the motorway really easily and quickly at junction 66. So this walk + exploring the village is great for a last day when time is limited. We enjoyed some great walking into the heart of magnificent scenery using this Costa Blanca guide, and really value your guide books - Many Thanks! (User, 12/07)

Walk 5: At the start of the walk, we didn't find 'Restaurante Pergola', might have been renamed. Simply walk uphill Calle Hamburgo, at some time the blue railings start, and after they end, take the first road to the left, this passes in front of the 'Castell del Mar' apartments. The whole way after 'El Mendivil' has quite fresh PR-waymarks and is very easy to follow. (User, 6/06)

Walk 7: Directly at the start of the walk, in case you have to guess which of the houses is meant by 'the last house in the row', turn left 65 m (count your steps) after the second footbridge, walk 10 m up to the entrance of the house and directly before it turn right on the path. The 'track' you reach then at the 6 minute point is now an asphalt road up to shortly after the 1:15 point. For the ascent from the 1:35 point onwards, be sure to have some long trousers available - the path is clear and easy to follow (also well waymarked), but there are lacerating plants nevertheless. (User, 6/06)

Walk 8: Couldn't see a signpost at the start. (e-mail, 01/06) + A bit confusing at the top of the ridge (1h01min)... you meet not a track but a metalled road, and the Villa Isabelita is about 5 mins down the road, after a bend... From the 2h11min-point onwards: this all became very confusing after "zig-zag quite sharply uphill". I think the track/paths back to the starting point have been asphalted. But if you turn left on the metalled road at the crossroads (2h11mins), you can walk straight up to the white house in the middle of the saddle. Then, by the left-hand side of the house there is a lovely little path traversing diagonally back down into the Barranco Encantada giving you beautiful high views of your outward path: it finally gets back to ground level about 2-300 metres from the black gates of the Villa Monica... Also - is your N-S line correct on the map on page 67? On my road map it
seemed that Pego was approx SE and Muro approx NE of Planes. But many thanks - wonderful book! (User, 12/07) + We walked this six years ago and manged to get lost after the 2h11min-point, so this time we succesfully followed the users instructions of 12/07. However the description says the lovely little path goes from the left-hand side of the house. In fact it is off on the bend about 100 metres before you reach the white house! (User, 3/08)

Walk 10: At Benimaurell (29min) pass the bar oasis and BEAR LEFT to follow the road through new development and out of the village... After 1h13min the restored finca is now a restaurant... From the animal pen (1h24min) we could find no path; best to say '50m past the pen leave the dirt road and make a beeline for the obvious small saddle on the ridge (if you have a compass, 350°)'. We saw NO yellow paint, but the contour detail on the map was sufficient... After 5h10min walk round the Pozo de las Jubias and descend a path to the left of the adjacent house, following a terrace wall. At 6h10min you don't pass directly beneath a waterfall, but cross its stream some distance BELOW the fall. (User, 5/05) + There were no yellow marks (1h43min) and we found it hard to navigate to saddle of ridge. In fact went over at wrong point but managed to get down to the road at a point nearer to Vall d'Ebo. After the village is where the problems started. (3h58min) The waymarked path was only 2 mins after Font Xili. After crossing the river bed we were unable to find a path that went up the slope. There was a waymark at one point but the path was very indistinct. We tried for an hour and a half to find our way up and to find a ruined house (4hr 5min) but everything was very overgrown - small pines, gorse etc. and eventually we had to abandon the walk, go back to Valld'Ebo and get a taxi back to Fleix! (User, 4/06) [Editor's note: we do not know whether this second user saw the notes of the User of 5/05; also MAY have taken the wrong path after Font Xili?] + Walk 10 caused us the greatest difficulty, we agree with the last user and also had to take a taxi back to Fleix from Val d'Ebo. There are NO waymarks on the slopes at 1h43min. A photo or sketch would help.There are several "long flat ridges" to walk down, they mostly end in cliffs! Font Xili is NOT POTABLE, which could be important by this stage. There is NO waymarked path from thereabouts, maybe washed away by floods. When we tried the next day from the other end of the walk we found the Pozo de las Jubias was a house and a well. The Corrales de Carrasca are no longer ruined (4h44min). At the 4h20min house there are dogs and a man with a gun! (User, 8/08)

Walk 11: The start of this walk is inaccesible from Tarbena because the CV752 is closed there for extensive road works. (User, 3/06) + An absolutely wonderful walk! A few changes: At approx. 1h20min (at the 7k marker): the wide track is obvious, but we couldn't find yellow/white waymarkings. There is a new house being built at the top of the rise on the left, but no casita or house on the left. Also we got very confused about the view of the Arc de Atancos - we didn't actually see it/ or know what it should look like until we spotted it considerably further on. There is a new "recreativa" type sign which marks a path to it - so we deduced that we hadn't gone wrong....but still didn't see it until later. The "narrow waymarked track" is now fairly wide and is marked by a sign saying "7km, Da ida y vuelta" - which we translated as "there and back". All in all this stretch was somewhat confusing. But we're glad to report that the paths are there and findable, and we sucessfully followed the rest of the circuit as described. There is a bad landslip + big fall of rocks over the path that looks very recent: it is about 5 mins before you reach the saddle at the 2h30min-point. We crossed it safely, but it is a bit alarming when you first come across it because you can't see the ongoing path. "Clamber across the rocks with care - bearing very slightly to your left to regain the established path" would now be an accurate description. Many thanks for another wonderful guide that took us into the heart of such magnificent scenery. (User, 12/07)

Walk 12: We don't know what we did wrong, but we were not able to find our way after the 2:28 point. We followed the walk exactly as in the book and on the map (with the crossings of the dried out river bed) and the description fits perfect with timings and all (except for the fact that the Range Rover wreck at the 2:16 point has been removed), but we didn't find the place where the path 'climbs very steeply for a few minutes' and then becomes an asphalt road after the 2:39 point - in other words, we didnít find the right way out of the barranco. Perhaps it is so overgrown now that it is no longer visible? We had to walk back to the 1:49 point and continue with alternative walk 1 instead (also nice). By the way: At the 4:47 point, the track to the right before the ruined house is no longer chained and shortly before you 'join that very steep track', the path is blocked by a truckload of dead wood - but you can easily climb around it. (User, 6/06)

Walk 14: The only level piece of ground we found to match the description of the starting point was a lot closer to the end of the road than the 25 min. stated. (e-mail, 01/06)

Walk 15: The treelined road is signed "Pensa de Guadalest". After Beniarda you should ignore a CROSSING track. (User, 8.08)

Walk 24: This has changed in several respects. First, the car parking approach is now different. When you leave the A31 motorway heading north you reach a roundabout where you take a sharp right, doubling back the way you have come (this is because of the building of a
newish industrial estate) and then very soon turn right and under the slip road to find the parking indicated... At the white wall (48min) the track going straight ahead is now surfaced and the fork right occurs where the surfacing runs out shortly after... At L'Arenal (58min) there are now several explanatory boards and an information unit (a shed!) which we guess would be open in summer... The main track going ahead beside the dry river bed is now very well defined and the side tracks are almost inconsequential, so there is little danger of taking the wrong route. In Caprala (after 1h45min) the road across the bridge now continues as an asphalted road straight ahead (still ignoring the right turn) and is
asphalted as far as the 2hr04min point where it turns LEFT (not right) and you continue straight ahead on your Via Pecuaria route towards the dam. Note that this is the second Via Pecuaria sign that you reach - there is one a hundred metres or so before it... Unfortunately the red and white villa is no longer in its livery (its basically yellow now) and the well has been tiled in a slightly less attractive way (so your Page 2 picture might be out of date) although it can still be identified from its ironwork which matches the picture... After passing the dam you re-join a broader track before ignoring the right turn... The 2h23min point is slightly complex. First there is a bend to the left where there is also a right turn (which you ignore). Then a few metres further on the track that continues straight ahead has a crossed yellow/white waymark (indicating that the minor route does not go this way) and a red/white waymark (indicating that the GR7 does!). Similarly the right-hand track (which you take) has a crossed red/white waymark (indicating that the GR7 does not go this way!!)... No sign of the electricity depot... At the 2h39min point there are now yellow/white waymarks continuing straight ahead... At the 2h59min point the track that you take goes straight ahead (not left)... At the restaurante Molina it is best to walk a few paces beyond the restaurant before descending on a clear waymarked (yelow/white) track to the rambla... "Shortly" after passing some pipes might be better as "about 5 minutes". (User, 10/05)

Campground: see www.campingcostablanca.com