7th of November
Sierra de Segária, the mountain range also known as the Sleeping Stone Giant, emerges out of nowhere in an esplanade facing the sea, separating the valley of the Girona river and the Marjal de Pego-Oliva. It is a mountain in the Marina Alta, which is not very high but offers impressive views, due to its proximity to the coast, as well as its steep slope.
Route inspired by Más Allá de la Ciudad blog post.
Difficulty: medium/high (9.2km with 600m of elevation gain).
Technical level: medium/high (some steep rocky trails).
Transportation: 9-seater minibus (alternatively, you can drive to the hike starting point in your own vehicle)
Price: 20 euros (includes professional guide, transportation, accident and public liability insurances).
Meeting point: Mestalla, parking lot on av. Aragón, 9:00 (return to Valencia ~17:00)
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
Sierra de Segaria
Sierra de Segària is a mountainous alignment that extends from NE to SO through the municipalities of Ondara, Benimeli, Ráfol de Almunia, Pego, El Verger and Beniarbeig Separate the valley of the Girona river, or valley of the Rectory, Pego-Oliva. In spite of its low height it dominates the coastal plain of Marina Alta. There is a footpath running through the range, leading to the ancient Arab settlements of the house of King Al-Azraq (according to popular legend), where there are still some Iberian and Moorish archaeological remains. The excursions through the Sierra de Segaria are very attractive and offer magnificent views of the whole region.
The route has an additional attraction of various caves, most notable of them being Cova de Bolumini. Another well-known cave is L’Avenc de Tavernero. According to legend, the current name is due to a man from Tavernes, a village in the region of La Safor, who took shelter in the cave during the civil war. He lived many years there and several members of his family visited him with the food necessary for his survival. Access to the cave is also carried out from the base of the mountain… Beniarbeig.es
The Caves
Without a doubt, the Bolumini Cave, in the small town of Beniarbeig, is one of those that we have to visit in the province of Alicante if we like caving (although we are only going to do the easy part). The entrance to the cave is simple, but it has some quite beautiful formations, we can see stalactites, stalagmites and columns reaching 10m… Alicante Digital
The Trail
The footpath PR-CV 415 (also the local path SL-CV 109) runs through the Sierra de Segaria, which together with the new local path promoted by the El Verger City Council connect all the natural areas of the mountain range. These trails are used by visitors to access the various caves, chasms, peaks, settlements, or simply for hiking. As a curious detail, it can be noted that the route runs for much of the time along an old water channel, nowadays in disuse and in some sections deteriorated.