7th of May
Hiking the Mill Routes of Ares del Maestrat is the best way to explore the landscape of the area. The trail goes along the old bridle path, that was used to get to the five flour mills that we will visit during this trip.
We’ll meet in Valencia in the parking lot on av. Aragón in front of Mestalla stadium and drive to Ares del Maestrat. Once there, we’ll have a coffee on a terrace and start the hike. The route is not typical, as it goes down to the ravine first, with a very scenic descent. As we get down to the valley – we’ll arrive at our first mills – Molí Sol de la Costa. From here on, the route will be surprising us at every turn, as the scenery changes constantly. We will stop for lunch at Molí de la Roca, contemplating the best views of the area. A short ascent – and we’ll be back in Ares. Finally, we will take a stroll through the town and get up to the ruins of its castle. We will have a drink on a terrace after the hike and return to Valencia.
The hike is included in the list of 30 best hikes in Valencian Community, composed by the tourism council. Here’s what they say about it:
The trail runs along old bridle paths used in coming and going to the five flour mills, true protagonists of the itinerary. When we take this tour we must not see abandoned land or useless buildings. We have to go back to the 18th, 19th and early years of the XX century to realize that this was the authentic industry of the time. The racking of grain to the mills and the consequent of collection flour gave road accesses, superbly developed in an orography of steep slopes. The circular route is planned along the same route that the water made in its path from mill to mill. In this way not only we will better appreciate the complex hydraulic system, but we will enjoy a landscape of large wingspan. This network that led the water from l’Ull de la Roca in the first mill to its exit in the Molí del Sòl de la Costa took advantage of the water up to five times without consuming or contaminating it. Of the five mills, four are exceptional for one reason or another, the first due to its great waterfall of 23 meters (half dug into the rock), second for its curious waterfall shaped hexagonally (unique aspect at the provincial level), the third for its powerful ramp covered with steps and the fifth for its imposing aqueduct, 36 meters in length…
Conselleria de Turisme, Generalitat Valenciana, 2012
Photo credit: Catherine Salsbury
Difficulty: medium/low (7.5km with 360m elevation gain).
Technical level: medium/low (bridle path).
Transportation: 7-seater minivan (alternatively, you can drive to the hike starting point in your own vehicle)
Price: 25 euros (15 coming with your own vehicle).
Meeting point: Mestalla, parking 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 minivan
– hand gel use (provided) is mandatory
– wearing a mask is mandatory in all closed spaces