Port
Xàbia - Montgó
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Granadella
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Cala
Barraca
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This
is the
longest trail in the network, a tough 16
kilometre route from the tip of the Cabo
de San Antonio to the top of the mountain
of Montgó, taking in the dramatic Cova Tallada
- the "carved cave" - and the
16th century watchtower of the Torre del
Gerro on the northern flanks of the headland.
The
route begins at the very end of the marina
road. There is limited parking - and in
any case, one would have to walk back to
collect the car at the end of the day -
so the preferred option would be to coerce
a friend to become the support team who
can drop you off at the start-point and
then meet you some ten hours later at a
suitable rendezvous, such as the shooting
range of Campo de Tiro Les Planes close
to the bottom of the summit path to the
top of the Montgó.
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The second
longest trail in the network, the PR CV-354 path passes
through the undulating hills to the south of the town
in an area known as the "Parque Forestal de Granadella",
an area of protected beauty that has often been called
the "lungs of the Costa Blanca". The route
begins in the narrow cove of Granadella and passes through
several key locations along the coast, including the
18th century watch-tower that used to protect this small
bay, and the Mirador LLevant, a stunning viewpoint on
the cliff-edge. It passes through deep chasm and along
dizzy cliff tops, through thick forest
and along dry river bed. It can be walked in either direction
and from several points along the circular
route
but in this guide we describe the clockwise direction
from Cala de la Granadella, the most popular itinerary. |
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This rocky cove is situated in the small bay of Portitxol, guarded on
its extremes by the protective booms of Cap Prim and Cap Negre as well
as the hulk of the island of Portitxol. The cove takes its name from the
small fishing huts ("barracas") that were built here some years ago,
some of which still remain. The bay of Portitxol ("small port") has been used as an anchorage and landing point for more
than two thousand years and archeaological discoveries suggest
habitation stretching back to the 7th century BCE. The short route starts at
the tosca stone cross of Portitxol and
passes through trees and along dusty
plateau before dropping steeply into
the cove and the delightful beach of
Cala Barraca. There is also an alternative
which provides a great close-up view
of the little island of Portitxol. |
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Cap
Prim
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Ermita
Santa Llúcia
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The
Official Trails
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Cap Prim forms the southern barrier of the wide bay of Jávea and affords
fantastic views to the north towards the mountain of Montgó and the
Cabo de San Antonio. It hosts a unique micro-reserve of plants that
makes it one of the most important ecological locations in the area and care
should be taken not to cause damage. The colourful cliffs of Cap Prim, a
mixture of grey and yellow marlstone, contrast superbly with the blue of
the sea. As we pass along the route towards the end of Cap Prim, there
is a small isolated cove to the left known as Cala Sardinera.
Archeaologists have discovered six Roman amphorae used to transport
wine but the cove is probably best known for the sardine industry -
hence its name - when fine nets were drawn across the cove at sunrise
and sunset to make the catch. |
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The Ermita de Santa Llúcia sits atop the conical hill of Tossal de
Santa Llucía, a 165m summit affording spectacular views in
almost every direction. In my opinion, the situation offers one of the
best locations to photograph the nearby mountain of Montgó, rising
dramatically to the north-west, whilst on clear days the island of
Ibiza, over 90 kilometres distant, can be made out as a dark but
obvious smudge on the horizon to the east. Such field of view has made
it a valuable, easily defendable site for centuries and evidence has
been found to suggest that people were already living on the hill more
than 4,000 years ago. During the Roman
occupation of these lands, it was utilised as a perfect look-out point
due to its superb command over the bay of Jávea and the long valley of
San Bartolomé. |
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