The Nacimiento del Río Tuéjar (the source of the Tuéjar River) is one of the most beautiful routes in Valencia. It was the perfect time to visit the river as the April rains meant there was more water than usual for this time of year. Along the route we passed natural beauty spots before hiking up to the Mirador de Mediodía for views across the valley.
We started our hike with a short walk to the recreational area Fuente de la Saz. Not only is the area a beautiful place, it is named after me which instantly makes it amazing. From the fuente, we went along the river Tuéjar to El Azud.
El Azud is a weir that creates a natural pool and although swimming is currently banned due to COVID-19 people were bathing anyway. We crossed the weir using the stepping stones and turned on to a gravel road. This road had some small rivers to cross and the group chose a varity of methods to cross them. Stepping stones, jumping and just walking through the water were all tried.
The road goes through the valley and past the Corrales de Silla caves. We took the short climb to the them to look at the the neolithic cave paintings that dated from between 10,000 to 6,000 B.C. At first the cave paintings looked more like splashes of red paint than pictures but they made more sense after looking at the information board.
After continuing on this road for a while, we turned off and started our ascent to the viewpoint Mirador del Mediodía. This was also via a gravel road but there was not much shade from the midday heat. The vultures overhead were probably laughing at us or hoping for a free meal. The views however, were stunning on the route up.
Eventually we left the gravel road for a smaller trail of shale rocks. The path had lots of ups and downs and led to a crossroads. We took the path to the viewpoint which was about a 10 minute walk. At the Mirador del Mediodía we could see views of the entire area. After lunch with a view, we left the viewpoint to start our decsent.
The descent was a steep trail down through the forest. The path was narrow and had lots of loose rocks. The shade was welcome though and it was still very fun to run down – if you like running down hills that is. The trail ended at a reservoir and we walked the rest of the way back on another gravel road.
We got back to El Azud but this time we took the route on the oppiste side from the way we came. This took us along the river and on to the Roman Way. We passed beautiful waterfalls and crossed over rock bridges back to Font de Azud and La Fuente de la Saz.
The Nacimiento del Río Tuéjar and Mirador del Mediodía is a beautiful route. The river water is clear and it will be great for swimming in once COVID restrictions end. There’s a fun range of terrains, loose rocks, dirt trails, gravel roads and water crossings. The views from the Mirador del Mediodía were certainly worth the climb even in the hot weather. Also there’s a Fuente with my name on it, what’s not to like about this hike.
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