9th of October
Let’s go to Aras de los Omos to do the Regajo ravine trail – one of the tributary ravines of the Turía River. The route will give us the opportunity to discover the transhumance roads that connected Valencia with Castilla la Mancha.
The ravine of the Regajo or the Hoz is one of the tributary ravines of the Turia river, the Valencian river that is born in lands of Teruel and that goes on from Rincon de Ademuz, Los Serranos and Camp de Túria to the city of Valencia. It is a stream that forms deep congosts of limestone vertical walls. Along the path – which runs largely along the riverbed – we can see how the water passes on stone steps, forming waterfalls and some small pools. The circular route offers not only mountainous landscapes where water is the protagonist, but also territories where transhumance used these steps to communicate Castilla La Mancha with the Valencian riverbank, through a network of ravines, cords and sidewalks, recovered largely along the GR 37 path. A path that shows us the forest heritage of this municipality of the Serranía del Turia, where rural constructions such as mills, limes, carboneras and shepherd shelters are unequivocal testimony of an space of explored by its inhabitants.
Aras de los Olmos
Aras de los Olmos is one of the best preserved forest territories in the province of Valencia. Its municipal area has an area of 75 square kilometers of which 60% are large forest areas and the rest is dedicated to the cultivation of vine, cereal and almonds. The conservation of the mountain and its associated resources has been a constant dedication of its inhabitants and of the forest nursery and environmental agents who have always taken care of the rational use of natural resources, based on logging, carbon, grazing, hunting, fishing and collection of wild fruits among others. The people who inhabited these areas have left a mark on the landscapes, turning them into shelters, watering holes, sheep counters, limes, trails and off-road paths, among others that have been partially recovered and valued through an extensive network of trails that run the entire term from 1,280 meters of the Muela de Santa Catalina to 600 meters of the Turia river.
La Serranía del Turia
Aras de los Olmos is one of the high mountain villages of the so-called Serranía del Turia, where the Turia River runs through its municipal district encased from the lands of Santa Cruz de Moya (Cuenca) towards Titaguas. The population offers a rural architecture reflecting several cultures: the church of nuestra Señora de los Ángeles of the 16th century, the Arab tower or the Cortijo of the 21st century with its wall and the house of the Monterde of the 18th century are some of its attractions. The highlights are the abbey house, Olmo square, the shrine of Sangre de Cristo and the Archeology Museum.
Difficulty: medium/low (11.5km with 200m of elevation gain)
Technical level: medium (be prepared for some muddy trails)
Meeting point: Mestalla, parking lot on av. Aragón, 9:30 (return to Valencia ~18:00)
Price: 32 euros (28 euros signing up before Friday, 07.10) / 12 euros coming to Aras de los Olmos.
The price includes professional guide, transportation, accident and public liability insurances.
Bring at least 1l of water, lunch, cap and hiking shoes.
Become a member and get a 6 euro discount for every hike.