Hiking the Alicante mountains

“Quien eres?” an elderly woman asked me in the small village of Sella. “Who am I?” It was a fair question in a tiny village where everyone knows each other. For most of the day I had been asking myself “Where am I?” as I struggled with my GPS so this question was a breeze. I happily told her I was from Canada. 

When I arrived in Sella, my legs were shaking from my trek through the rugged Alicante mountains. I had left Finestrat almost 7 hours earlier. I was ecstatic to see Sella, even if the first street I encountered was a massive staircase. I had climbed over a mountain, I could ascend a simple (and beautiful) staircase. Slowly.

The Alicante mountains are in the Communidad de Valencia. The landscape is impressive. Huge limestone rocks jut up dramatically forming sheer cliffs and deep valleys. Pine trees, shrubs and wildflowers cling to the rocks. I walked approximately 50 km over a week. Not a long distance however the terrain was rarely flat. It was all up and down. 

The steep incline with loose rocks made for some challenging and treacherous stretches. I took it one step at a time. There are times in life where you want to look at the big picture and other moments where you focus precisely on where you are going. This was not a time to take my eyes of the trail. There was plenty of time to take in the view once I reached the summit. 

And the views were spectacular.

Even with the sloped terrain the land is cultivated. Old stone walls and an irrigation system established by the Moors make it possible to grow a variety of fruits: almond trees, olives trees, cherry trees (starting to blossom), vineyards. Poppies and tiny marguerite daisies dot the terraces.

Small villages, like Sella, were built onto the mountain side. The streets were winding, narrow, and steep! It was peaceful. I heard the residents often describe their village as “Muy tranquil”. Only the church bells ringing on the hour and half hour interrupted the tranquility. I was fortunate to visit several of these secluded towns in my week of trekking: Sella, Guadalest, Confrides, Facheca, Castell de Castells.

I had a similar encounter in Facheca – an elderly gentleman was surprised I was staying at the village and asked “Donde?” with raise eyebrows. “Where?” Again, fair question as there were no hotels in this village of barely 100 people. I explained I was staying with Gloria and naively asked him if he knew Gloria. “Seguro”. Of course he did! Everyone knows everyone. He also offered me his binoculars as I stopped to gaze at the beautiful view (below).

My hosts were so welcoming. Thanks to their guidance I tried delicious local dishes: Triga (barley soup with local vegetables), Olleta de Blat (white bean, chicken and blood sausage stew) and Minchas (Crepe filled with spinach). I loved the infusion de tomillo (thyme tea). 

The smallest of the villages I walked through was Famorca. It is on Route 99, a campaign by the Valencian government to encourage people to visit villages that are being depopulated. On the route there are 24 towns with fewer than 100 people. I did not have the passport, but apparently there is one to stamp as you tour the villages. 

The end of my route was Tarbena (cover photo), a slightly larger village with a few cafes and a convenience store (population around 600). The views here were unique as I could see the Mediterranean coast. I was lucky to have a clear day when I hiked up to the remains of a Moorish castle perched on the top of a rock. I had a fantastic view down to the coast and to the large beach holiday destination of Benidorm. I could even make out the skyscrapers. Yes, skyscrapers! While the distance is short to the coast, it feels a world apart from the peaceful mountain villages. After my descent from the castle I rounded the other side of the mountain and all I could see were jagged peaks, deep valleys and olive trees on the terraced land. Not a building or person in sight.

My legs may have preferred the beach holiday. However, it was definitely worth the effort to visit this remote and very special area.