Parc Natural Tinença de Benifassà

El Bellestar

We took a trip up to Parc Natural Tinença de Benifassà and there were no shortage of stunning views, winding hiking trails, and picturesque mountain villages. We drove in from the east and did a big loop ending near Morella. The road up to Embassament d'Ulldecona is busy and the reservoir provides a nice place for cyclists and day trippers to hang out or grab a coffee. From there the road got less busy and the villages more picturesque as they got deeper in. There were networks of trails everywhere and although we did not have time to hike we marked several promising locations on our map. 

One of the real highlights for me was driving down into Vallibona. The approach is at a weird angle and it feels like you are dropping down a steep side of a canyon. The mountains were really impressive and I can't wait to see how they look in the winter as well though we'll have to bring some chains for our tires! 

 

Vallibona

Mas de Boix

Embassament d'Ulldecona, great place to have a drink

Embassament d'Ulldecona

The Grape Harvest

 This year we were taken by surprise when our grapes were ripe. We had just moved into our place and didn't realize the grapes needed to be harvested. They had been well protected with paper bags and we cut down several bunches. We didn't have much time to prepare and we flirted with making jam and ended up trying to sun dry some for raisins while also just eating as many grapes as possible. The sun dried raisins were a failure as they were populated by wasps. However, we did enjoy a week of eating as many grapes as we wanted, they were really sweet and tasty! 

 

Parc Natural del Prat de Cabanes - Torreblanca

 

We saw some Greater Crested Grebes 

Nestled along the coastline between the tourism development of Oropesa and Alcossebre is the Parc Natural del Prat de Cabanes, a unique wetlands with a few trails and bird hides. We typically ride our bicycles down there but this weekend we wanted to explore the area a bit more thoroughly so we went with the car. We poked around every hide and viewing platform enjoying the views of several different birds with the highlights being some young flamingoes and some Little Grebes that were displaying. The area is very peaceful though this time of year it's also full of mosquitos so make sure you don't forget your repellent! 

Looking south towards Oropesa

North towards Torresnostra

 

Biking at the beach in Alcossebre

 

I have written about the bike riding along the coast before but this trip I've been enjoying it so much this trip that I have to give it another shout out. The combination of endless routes both along the coast and through the small farms in the interior, as well as the beautiful sea breeze that's always available makes the bike rides one of my favorite things to do in the area. We can go north to El Faro through the town, get some elevation and hill work cutting back through the town, or go for a longer 25-30km ride to Torrenostra and Cabanes. Heck, you can even do a 1km slow ride to the bar at the beach and enjoy the sea breeze from there :-) 

 

Hiking up to Ermita de Santa Llúcia

Can you spot the ermita up at the top? 

We've visited the Ermita de Santa Llúcia on numerous occasions but we have never walked up the steep southern route. It's only about a 1.7km hike but it is nearly continuously up hill and it has some steep sections towards the end. The views are breathtaking and worth the hike, we were lucky to have an overcast day that provided some shade on our way up. 

A view midway looking south

 

Miraflores de la Sierra: Paseo de las fuentes

A sample of the fountains

Miraflores de la Sierra has a fun little paseo called the paseo de las fuentes. It claims to be a 5km circular trail but it is a little awkward in the layout, which resulted in us missing a few of the fountains. The route starts from the center of the town at the main fountain, with a map indicating the next stop. Each stop is like this, with some of the fountains functioning while others have fun dry. There is not a comprehensive map rather each fountain provides the steps to the subsequent fountain. We certainly improvised along the way cutting through some old farmland but overall it was a really enjoyable walk. 

I think they could give this route an update, it's quite fun to have so many fountains, each with a little story attached and it gives one an excuse to roam the town a bit.  

Área Recreativa Fuente Del Cura - Miraflores de la Sierra: Trip II

 

Trips up to this area are frequent due to having some friends living in Miraflores. It's a great area because there are accessible walks from the village itself as well as a network of longer trails for all types of hikers. We were even surprised to see some cyclists with non electric bikes that were powering up the relatively steep climbs. 

We took a popular trail up through a forested area that eventually led to an open plain. We crossed over the plain to drink from the Fuente de la Parada del Reye before going back to town. 

Fuente de la Parada del Rey