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

 

Parque Natural Islas Columbretes

 

After two years of failed attempts, we finally visited Parque Natural Islas Columbretes! In the previous years it's been a lack of other passengers or poor weather that has prevented us from visiting. This year we were the last two seats booked on a 12 person trip. 

The boat took about 2 hours to reach the islands and we had very calm seas and an amusing following of shearwaters and a few gulls following in our wake. When we reached the island we enjoyed a walk to the lighthouse along the ridge of the island. It's quite dramatic and stunning; a cresecent moon with a placid bay and an a few other scattered islands of rock jutting up. The panoramic from the ridge is breathtaking though hot in the summer sun. 

After the island sightseeing we went down to the bay and had a quick swim. We went on another cruise of nearby islands. We had spoken with the captain and told him we were keen on seeing Eleonora's Falcons, a Mediterranean endemic known to nest on the islands. Our second snorkeling spot also had some falcons nesting on the island, it was such a treat to watch them fly around the area. 

The islands are unique and relatively accessible. The boat trip is a little long but the boat was really comfortable and being out on the open water was also part of the experience.  

 

Castellón de la Plana

 

I am a huge fan of Castellón de la Plana, a place that I consider to be an underrated gem of Spain though not necessarily somewhere I'd say is a deep cut or a place to go out of your way to visit. But if you happen to be in Castellón (as it's colloquially referred to) you should enjoy your time there! 

We have some family in Castellón, hence the frequent visits though I realize that I have not blogged about it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good Plaza Mayor but Castellón's downtown area is lively and has some beautiful buildings such as the main church, central market, and local government office. It's all set among cafes, plenty of open space with benches, and a fair amount of people out. I was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of foreign and domestic tourists in the plaza, mainly angling to take a photo with the "Castelló" floral display (it says the Castellano 'Castellón' on the back side). 

There are some nice pedestrian streets full of shops and cafes, it's a really nice city to stroll in. There is also a tram that runs down to the port and marina which is something like 4km outside of the city proper. It's overall just a very pleasant city, totally unpretentious and even a little charming? 

The port

 

The Alhambra

The Court of Lions central fountain. Watch the video I linked below to see how it worked as a clock! I was low key disappointed that it was not functioning as a clock when I visited.

I am ashamed to say that I was not very familiar with the Alhambra apart from it being a tourist destination in Spain. My partner really encouraged me to visit, she thought I'd quite enjoy it. Unfortunately our trip to Granada was only confirmed the week before and when I checked the official website I saw that tickets were sold out months in advance. I was disappointed but when we reached Granada one of her local contacts told me to line up at the box office before it opened and they almost always released tickets. I was super excited and I was the first person in line at 7:15am (box offices opened at 8am). 

On my way up to the box office my taxi driver advised that I should have checked their website at midnight as they release tickets online as well. I tried to check it but the website was down, possibly from other unprepared tourists such as myself. However, while waiting in line at about 7:40 I checked the website and there were plenty of tickets available. I purchased one for 9am and went to chill until the site opened. 

I was really glad to have booked an early tour of the main attraction (Nasrid Palace) because the grounds felt a bit crowded as I was leaving. I mean, I totally understand, it's like complaining about the crowds in the Serengeti; there are a ton of people there because it's completely unique and stunning. I think they did a great job of keeping the crowds light in the Nasrid Palace although I was a bit put off by all the large groups that I initially encountered. I remember the first room that I went into there were three large groups and a cacophony of German, Mandarin, and another unknown language. I was able to stay ahead or behind them but the initial encounter was jarring. The Nasrid Palace deserves all the hype, I was amazed at the architecture even without a guide who I am sure would have added context to even further heighten my appreciation. 

It's amazing that the rest of the grounds is basically a gigantic park. This allows you to spend a lot of time just hanging out enjoying the beautiful views of the mountains and of the city below. I happened to be there on a beautiful clear day and probably could have spent more time there had I packed a bocata!

I MUST recommend this YouTube that goes into detail about the clever engineering that went into the building. 

The fountains, aqueducts, and all the water, was simply amazing!

 

Granada city

View from our hotel

 I finally had the chance to visit the south of Spain and it did not disappoint! The trip was actually a work trip for my partner but we stayed an extra day to enjoy some of the sites of the city. As a total giddy that grew up in a cold climate, my mind was absolutely blown by the orange trees on the streets. We happened to be there while they were fruiting and it was quite surreal to see!

The city itself is really manageable and easy to walk around. We were both surprised at how touristy it was but it makes sense given the presence of the iconic Alhambra. Once we were able to identify the really touristy spots with the local neighborhoods we really enjoyed the city. The views of the snow capped mountains were beautiful as well as Alhambra's presence looming over the city.  

Orange trees!

 

Granada Hike: Los Cahorros

 

The weather was moderate during our visit to Granada and we decided to take advantage by doing some hiking. We ended up going to the nearby village of Monachil and walking the Los Cahorros hike. We walked for 2 hours and 45 minutes, covering 9km at a moderate pace. I recommend starting in Monachil, there are some erroneous markers on the maps that we saw and because you can walk the trail as a loop it makes sense to start in the town as it's the first place you arrive to from Granada. 

The trail had varied terrain, starting with a casual walk along a river, then passing through a Lord of the Rings esque canyon with some tricky rocky outcrops. I was literally on my hands and knees for one of the passages! I could understand people turning around and only walking the river section but I encourage people to push on through. After shimmying our way through the canyon the trail opens up to a spectacular landscape with huge rock faces and views down into the lowlands below. There were some wildflowers blooming at the time and the light was spectacular. 

The trail ends with a consistent uphill slope that is completely exposed before dropping down into the town. There was a fuente available early on but none after the narrow canyon crossing so bring enough water to endure the final climb. 

This bridge was impressive and fun

Narrow crossings

 

 

Autonomous Community Castilla y León: Gumiel de Mercado 2025 in spring

 

It's rare we get to visit Gumiel de Mercado in the spring but it's a beautiful time of the year to visit. The landscape is more green than brown and the grasses feel vibrant as opposed to when they are dried out. We enjoyed a walk to Ermita de San Juan passing by recently planted fields and blooming orchards. I had time to scramble up the hill in the middle of the village and take in the landscape of wheat fields, vineyards and orchards. We even got some rain which made it difficult to get around the tall grasses at the top of the hill!

 

Hiking in the Sierra de Guadarrama: La Gamonosa

 

The Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range northwest of Madrid is an amazing place to have so close to Madrid. We are lucky to have some friends living up in the villages there so we frequently get to go for hikes. There are a network of trails that are easy to find and on this particular day we decided last minute to stretch our legs and found a nice spot for a short hike. 

There were stunning views into Madrid and the grass was vibrant green with plenty of life around due to the spring time conditions.