Route 10 From Villena to Oliva
Transcription
Route 10 From Villena to Oliva
RUTA9y10_92a111 OK ingles:rutas 02/07/10 13:30 Página 102 From the interior to the coast following the green ways Route 10 From Villena to Oliva Rio CV-4 1 R io A-7 Bo lb Bolbaite 40 N-3 C a s t i ll ancha aM a -L N-3 44 7 -65 CV 31 A- R. Vi na lo p 2 33 N- R io 7 AP- 580 Sant Joan dÕEnova Cotes Senyera Crcer Benifair Rafelguaraf Alcntera Manuel Mondber de Xquer La Llosa l«énova Simat Chella Sellent Xeraco de la Valldigna 841 e de Ranes d Barxeta Mondber Barx Anna Estubeny an Xeresa Gr CV Rotgl i Corber Lugar Nuevo de Fenollet 841 0 Llanera de Ranes -67 Grao de Gandia -59 La Granja de la Costera 5 Torrella CV Genovs Pinet Gandia Cerd Daims Enguera Xtiva l«Alcdia VallsNovetl Benirredr Guardamar de la Safor 24 de Crespins Bells Benignim Quatretonda Real de Gandia Miramar Bellreguard Canals Almoines 7 Palmera Piles Montesa V-59 Llutxent C Beniarj Rtova E. de Bells LÕAlquera de la Comtesa Benicolet Alfahuir Guadasequies Palma Benifl 35 Rafelcofer Oliva A La Pobla del Duc Almiser Ador L«Olleria Sempere Castellonet Potres La Font Montichelvo Alfarras Benisuera Llocnou Oliva Nova d«En Carrs Castell de Rugat Terrateig 20 Vallada A CVRugat Aielo de Montaverner 60 Aielo de 23 Villalonga 27 P-7 22 26 Marjal Malferit Rugat 19 is Azafor Blgida Rfol Moixent Bufali de Pego-Oliva Pto. Almansa io Serp 21 ma Otos Salem 17 18 R 692 El Palomar 25 1.013 n sa 900 Carrcola l«Orxa 5 Beniatjar Albaida 3 1 s AAdsubia Pego Benimeli Beniarrs -70 o le Benissoda y V Beniarbei n C E. de Atzeneta Gaianes Ca Poblado Ibrico 16 Ontinyent 14 Rfol Rio Vall de Gallinera Beniarrs de les AgullentN-340 Sanet y Sagra 15 Vall de Ebo La Font de Bastida Alcusses CV-700 Alcocer 11 Planes Negrals Tormos la Figuera Benimarfull La Vall Rio Girona Alfafara Benidoleig 13 d«Alcal 9 Muro l«Alqueria Orba Fontanars Agres Bocairent 10 Almudaina Tollos Vall de Laguar de Alcoy dels Alforins Montcabser 12 Benimassot Murla Alcalal Ll Benillup Balones 1.390 Famorca 8 -81 Cocentaina Benigembla Parcent Xal 1.004 Millena 7 Facheca CV Serra Gorga Quatretondeta Banyeres de Mariola Castell de Benilloba de Mariola Benasau Vall del Po Castells 0 Beneixama Alcoy CV-7 Confrides Beniard Trbena El Camp de Mirra El Castell de Penguila Alcoleja Caada Benimantell Guadalest Bolulla 6 Benifallim Font Roja Benifato Callosa CVBiar d«en Sarri Onil 70 Villena Aitana CV-799 4 Don Cayo AP Ibi 5 3 La Torre -81 1 2 A-7Pto. de la Carrasqueta 1.558 de les Maanes Polop La Nucia Las Virtudes Rio 1.020 Sella Parque Temtico Am Altea TERRA MêTICA 0 Castalla 24 • Park: Parque de la Estación 12 • Montcabrer 1 • Sanctuary: Santuario de las Virtudes 25 • Mount: Serra Segària 13 • Cava Arquejada 2 • El Saladar 26 • Mount: Sierra de Mostalla 14 • Mount: Serra del Benicadell 3 • Castle: Castillo de Villena 27 • Marsh: Marjal Pego-Oliva 15 • Reservoir: Embalse de Beniarrés 4 • Castle: Castillo de Biar 16 • Ravine: Barranc de l´Encantà 5 • Sanctuary: Santuario de Nuestra Señora 17 • Station: Estación de l´Orxa de la Gracia 18 • Castle Ruins: Ruinas Castillo Perpuxent 6 • Mount: Sierra de La Fontanella 19 • Narrow Pass: L’Estret de l’Infern 7 • Mount: Sierra de La Solana 20 • Mount: Serra d’Ador 8 • Bridge: Puente Nuevo 21 • Mount: Serra de La Safor 9 • Hermitage: Ermita del Santo Cristo 22 • Mount: Serra de La Gallinera 10 • Covetes dels Moros 23 • Waterspout: Fuente de Reprimala 11 • Lagoon: El Pou Clar te ai RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 103 102 - 103 Surrounded by castles, on the Xixarra green way Our route leaves from the sanctuary of Las Virtudes de Along this route that takes us from Villena to Oliva we will pass along a total of three green ways. The green ways, as we saw in Route 5, are former railway lines that have been left disused and are now made use of by nature lovers, as those people have set out itineraries suitable for hikers and cycle-tourists. The first of these green ways is commonly known by the name of the Xixarra and follows the route of the narrow gauge train between Yecla and Muro de Alcoy. On this stretch we will pass some of the best preserved castles in Valencian territory and we will make a few incursions into the Serra de Mariola nature park. The second green way we take is the one that rescues the line of the train that, between 1893 and 1969, linked the towns of Muro de Alcoy and Gandia. Known as the train “dels anglesos” meaning “of the English” - in Spanish it is common for the term “English” to be used for what is strictly speaking “British” because a British company was responsible for financing the works, the spectacular route of this line takes us close beside the river Serpis which, as it flows towards the Mediterranean, which passes at sea level between two Villena. This site is an outlying district of the town of Villena, situated seven kilometres to the west of this municipality. It seems its origin was established when, in 1474, part of the population of Villena fleeing from the plague that was devastating Spain, decided to take refuge in this spot, where a spring was found, known now as the Fuente del Chopo. Due to the ravages of the epidemic it was decided to choose a patron saint to entrust with their intercession. At the time of the selection, so the legend says, the Virgin of the Virtues ended up imposing herself as the object of devotion. The sanctuary, which started to be built in this era, the second half of the 15th century, was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1976. Nowadays, on the last Sunday in August the Virgin is taken in a religious procession to Villena and remains there until 9th September. We also make our way to Villena, although not necessarily as in a religious procession, bordering a dried up former lake. Nowadays it is, in part, a salt mine and the landscape ends up looking quite attractive between the mounds of white salt. The other part is given over to vegetable crops such as carrots and seasonal fruits like melons, with some plots being devoted to ecological production. We reach Villena after this pleasant walk and notice, in this town, its impressive castle of Arab origin, subsequently transformed over the centuries and restored to its former glory in the 20th century. It will not be the only great sierras, finally finding its way to the plain of the castle we will visit on this route. At Biar, the next town region of La Safor. Having reached the end of the railway line “dels anglesos”, at the port of Gandia, we will take the third and last green way of this route, through which the green way passes, we also find a castle declared a Place of Cultural Interest. From Biar castle a labyrinth of steep, narrow streets spreads out. which joins the towns of Carcaixent and Dénia and then to finish our route in Oliva, where we will visit its pretty beaches and the marsh that connects it with And at the next town, Campo de Mirra, we also stop off at its famous Alzmira castle, of which nowadays only the tower remains. In this castle, in 1244, the Pego. Treaty of Alzmira was signed, through which Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castille, and Jaime I of Aragon set out Bocairent 38º 46' 0.60" N 0º 36' 21.60" W mtesa er a rbei et y rals leig Ll del Po AP a RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 104 Route 10 From Villena to Oliva Marchaleta, a tributary (the river Marchal) of the Vinalopó. We continue walking and make out the town of Benyeres de Mariola ahead and behind it, the magnificent Serra de Mariola nature park. At this town Bocairent 38º 46' 1.19" N 0º 36' 37.80" W the boundaries of their respective kingdoms. These frontiers were, over the centuries, a bone of contention between the subsequent kingdoms of Castille, Murcia and Valencia. This fact is why such powerful and substantial castles were built in the region of Vinalopó, amongst which, as well as the three already mentioned, those at Benyeres de Mariola, Castalla, Sax and Petrer are also outstanding. We leave the town of Campo de Mirra and, travelling a short distance, reach Beneixama, a town that gives its name to the valley we are in, between the sierras of La Solana and Fontanella. From Beneixama, leaving the green way on a small there and back detour, going across the Sierra de la Solana, we can get to the delightful town of Fontanars dels Alforins. This town, set on a plateau, is known as the ‘Valencian Tuscany’, due to the idyllic landscape surrounding the town, with its fields occupied by vineyards and the occasional Holm oak or pine standing guard over them. We can see the beauty of the countryside in Mediterranean land, with the morning or evening light bathing the fields in gold and ripening the grapes. We return to our green route and from Beneixama, passing Xixarra station in a very good state of conservation, we head eastwards following the green way. Before reaching Banyeres de Mariola the landscape changes, passing from fields of crops to fairly leafy woodlands. We cross the recently reconstructed bridge over which the former train used to pass and which crosses the we will visit its old centre, to enjoy its unusual stepped location and its impressive castle perched on a hill that is covered in snow in winter. In addition we will go to the Valencia Paper Museum, the only one of its kind in the Region of Valencia. It offers a wide-ranging historic, economic and social overview of the evolution of paper, from its origins in China (in 105 AD) through its introduction into Europe through Xàtiva and highlighting its subsequent importance throughout Spain, but especially in the Region of Valencia, the leading papermaking area for some decades in the manufacture of cigarette paper. The Museu Valencià del Paper is also a living museum and, in this sense, it puts on demonstrations of papermaking by hand, shows documentaries, publishes works on the subject of paper and hosts exhibitions. We leave the town of Benyeres de Mariola and, from the town’s disused railway station, we resume our itinerary along the track bed of the green way. Sierra Mariola RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 105 104 - 105 store the snow in winter and have it available in summer to cool drinks, conserve foods, especially fish at the ports on the coast, and to make ice cream. Moreover, in Sierra Mariola After a few kilometres we reach the spectacular town of Bocairent. We take some time to visit this town, which the past, this snow had another essential facet: a beneficial therapeutic and medicinal use for inflammations and haemorrhages, just as we still do nowadays in the care of fevers or as an anaesthetic, amongst others. Once we have passed the Sant Blai cave, the route enters between market gardens and terraces already made use of by the Arabs, who create a dynamic Bocairent of prestige going beyond the borders of Al-Andalus [the Arabic name for their land in Spain]. We now find ourselves at the foot of the stretch that leads to a monument that continues to intrigue archaeologists and historians: Les Covetes dels Moros. Its description is common to all those who visit: 53 rooms, with their corresponding windows, cut into a straight wall in the mountainside, all interconnecting and at different irregular levels. It turns out to be more difficult to know their origin and their primitive function, but it seems they were probably used as granaries-warehouses to store supplies in safety, made in the Hispano-Arabic era by the agricultural communities in the environs, probably Berbers. We leave Bocairent and propose an alternative trip to get as receives its name from the Arabic bekirén, which means pineapple or beehive, for the shape of the town. And far as Muro de Alcoy. This route, which leads us to Ontinyent and Albaida leaves the Xixarra trail to take Bocairent is situated on a hill 660 metres above sea level, over which the town’s large houses are scattered, between narrow streets with clear Arab influences. The the CV-81 and the CV-40. Before we get to Ontinyent along this stretch we will discover the transparent waters of the Pou Clar, one of the most famous water medieval neighbourhood is impressive with its bell tower acting as a beacon, that is, as a landmark so that holes of the inland Valencian mountains. Once we reach Ontinyent we will go through its medieval quarter and, visitors never get to feel lost around the steep, narrow alleyways. From Bocairent’s Town Hall we can take various routes to get to know the town’s cultural and at Sant Maria church, we will find a bell tower that competes in height with the one of Bocairent. The next destination on this alternative route is Albaida; natural heritage. One of these leads us to Les Covetes dels Moros. On the way we pass the Santo Cristo outstanding in this town is the palace of the Marquises of Albaida, the Milà y Aragó family, which houses one of hermitage, at the top of a steep mountain that is reached on foot up a ‘Calvary’ or ‘Way of the Cross’. The Sant Blai cave is a former snow store, which was used to the most original museums in the Region of Valencia, the International Marionette Museum. If we decide not to take the alternative route, but to stay on the Xixarra The Benicadell 38º 49' 31.80" N 0º 22' 47.40" W From the indispensable Bocairent to the Alcoy valley below the Serra Mariola RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 106 Route 10 From Villena to Oliva Bocairent 38º 45' 58.20" N 0º 36' 25.20" W The Covetes dels Moros. Bocairent 38º 46' 11.40" N 0º 36' 30.00" W green way, the next town we find after Bocairent is Alfafara. This tiny town, situated at the foot of the Serra de Mariola nature park, has, in these mountains, famous for their medicinal and aromatic plants, one of its most compelling attractions. From the green way we approach the municipality, once we have passed the former railway station of Aflafara, which has recently been restored. From the town we climb the slopes of the Serra de Mariola to find numerous natural and cultural spots, amongst which we pick out the Coves de les Finestres, the remains of the walls of the Cabezo de Mariola Iberian settlement and the Bolumini cave. At Agres, the next hamlet we pass through following the green way, we shall do the same as we did at Alfafara, visiting it and climbing up the Serra de Mariola. From Agres there is a path that takes us up to the highest summit of the natural park, Montcabrer, which, at 1,394 metres above sea level constitutes an exceptional vantage point over the southern Valencian lands. The Serra de Mariola is one of the most-loved and most visited mountains in Valencian lands. The protected part of the mountain is clearly marked and perfectly defined, as it is a steep ridge overlooking the adjoining valleys. It reaches on its eastern face a difference in level of nine and streams over all its slopes. The most important rivers in the north of the province of Alicante rise here: the Vinalopó, the Serpis, the Agres and the Clariano. The snowfalls were much more copious a couple of centuries ago, as demonstrated by the abundance of snow storage constructions, scattered throughout the sierra, above all during the period known as the ‘small ice age’, between the 17th and 18th centuries, the era when most of its famous stores destined for the commercialisation of the snow were constructed. These snow stores, like those of Bocairent, are a representative display of the over 300 scattered throughout the Region of Valencia, reflecting a commercial activity which peopled our mountains with workers, leaving a legacy of civil architecture of the greatest magnitude. On the way from Agres to Montcabrer we come across various different examples of these snow stores, the main exponent being the Cava Arquejada. But the Serra de Mariola is, above all, a sierra known for the variety of different aromatic plant species it possesses: sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, juniper, pennyroyal… all gathered for centuries as medicinal herbs. Coming down from the Serra de Mariola we continue our route along the platform of the green way as far as Muro de Alcoy. This part of the route runs through cuttings with the dense vegetation of the foothills of the Serra de Mariola. We will come across some of the hundred metres in a very short space and its silhouette infrastructure specific to the railway now in disuse, like as an impenetrable wall is unmistakeable from any neighbouring mountain. The height and orientation of the Serra Mariola means that the area has a lot of rain water holes and signal boxes. We leave the lush vegetation of the mountain and, after a bend, the Alcoy valley opens up before us. We stop in the town of Muro and snow, above all because the moisture-laden east winds reach the sierra and deposit the water on it, sometimes violently, sometimes as snow. These special de Alcoy and leave the Xixarra green way to now take the Serpis green way, travelled in its day by the train known as “dels anglesos”. At Muro de Alcoy among the conditions turn the sierra into a mountain that captures the waters which it distributes in the form of springs places of interest we can visit the monument in honour of Tio Pep, known throughout the length and breadth RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 107 106 - 107 of the Region of Valencia for a popular song. The statue is placed at the entrance to the town. Through the Serpis ravine, the foot of the Benicadell and the Safor cirque Due to the scarcity of energy sources, at the end of the 19th century the ‘Alcoy and Gandia Railway Harbour Company Limited’ built the railway line from Muro de Alcoy to Gandia port, known in the region as the ‘trenet dels anglesos’. The line enabled the regular supply of British coal to the two industrial centres of these valleys, Alcoy and Cocentaina, at the same time as enabling the transport of merchandise manufactured there to the coast for export. The railway line was operational from 1893 until the end of the 1960s, when the tacks were lifted and even some bridges dismantled, but the firm flat ground where the line itself ran was kept intact, the tunnels, halts and some buildings associated with the line were also conserved. The first town we come to coming out of Muro de Alcoy along the itinerary of the green way is Gaianes. From Gaianes we will continue walking along the slopes of the Serra del Benicadell, admiring this majestic mountain formation, to reach Beniarrés a little later on. At this hamlet we will find a narrow road which takes us to the Beniarrés reservoir. We leave our route to visit the Barranc de l’Encantà, one of the best preserved and spectacular ravines of these parts and where there is a recreational area around some delightful waterfalls. Neither can we miss visiting the caves Els Nou Forats and l’Or, with important archaeological sites. Back on our itinerary along the green way we keep walking until we come to l’Orxa station and after that, on a small hill, the ruins of Perpuxent castle, declared a Place of Cultural Interest. On the right is the town of l’Orxa and, ahead of us, we see how the way seems to be blocked by large mountains. However it is not closed because the river Serpis has worn away a spectacular ravine through Circo de la Safor 38º 52' 39.00" N 0º 14' 36.60" W which passes the track bed of the railway that we are following on this itinerary. From here to Villalonga the green way takes us along a spectacular route known as the l’Estret de l’Infern. We start walking along this thrilling way and right from the outset we are captivated by the abundant vegetation and the immensity of the mountains that surround us, in contrast to the tranquillity of the river Serpis flowing peacefully along. We come to a fall on the river, with a spectacular dam and the now disused electricity generating station, L’Infern, which it served. The building of the power station has a certain charm, both for the landscape in which it is set and its 19th century architectural forms. We pass through the occasional tunnel and further on find ourselves in the area known as Racó de Duc, which along with the Safor cirque forms a space that covers some 2,900 hectares. It is not hard to detect the presence of birds of prey, small carnivores and wild boar. We pass another waterfall forming a beautiful cascade in the Parra gully. We also pass a quarry and continue marvelling at the steep mountains. The Safor cirque, at over 1000 metres above sea level, now opens up towards the coast. We must Agres 38º 46' 48.60" N 0º 30' 55.80" W RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 108 Route 10 From Villena to Oliva Gandia, irrigated by the Serpis, we get to Almoines. And from Almoines it only leaves us to cross the river once more to arrive at Gandia, the end of the green way of the “trenet dels anglesos”. Gandia, The capital of La Safor not miss getting up close to the slopes of this legendary mountain from the vicinity of Villalonga. From its summit a spectacular panoramic view can be enjoyed of the nearby coastline of La Safor. We are reminded of the words of the hiker José Soler Carnicer who says of this mountain: ‘The almost Pyrenean characteristics of this Safor cirque, which opens up in a fan shape, forming a narrow horseshoe, whose walls are enormous ridges of rock, inspire admiration when contemplating this huge amphitheatre, topped off by colossal rocky walls.’ We continues along the green way and find ourselves at the Fuente de la Reprimola with its sixteen waterspouts. The water is good to drink in this corner of the river Serpis, well loved by the people of the town of Villalonga. At this point on the way the mountains have opened up and a few kilometres further on we come to the municipality of Villalonga itself, now on the Safor plain. The urban group of this municipality is quiet and a welcome place to stroll around its narrow streets and peaceful plazas. After Villalonga the valley of the Serpis opens up giving way to irrigated crops, small market gardens and citrus orchards. Before we get to the next town, Potríes, the Serpis gives us another beautiful spot with the is and always has been one of the chief tourist destinations in Spain throughout history. As well as delightful beaches with fine yellow sand, it also possesses an admirable cultural heritage. In this town we visit the ducal palace and the collegiate church, an elegant display of Gothic architecture from the 14th and 15th centuries, which in 1499 was elevated to the category of collegiate church, and in 1931 declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument. Another place of interest in Gandia is the Museu Arqueològic de Gandia (MAGa). The archaeological museum’s permanent exhibition focuses thematically on the region’s prehistoric period, from the early inhabitants of the Palaeolithic era up to the “Metal Ages”. We reach the Grao de Gandia, the harbour and the end of the green way of the “trenet dels anglesos” and, without leaving Gandia, we look for the Parc de l’Estació to find the start of the itinerary along the third green way of this route: the Safor green way. At the Parc de l’Estació, restored as an urban park, the passenger building still stands and a semicircle of columns still evokes the old engine shed. One of these locomotives is on display by the tourist information office. This green way goes along the route of the Carcaixent-Dénia line, undoubtedly the oldest narrow gauge railway on the peninsular. The railway was most notably used for transporting agricultural produce. We leave Gandia heading south towards Oliva. The Villalonga Azud [small dam]. Having reached Potriés we route of the green way is a seven-kilometre-long must visit the Town Hall, located in an impressive 17th century building of the nobility. We continue along the green way and the next town at which the “trenet dels straight that passes between innumerable orange groves. The landscape is spectacular despite the monotony. It must not be forgotten that the Arabs anglesos” stopped, as we do now, is Beniarjó. In this municipality Ausiàs March was born, the most famous poet in the Valencian language, when this town was introduced oranges into Al-Andalus as an ornamental element in their gardens and not for food farming purposes. In the season when the orange trees bloom, just a farmstead. We leave this town and, continuing through the fertile market gardens and orchards of the perfume of orange blossom and the spectacular sight of it is an intoxicating experience for any traveller. Ducal Palace in Gandia RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 109 108 - 109 On this straight section across the orange groves we will cross various ditches forming a labyrinth of water irrigating the fields. We reach Oliva after crossing the longest walk through orange groves in the whole of Europe. Throughout this area it is typical for there to be a small traditional urban centre in the midst of the orchard and, on the line of the corresponding beach (2 or 3 kilometres further down), its coastal town. This is the case of Oliva. In the town we must visit the Mayans family house-museum. Also known as La Casa de los Mayans, it hosts inside the Aula de Latinidad or Aula de Gramática [Latin-ness or grammar classroom], built in the 18th century under the patronage of Gregorio Mayans, and which today serves as a study centre and for running adult education courses. After a visit to the beach we will head in a south-easterly direction to visit the Pego-Oliva marsh. This is a former lagoon that, due to the advanced process of silting up, has ended up in its present state. This nature park covers an area of some 1,290 hectares. It is surrounded by the Mostalla, Migdia and Segària sierras, which form a horseshoe open to the Mediterranean. It is a swamp system set up in the lowest area of a depression, almost flat and at sea level: an area of storage and discharge of underground waters that balance out the effects of flooding and regulate the water quality. Two watercourses with abundant waters, the river Bullent and the Molinell or Racons, break through the coastal range and allow the natural drainage of the abundant waters from the springs and water sources, thus maintaining the cycle Ruins of Perputxent castle Beniarrés 38º 49' 13.20" N 0º 22' 43.80" W and the balance of the waters in the park. In the areas of the park that flood and of greater depth, the reedbeds are surprising, with the reeds and bulrushes rivalling to dominate the view. Although the great protagonist of the landscape of the marsh waters vegetation is, undoubtedly, the yellow lily, a rich birdlife may be observed in the nature park, with the presence of such species as the plover and the osprey. In the municipal district of Oliva and in the interior of the nature park we can find Fuente Salada, one of the most agreeable spots in the park and the source of waters with medicinal properties. A natural open-air spa from where the Oliva town council has urbanised the access and the surroundings of the waters of the two springs. We take our leave here of this route which has snaked between the provinces of Alicante and Valencia and has enabled us to get to know some of the most beautiful regions of Valencian territory. RUTA9y10_92a111:rutas 29/06/10 8:09 Página 110 Route 10 From Villena to Oliva potato and fresh green beans]. The region has good wine and exquisite liqueurs are made like the herb liqueur and coffee-liqueur, without forgetting the tasty sweets, amongst which the most notable are: sugared walnuts, Barranc de l'Infern 38º 52' 45.60" N 0º 15' 29.40" W Practical information Fiestas, food and crafts In the area of the Xixarra green way, between Villena and Muro de Alcoy, culinary production and preparation uses the raw ingredients from the area to delight us with dishes like the popular gazpacho manchego [a thick stew of rabbit, partridge or other game bird, or poultry, garlic and tomatoes, thickened with bread], ajotonto [mashed cod, tomato and potato], gachamiga [like a thick paste made with flour, olive oil and water, may have onion, garlic, longaniza etc], pericana [made with dried cod and dried peppers], olla [stews/casserole], bajoca farcida nougat and peladillas [candied almonds]. And regarding fiestas, around the Xixarra green way most of the towns and cities celebrate the popular festivals of Moors and Christians, as well as the famous local pilgrimages and religious processions to the numerous hermitages there are throughout the area. In the Safor region we can delight our palate with fresh produce from the market gardens combined with fish. Most recommended are the dishes like fideuà (small pasta in fish stock), and gamba amb bleda [shrimps with Swiss chard], without forgetting the popular paella and fresh fish and seafood from the coast. As for fiestas, the heart of the Safor region has recourse to the popular Fallas in March, along with different festivals of maritime origin, without forgetting the feast days of the patron saints of its municipalities. Recommended time of year to visit Any time of year is recommendable to do this route. From the end of January to the middle of March it is accompanied by enjoying the colourful landscapes when the almond and cherry trees are in glorious bloom. In the months of autumn the banks of the Serpis surprise with the changing colours of their deciduous trees. [green beans], fassegures [dumplings], or giraboix [cod, Gaianes 38° 51' 13.68" N 0° 26' 40.20" W Public transport Villena can be reached by regional train services. From Gandia there are local train services for the return to Valencia. Bicycles are transported free of charge. Recommendations and precautions In case you want to travel the route just as it is set out in the guide, making use of the green ways by bike or on foot, a word of advice: it is better to use a mountain bike, or as a minimum, the hybrid type. We de not come across too many waterspouts to quench thirst and refresh oneself away from the urban centres, so make RUTA9y10_92a111 OK ingles:rutas 01/07/10 12:48 Página 111 110 - 111 sure you replenish supplies whenever you have the chance. The early hours of the morning and at dusk are the best times of the day as the temperature is agreeable and the light is especially good. The route may be done by car, substituting the green ways with the nearest local roads. See the text for each stretch of the route for alternatives by road. Beniarrés 38º 49' 18.61" N 0º 22' 31.20" W RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY: National Geographic Institute: Scale: 1:25,000, sheet numbers: 740-I. 795-II, IV; 796-I; 820-II, III, IV; 821-I, II; 845-II & 846-I. Further information: www.comunitatvalenciana.com Information on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE: Tourist Info Agres C/ Mayor, s/n 03837 Agres Tel. 965 51 00 01 Fax 965 51 02 88 agres@ touristinfo. net Tourist Info Gandia Av. Marqués de Campo, s/n 46700 Gandia Tel. 962 87 77 88 Fax 962 86 55 77 [email protected] Tourist Info Muro de Alcoy Pl. Matzem, s/n 03830 Muro de Alcoy Tel. 965 53 20 71 Fax 965 53 20 71 [email protected] Tourist Info Ontinyent Pl. de Sto. Domingo, 13 bajo 46870 Ontinyent T. 962 91 60 90 Fax 962 91 63 03 ontinyent@ touristinfo. net Tourist Info Albaida Pl. del Pintor Segrelles, 19 46860 Albaida Tel. 962 39 01 86 Fax 962 90 06 67 (Ayto.) [email protected] Tourist Info Gandia-Playa Pº Marítimo Neptuno, 45 46730 Gandia Tel. 962 84 24 07 Fax 962 84 52 17 [email protected] Tourist Info Oliva Passeig Lluis Vives, s/n 46780 Oliva Tel. 962 85 55 28 Fax 962 85 04 62 [email protected] Tourist Info Vila de Biar C/ Cura Reig, 1 03410 Biar Tel. 965 81 11 77 Fax 965 81 08 33 [email protected] Tourist Info Bocairent Pl. del Ayuntamiento 2. 46880 Bocairent Tel. 962 90 50 62 Fax 962 90 50 85 [email protected] Tourist Info Gandia-Port Av. de la Pau, s/n Recinto Portuario 46730 Gandia Tel. 962 95 98 14 [email protected] Tourist Info Oliva -Playa C/ Roger de Lauria, 38 46780 Oliva Tel. 962 85 03 91 [email protected] Tourist Info Villena Pl. de Santiago, 5 03400 Villena Tel. 966 15 02 36 Fax 966 15 00 66 [email protected]