Route 7 From Requena to Ayora

RUTA7y8_72a91 OK ingles:rutas 02/07/10 13:28 Página 72
History, culture and beautiful landscapes
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gorges
Route 7
From Requena to Ayora
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35 • Casas de Carcel
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39 • House: Casa del Perichán
40 • House: Casa del Salado
41 • House: Casa de La Tornera
42 • Houses: Casas de Tetuán
43 • Houses: Casas de Caballero
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Spa: Hervideros de Cofrentes
Mount: Cerro de la Dehesilla
Volcano: Cerro de Agrás
Castle: Castillo de Jalance
Cave: Cueva de Don Juan
El Moragete
Farm: Finca El Rebolloso
Castellar de Meca
Cross: Cruz de San Castillo
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72 - 73
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The route commences at Requena in the Plana de Utiel-
era settlement of Castellar de Meca in the Mugrón
Requena region, principally known for the
Denominación de Origin [designation of origin - D.O. similar to the French appellation d’origine] of its wine
sierra, within the municipal district of Almansa, with
what are probably the best woods of Phoenicean
juniper in the entire Region of Valencia.
and for its rich cuisine. It also has a rich historical
heritage, like the Barrio de la Villa declared a place of
Cultural Interest and of National Historic-Artistic
importance. After Requena, following the river Magro,
we arrive at Utiel and, having passed through the towns
of Caudete de las Fuentes and Villagordo del Cabriel, we
head for the Hoces del Cabriel nature park, one of the
most beautiful and important natural heritages of the
Region of Valencia. The Cabriel river is noted for its
waters having the best physiochemical properties and,
with its interminable meanders, for much of its length it
marks the border between the Region of Valencia and
Castille-La Mancha. All the way along the Cabriel’s
riverside path we will discover structures of former
water-driven generators, buildings for livestock, forestry
and agriculture, now disused, but forming an itinerary
of great cultural value. This route, therefore, not only
allows us to get closer to nature, but also to enter into
the history, customs and ways of life that have gone
back to being valued again as time has passed. After
our journey along the Cabriel as far as Cofrentes, and
continuing south to Jalance, we will then head west
and go back up a through spectacular narrow gorge
with sheer vertical walls, on the Júcar river. From the
Cueva de Don Juan set into the gorge of the Júcar, we
go in the direction of Ayora passing through the Iberian
Vines in Requena 39° 26' 43.20" N 1° 8' 30.60" W
Beginning of the route: Requena
and Utiel - from the land of wine
towards crystal clear waters
Requena, capital of the Plana de Utiel-Requena region,
possesses a medieval quarter, the Barrio de la Villa, the
present layout of which was carried out during the
Almohad era, in the 12th century and the first third of
the 13th. La Villa is set on a limestone hill which made it
possible, in its day, for Requena to be made into a small
defensive fort. Walking around the Barrio is an exercise
in reencountering history. The Moorish alleyways, Santa
María street where the Knights of the King’s Payroll were
based and built their grand houses, and the many steep
slopes such as that of Cristo or the Angel, take us back
to ancestral times, making us participants in legend, the
annals of history, shared memory. The winding cobbled
streets of Requena going up Calle del Cristo take us up
to the Plaza de la Villa, the real nerve centre of the Villa
since time immemorial. Under the Plaza we find the
caves that were dug out by the Arabs when they bored
through the limestone to the substrata and extracted
the clay, thus forming the vaults of the caves. The caves
have been put to many different uses throughout
history, notably the use of the labyrinthine passages
and chambers as refuges at various different times of
war, as silos for cereals and, without a doubt, the most
recent and important use they have had, as cellars for
making and storing wines. From Requena, and without
leaving the Barrio de la Villa, declared a place of Cultural
Interest and of National Historic-Artistic importance, we
can find another series of monuments and places of
great cultural interest to visit, such as the Casa del Arte
Mayor de la Seda [Silk], the churches of San Nicolás,
Santa María, and Del Salvador, the Alcazaba [Arab
fortress], La Fortaleza [stronghold], La Judería [Jewish
RUTA7y8_72a91:rutas 29/06/10 7:58 Página 74
Route 7
From Requena to Ayora
for the Denominación de Origin [D.O.] of the region’s
wine. Utiel has a marked medieval flavour about it with
layouts that indicate its Arab past. We must not leave
Urtiel without going to one of its local hostelries and
Requena 39° 29' 7.20" N 1° 6' 1.80" W
Quarter], the Palacio del Cid [palace], and the Torre de
Homenaje [tower]. Meanwhile, noteworthy in the
Arrabal neighbourhood are the wine making station,
the Fuente de los Patos and the church of San
Sebastián. As well as the heritage of monuments, the
city’s vernacular architecture forms a labyrinthine layout
that ensures a charming walk around the streets of
Requena. We leave Requena on the CV-450 heading in
the direction of Utiel. On the way we will find two
defining aspects of the Plana de Utiel-Requena region:
the hamlets and the vineyards. The hamlets that we can
see from the road are those of El Pontón, El Azagador,
Derramador, Roma, Barrio Arroyo, San Antonio, San Juan
and Calderón. These eight hamlets are part of the 26
that exist within the municipality boundary of Requena,
and are situated amidst the vineyards of undeniable
aesthetic value. On the one hand there is the sense of
order and harmony with the vines in perfectly straight
rows across tilled soil that allow glimpses of ochre or
reddish coloured earth. On the other hand, these ochre
colours contrast with the green of the shoots of the
vines in spring and summer, and combine in autumn
with their gold colouring. Arriving in Utiel a visit to the
old quarter must not be missed, where we can
partaking of its rich cuisine and drink its D.O. classified
wine, and we can get to know the characteristic
friendliness of the local people. Leaving Urtiel we take
the road for Carasquilla, in the direction of the Casa de
Renegado. After six kilometres we turn right until we
reach Villagordo del Cabriel. Halfway along the road
between Utiel and Villagordo del Cabriel, on the right,
along a stretch of some three kilometres on the CV-543,
is the hamlet of Caudete de las Fuentes. The main
attractions in this hamlet is the 18th century church of
the Natividad de la Virgen and the Luis García Ejarque
archaeological museum. The area where Caudete de las
Fuentes is located has been populated since the Bronze
Age, as can be seen from the archaeological sites on
the nearby hills of Casa Doñana and Los Villares. After
returning to Caudete de las Fuentes, we reach
Villagordo del Cabriel, a hamlet built around the parish
church of San Roque. In the vicinity of this hamlet, as
well as good freshwater outlets, there are also Bronze
age archaeological sites in the Mulatillas cave, a
possible Iberian era burial site on the Moluengo farm,
remains from the same era in the Puntal del Horno
Ciego cave, Roman and medieval ceramics in the Cueva
Santa and Roman ruins at a rustic villa known as Casa
Zapata.
Meanders and gorges of the river
Cabriel
contemplate the former houses of the nobility in the
streets of Armas, Trinidad, Enmedio, Beato Gálvez,
Puerta Nueva y Amargosas, Real, Santa María and
Camino and the country houses of the gentry such as
Leaving Villagordo del Cabriel is a change of scenery,
leaving the monoculture of vines to enter the
Mediterranean woodlands, exuberant in this area of the
that of Don Angel and La Noria. Also outstanding is the
16th century parish church of Nuestra Señora de la
Asunción with its late Isabelline Gothic style, the
Region of Valencia. From Villagordo del Cabriel we take
the CV-4661 to the junction with the Minglanilla road,
which will take us in a southerly direction and along the
bullring, the neoclassical 18th century Town Hall and
the impressive Bodega Circular, now the headquarters
foot of the Rubial sierra in search of the river Cabriel’s
watercourse over by the Caserio [country estate] de
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74 - 75
Tomayo. From this point our route will not leave the
step], Peña de Carcachal, El Cerro de los Cuevas [hill of
river Cabriel until we reach Cofrentes, where the river
Cabriel meets the river Júcar. Although from the
Caserio de Tomaya we can make a detour to visit the
caves], Rabo de la Sartén [tail of the frying pan], Casas
Hoyuelas [dimple houses], Hoz de Vicente [Vincent’s
sickle or gorge], El Cerro del Pergatorio [hill of
Contreras dam, which may be reached on the CV-4661.
Regardless of the possible interest the Contreras dam
might arouse, we concentrate on the main route and,
no sooner have we left the dam of the reservoir, than
we find ourselves at the old Contreras bridge, a
spectacular feat of 19th century engineering. We enter
the leafy wood along the Cabriel’s riverbank,
accompanied by the incessant flow of the river which
allows us contact with the means that calms all our
senses (especially sight, sound and smell) and
transports us to other, more original, more genuine
times, making us aware that the unique secret of
human existence is nature itself. These lofty sentiments
might come back down to earth when we get to the
area of Los Cuchillos – the knives. Nature this time
stops being a calm backwater and shows its sharper
and more dangerous side, although no less beautiful.
Here as humans we feel smaller and defenceless. All
along the route this kind of sensation, our harmony
with nature and a certain degree of anxiety at its force
will alternate as we advance. In fact, after Los Cuchillos,
we arrive at the small valley of Fonseca and, after this
point, we will have left behind places with curious
sounding and significant names such as El Escalón [the
purgatory?], El Pergatorio, El Corral de Riscas [corral of
crags], El Quemado [burnt out], Tollo del Hombre, Cerro
Gordo [fat hill], Cerro de la Hoya del Anguí [hill of the
Anguí hollow] or Cumbre Hermosa [lovely hilltop],
attempting some rough approximations in English. At
this point we encounter, following the banks of the
Cabriel, the Vadocañas bridge. Built between the
second half of the 16th century and the beginning of
the 17th, this bridge was the means of communication
between the village of Iniesta, the roads of Andalucía,
and Castille and the lands of Valencia. It was built
making use of a former Roman road. Once in the village
of Vadocañas the narrow ravine of the river opens up.
After the bridge the meanders return and the sides of
the canyon are not as steep as in the San Vicente gorge
we have just passed. This fact has, throughout history,
enabled settlements along its banks with dwellings,
hamlets and infrastructure to make use of the waters of
the Cabriel. Among those we highlight, with rough
indications of their possible meaning: the Casas
[houses, farms] del Angel, del Zorro [fox], Poco Pan [not
much bread], Huerta de los Desemparados [garden of
Requena 39° 29' 8.40" N 1° 6' 1.20" W
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Route 7
From Requena to Ayora
restoration in 2001. It has a diameter of 9.60m, has 20
spokes on each side, the axle is made of iron 19cm in
diameter, it is encircled by a wooden rim 130cm in
diameter. The waterwheel measures 1.65m from front
the forsaken], del Salgar, Rincón del Ramo, Huerta de las
Guindas [sour cherry orchard], the hamlet of Los
Cárceles [prisons], near here the Cabriel is crossed by
what still remains standing of the infrastructure of a
railway line that was never finished, intended to join
Baeza and Utiel and dating from the beginning of the
20th century. The Abellán del Batán mill, Los Abatanas,
Las Casas Quemadas [the burned houses], the hamlet
of La Zua, La Casa Torrejón [the small tower house], Las
Casas de Cuevas Blancas [white caves], Las Cuatro Casas
[the four houses], Las Cinco Casas [the five houses], the
ruins of the Santa Bárbara hermitage, the hamlet of
Tamayo, La Mata [the bush], La Terrera hydroelectric
power station, Las Huertas Nuevas [the new market
gardens], the hamlet de Tete, Retorno hydroelectric
power station (the meander, at its narrowest point, has
been ingeniously made use of to make the water fall
down to the other stretch of the river and its force
powers the turbine), La Casa del Pino [house of the
pine tree], Las Casas de Cárcel [prison houses], Los
Baños de Fuente Podrida [baths of the mouldy/bad
waterspout], La Villatoya, Las Casa de Gilanco, Las Casas
del Hoyo de Villarta, Las Casas de Perichan, La Casa del
Salado, La Casa del Saladar (so many place names
making reference to “sal” - salt - is explained by the
to back and the extraction rate is 1,500 litres a minute,
depending on the speed at which the wheel is turning.
Until 1950 there were as many as five watermills
functioning with this simple system of waterwheel,
dam and irrigation ditch similar to the Casas del Río
one: Casas de Alcance, Penan del Río, El Pajazo, Tamayo
and Casas del Cárcel. If you wish to do this route in midAugust, it is worth remembering that the feast of the
Casas del Río patron saint is on 15th August. Another
attraction this hamlet offers is the parish church of San
Antonio de Padua, built in 1893. On the façade we can
find a representation on ceramic tiles of the history of
the hamlet as well as the building of the waterwheel by
the Moors. After visiting the waterwheel, we continue
on our route along the banks of the Cabriel to
Cofrentes, although by this point along the way it was
some time ago that we left behind the grandeur of the
Hoces del Cabriel nature park, the elevated crags, the
poplars, the pine forests the almond trees and the
feeling that you are walking though virgin land. Even so,
the river follows its course, generating possibilities of
life for humans. That is why on this stretch of the route
we come upon the Casa de Penan, the hydroelectric
rapids at Cofrentes, the Casas de Alcance, the
Hervidores de Cofrentes modernist style Spa, recently
restored and classed as one of the best thermal bath
centres in Spain, and the village of Cofrentes. The river
Cabriel once again shows us, before we take our leave,
mineral deposits of loam and gypsum in the area).
that it is an inexhaustible fount of life.
Casas de Tetuán, Casas de Caballero [Knight houses],
Casas de la Golfilla, Casillas del Río Cabriel, Casas de la
Noria [houses of the waterwheel], Barrio de Casimiro,
From Cofrentes to the Júcar canyon
dam and waterwheel of Casas del Río. In the Casas del
Río hamlet we will find the only functioning
waterwheel in the entire Region of Valencia, irrigating
We reach Cofrentes, a village with an unfortunate
reputation as it hosts the nearby nuclear power station
which diverts attention from the beauty and the
the area named Rinconada de Muñoz with some 19
hectares under irrigation. The waterwheel had its last
cultural richness it possesses.
Cofrentes castle is definitely worth a visit. It stands on
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76 - 77
the highest point of a hill at the confluence of the
Júcar and Cabriel rivers, dominating all around it. On
the hill opposite it, the town spreads out to the
southeast and southwest. The origin of the castle is
uncertain, for Cofrentes is not found in the disputed
borderlands between Aragon and Castille, so it was
conquered by Alfonso VII of Castille. During the 13th
century, moreover, it changed hands constantly, being
situated on the border zone between the Arab
kingdoms and the crowns of Aragon and Castille.
Another place of interest is the Embarcadores reservoir.
From here you can take a boat trip to Cortes de Pallás,
for which two boats run services, in a concession
granted by the town council, taking passengers several
times a day along the stretch as far as Cortes de Pallás,
an excursion which offers views of singularly beautiful
areas. Without leaving Cofrentes, we must visit the
parish church of San José, from the 17th century. It is
also worth visiting the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de
la Soledad, built in the 19th century on the Cerro de la
Dehesilla. On the opposite bank of the Cabriel stands
the Cerro de Agrás, an extinct volcano, classified as the
most recent volcanic outcrop in the province of
Valencia, which has both scientific and educational
value. We continue on our route from the vicinity of
the Balneario de Cofrentes [spa and bathing resort],
from where a farm track sets out leading to the village
of Jalance; we cross the river between fields of almond
and olive trees. Jalance castle was built by the Arabs in
the 11th century and was very important during the
Middle Ages owing to its strategic importance as a
frontier town between two rivers. In the urban centre
Overlooking the Júcar 39° 11' 30.60" N 1° 7' 55.80" W
Chorros [four waterspouts for public access] built in
1913, above which the name Jalance can be seen
written in Arabic, showing the respect the people of
Jalance have for their past. Our route leaves Jalance
heading in a westerly direction, climbing the Cuesta de
la Hoyiquía. Along the Moragete road the way borders
the river Júcar. On one of the bends a sign anounces
the Júcar canyon. From there we can reach a vantage
point known as the Las Ventanas [windows] del Júcar,
and a road. The Júcar canyon has been formed by the
course of the river as it flows through gorges with
vertical sides more than two hundred metres high. The
road goes along the edge of the canyon but without it
being the highest part. That is why all the time the walls
of rock are looming above, the precipices and the river
Júcar snaking its way below. Little by little the canyon
closes in and the walls become steeper, however our
itinerary does not let us continue further there as we
have to travel south a few kilometres to reach Don
Juan’s Cave.
the parish church of San Miguel stands out, built over
From Don Juan’s cave to Castellar
de Meca
what was in its day the Arab mosque. The present
church and the building of its belfry date from 1736.
The Arab past of the village is obvious in Tánger and
The Cueva de Don Juan is a wonder of nature, an
authentic geological gem which, for its own sake alone,
Unión streets, closer to the church. On the outskirts of
the village is a 17th century Calvary with the Stations
of the Cross and the San Miguel hermitage, a religious
group set in agreeable surroundings. Another
interesting place to visit is the Fuente de los Cuatro
is the motivation for a leisurely visit to Jalance. The cave
has been set up to allow visitors and we can make our
way through it on paths, platforms, stairs and handrails;
in addition lighting has been installed to create a
startlingly beautiful atmosphere. Amongst the
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Route 7
From Requena to Ayora
Don Juan ‘s cave 39° 11' 1.20" N 1° 8' 40.20" W
stalagmites one stands out in the form of a column,
rising up until it touches the ceiling of the cave. And
amongst the stalactites one is highlighted, with the
shape of a hand hanging down from the ceiling, its
fingers almost translucent, and it is known as the hand
of Don Juan. Another interesting point in the cave is the
Lake of Wishes, where, in the same tradition as a
wishing well, a coin is thrown into it and a wish made.
Four kilometres from the cave, going in a westerly
direction, we encounter another incomparable natural
spot called El Moragete, where there is a “nature
classroom” which is intended to act as a catalyst for
learning about the environment. El Moragete is an old
restored corral that originally housed livestock and has
been restored and turned into the nature classroom. It
is surrounded by immense pine forests overlooking the
Júcar canyon and with a large area for camping. We
leave Moragete climbing up the Boquerón sierra by
way of the slope that gives onto the Júcar to arrive, in a
southerly direction, at the slope of this sierra which
Palomera, with mountain streams pouring down and
enabling this countryside to be cultivated. At this point
we can make a visit, on a single stretch going there and
back, to the Sierra de la Palomera to see the area of La
Hunde, another nature reserve of extraordinary
ecological value. At La Hunde, which covers some
10,000 hectares, they rear mountain goats, red deer,
mouflons [an ancient species of wild mountain sheep]
wild boar, golden eagles, roe deer and owls. The
vegetation is leafy, predominantly pines, Holm oak and
juniper. Especially noteworthy is the waterspout Fuente
de la Cadena, as its abundant waters pour into a pool in
which bathing is permitted. This is all on a site next to a
pine forest with recreational facilities and areas for
camping; there are also tables with benches for picnics
in the shade of the pines. Returning to the area of the
plain in the vicinity of the Rambla de la Vega, we should
not leave without visiting the Finca El Rebolloso, an
unusual tourist and farming complex noted for its work
in recuperating the local native breed of sheep, the
Guirra, which in former times was common on the
opens up onto a vast plain. We head for the Rambla de
Valencian mountain scrubland. From the house of El
la Vega and the countryside around now offers fields of
cereals, which might make us wonder if we have
strayed from the route and entered Castille territory.
Rebelloso it is worth making a quick detour along a
stretch of eight kilometres there and back as far as the
imposing and defiant Mugrón, a big block-shaped hill
Ahead of us fields of cereals stretch out over the flatter
parts and on the steeper parts, almond and olive
groves. This landscape is due to the three mountain
in the perfect shape of a molar, hence the Spanish term
“muela”, to visit the Iberian Age settlement Castellar de
Meca. This important settlement from the Iberian Age,
ranges emblematic of the Ayora valley: the Mugrón de
Almansa sierra, the Montemayor and the Sierra de la
which must have enjoyed a certain degree of
prosperity, inhabited between the 4th and 2nd
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78 - 79
or Ayora. The ecclesiastical heritage has great
importance in the town. The parish church of Nuestra
Señora de la Asunción deserves special mention, being
one of the best examples of Renaissance building in the
Requena 39° 29' 7.20" N 1° 6' 1.80" W
centuries B.C, must have been dismantled almost
certainly by the Roman army. The fortified city, hewn
from the rock, is surprising for its dimensions
(occupying more than ten hectares), its complex system
of water collection (based on small channels and
numerous, large cisterns hewn out of the bare rock)
and, above all, for the cart track nearly a kilometre long
leading up to the settlement, on which the open ruts
stand out clearly, worn in the stone by the wheels of
the carts. Remains are also conserved of defensive
towers, houses half hewn into the rock, steps, mangers
and water troughs. The remains of the former
protecting wall are clearly visible, although the
settlement itself, due to its position, was a truly natural
stronghold. Only a visit in person and on the very spot
itself can really give us an idea of the truly exceptional
value of this settlement within the Iberian Age culture.
Just one visit will show us why the Castellar de Meca
was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931. In
short, only by visiting in person will we able to perceive
the sensation that we are in a place of energy, in an
environment profusely used by our ancestors.
We return to Finca El Rebolloso after walking round the
enigmatic settlement and we now head for the end of
our route. To reach Ayora we take a rural road of the
Vega and then the main road CV-440. The village of
Ayora spreads its urban centre around its castle, which
is perched on a hill 648 metres high with large crags. In
the layout of the town various different
neighbourhoods can be distinguished, and walking
round them allows us to appreciate the historical legacy
Region of Valencia, as does the string of hermitages,
both within the town itself and on the outskirts.
Another building of note is the Lonja, the central
market or trading Exchange. Built in 1892, its open airy
metal structure is modernist in design and is situated in
the centre of the town, at the start of the Plaza Mayor.
Also noteworthy is the San Francisco convent, built in
1573, although it was rebuilt in 1778, retaining its twostorey cloister. At present it houses the Casa de Cultura.
Without doubt the most important street in Ayora is
that of Marquesa de Cenete. The importance of this
street since 1550 is recorded by Cavanilles, a Valencian
geographer and botanist, who described it as ‘superior
to as many as are in the kingdom, without excepting those
of the capital’. It is 10 metres wide and 376 metres long.
There are numerous houses of nobility along it, with
interesting modernist façades. Lastly, it is worth
mentioning the cross of San Anton, at the entrance of
the town, coming from Almansa. It is a Gothic style
cross, typical in Spain, to inspire piety in those entering
and leaving the town. It is hewn out of stone beneath a
small shrine with four columns supporting it. Its
construction is attributed to Miguel Molsós in the 15th
century.
Practical information
Fiestas, food and crafts
The cuisine of the towns and villages of the UtielRequena region is rich and varied with dishes involving
a lot of preparation, like potaje [stew/broth], olla
[casserole] and gazpacho manchego cooked here with a
stew of tomato, liver, bacon fat, ham and meat served
over a torta de pastor, a crude type of bread, thin and
pan-fried, used instead of a plate to serve the gazpacho.
Other simpler dishes but equally tasty, include
morteruelo [liver paté], ajo arriero [cod with garlic and
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Route 7
From Requena to Ayora
Don Juan’s cave 39° 11' 0.59" N 1° 8' 37.20" W
peppers], fritura de chicharrones [pork scratchings,
leftovers], arroz en cazuela [rice casseroled with different
ingredients], patatas en caldo [potato in stock], or the
gachamiga [flour and garlic in a batter cooked with
olive oil]. Also famed are the embutidos [generic term
for all the sausage-shaped products] such as: longaniza
[similar to salami], chorizo [cured sausage] and morcilla
[black pudding], which have been popularised in the
typical bocadillos de blanco y negro [tasty bites of bread
with chunks of any chorizo etc.]. And for dessert some
outstanding sweet dishes include bizcochos [sponge
cakes], mantecados [crumbly melt-in-the-mouth small
cakes], burruecos [almonds, honey and fried spaghetti!]
and turrones [almond nougat] especially at Christmas.
Wine continues to be today one of the great references
of the region, which chiefly produces reds and rosés
with the Utiel-Requena Denominación de Origen
[designation of origin - D.O. - like the French appellation
d’origine], and a local winery has achieved international
prestige. Local people have turned the treading of the
grapes into a festival which, in the case of the Requena
grape-harvest, or Vendimia, has been declared of tourist
regions each town and village along the route celebrate
the feast day of their patron saint and numerous
romerías [religious processions and pilgrimages] mostly
related to hermitages in the area. Also popular is the
fiesta of San Antonio Abad with its bonfires, carnivals to
mark the beginning of Lent and in some villages the
Fallas festival. Local handcrafts in the Ayora-Cofrentes
valley area show its best work with pitchforks, walking
sticks, and handles for utensils and tools, made from the
flexible thin shoots of the hackberry tree.
Recommended time of year
Any time of year is good, except for the coldest days in
winter with storms from the north in the highest parts of
both regions. Take care also during the hours around
midday in high summer, when the sun is at its hottest.
From the end of January to the middle of March the
countryside accompanying the route is enjoyed with the
colourful almond and cherry trees in full bloom. In
autumn the changing colours of the deciduous trees
dazzle us along the Cabriel and Júcar riverbanks: a
colourful sight not to be missed. One must also allow
oneself to be seduced by the magic of the vineyards on
the plains, whether they are green in spring, the reddish
interest. Meanwhile, in the Ayora valley, the gazpachos
ayorinos are famed and eaten throughout the area,
although each village has its own gastronomic
golds of autumn, or the greys of the naked pruned vines,
throughout the rigors of winter.
specialities: the calducho of Jarafuel, the olla Cofrentina,
trigo picao in Teresa or the ajotonto of Jalance being
just a few. To end with a dessert, the sweets are based
Public transport
Local and regional trains stop at Requena and Utiel
stations. Bicycles are transported free of charge. From
Ayora there is a bus service to Valencia.
on grullos [fried cakes covered with honey], marzipans,
aguamiel [baked pumpkin slices with honey]. In both
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80 - 81
Recommendations
If you want to follow the route just as it is set out, by
bike or on foot, a word of warning: a mountain bike is
better, or as a minimum, the hybrid type. There are not
too many water spouts to quench your thirst and
replenish water supplies away from the urban centres,
so make sure you fill up with plenty of water whenever
you get the chance. Both the early hours of the
morning and at dusk are the times of day when the
temperature is agreeable and the light is especially
good. The route cannot be travelled by car along the
following forest tracks: the access to Los Cuchillos on
the river Cabriel and continuing along it until it joins
our main route. Anyone wanting to make use of the car
must go along the main roads that are indicated in the
description of the route. On the tracks that it is possible
to drive on, the main path must never be left, since it is
much better condition and more respectful to the land.
In order to get to know in more detail the natural
environment of each area we propose, it is best to leave
the vehicle parked somewhere safe and secure and
walk along the corresponding official footpaths.
RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY:
National Geographic Institute
Scale 1:25,000, sheet numbers: 693-III and V; 694-III; 719-I, II, III and IV; 720-I; 744-II; 745-I and III; 768-I and II; and 793-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 Ayora
C/ San Francisco, s/n
(Casa de la Cultura)
46620 Ayora
Tel. 961 89 06 58
turismoayora@yahoo.es
Tourist Info Cofrentes
Pl. de España, 6
46625 Cofrentes
Tel. 961 89 43 16
Fax 961 89 42 70
cofrentes@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Jalance
C/ Targer, 2
46624 Jalance
Tel. 961 89 71 71
Fax 962 19 64 51
jalance@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Requena
C/ García Montes, s/n
46340 Requena
Tel. 962 30 38 51
Fax 962 30 38 51
requena@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Utiel
C/ Puerta Nueva, 11-A
46300 Utiel
Tel. 962 17 11 03
utiel@touristinfo.net