25th of April
Among olive trees, this route will help us discover the mines of the “Virgen del Amparo” mining complex, which were active until the middle of the 20th century. From these mines, minerals such as barite or iron were extracted and sold to Altos Hornos de Sagunto (Valencia). Its 5 km of galleries make them the largest in the Valencian Community and its mining environment has been turned into an open-air museum. Picnic areas with informative-graphic panels will help us understand this hard work better.
The exterior landscape can be reconstructed by looking at, discovering and interpreting the interior landscape. The constant dripping of water has diluted the rocks, generating magical spaces full of mysteries. The first hunter-gatherers used these cavities to shelter from the inclement weather, which with the sedentarization were transformed into houses. In more recent times they were also used as shelters or trenches in warlike contests. To enter these landscapes is to enter an unknown universe.
Signe de Federo
Above the mountain of Fuente del Hierro in Artana there is a petroglyph of a human figure on a rock. The drawing is made with the quality of an expert hand in this type of folk art. At first, everyone thought that it was the brand of the stonemason who built the different buildings where it is located, but the large quantities that exists in different places, sometimes very distant or in other parts that do not coincide with a construction, such as in a rock of the mountain, make this origin unlikely.
We [Josep Herrero Cabanyes, Nelo Vilar Herrero | Artanapedia] had the privilege of meeting the Feder de Caudiel family and asking Manolita Rivelles, who belongs to this family, if they had any information; neither she nor the aunts knew anything, they also informed us that her grandfather was a teacher and had nothing to do with the labor of a pastor. A little later, looking at the petroglyphs of Aín, our good friend Vicent Franch i Ferrer informed us that this was the mark of the Pastor of Pina. Encouraged by this information, we consulted Daniel Sánchez Sánchez, secretary of the Pina town hall, who gave us a lot of information. In the first place, he clarified to us that Federer is not a specific lineage, it is just an abbreviation of Federico that is usually used in many towns in Alto Palancia, in such a way that there are in many towns in this area without there being any kinship between them. This information made us stop looking at Caudiel, looking at Pina…
To read the whole story about the petroglyph, follow the link.
Artana
Considered to be the entrance to the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park from the sea, this town occupies the Artana valley formed by the promenade of the same name and, surrounded by mountains full of vegetation, springs and fields of olive trees, constitutes a green lung, a haven of peace and beauty near the coast. Artana stands out for its great natural heritage. It is diversity in every way. The rocks that make up its territory, gray limestone and red sandstone, fight each other to impose their colors and those of the vegetation that covers them. The dense forests of Rodeno pines and cork oaks greet us from their green and red kingdom, the holm oaks and white pines that recover the space lost for centuries. The proud orange groves give way, from the Plana to the Sierra, to majestic carob trees and centuries-old olive trees that have seen the events of the civilizations that populated these lands pass.
Neolithic, Iberian and Roman inhabitants worked hard to dominate the nature of these lands, but it was the Muslims – later Moors – who succeeded. The perfect use of water was their best legacy: ponds, dams, wells, reservoirs, mills … And numerous fountains spread throughout the term, the most famous of which is Baldriana. Neighbors and visitors walk the old and narrow streets of the urban area, slowly, savoring the cultural heritage of their ancestors among a very careful set, knowing the gateway to a world of wild nature and history such as the Natural Park of the Sierra de Espadan… Castellón en Ruta Cultural
Difficulty: medium (14km with 600m elevation gain).
Technical level: medium (most of the route goes along wide trails).
Transportation: 7-seater minivan (alternatively, you can drive to the start of the hike)
Price: 25 euros (19 euros for members)
Meeting point: Mestalla, entrance on av. Aragón, 9:30 (return to Valencia ~17:30)
Bring at least 1l of water, lunch, warm clothes and hiking shoes.
COVID-19 Safety Measures:
– the temperature of all the participants will be measured prior to getting in the minibus
– hand gel use (provided) is mandatory
– wearing a mask is mandatory in all closed spaces