The Rocks of Cullera in the Sierra Espadán is one of the best vantage points in the area. From the rock formation it is possible to see all the way to Valencia and the sea. The 15km circular route we did from Almedíjar had a wide variety of trails, including some very wet ones!
We started in Almedíjar and walked out the village, stopping to try out a fun play park on the way. We followed the river through the Almanzor Gorge however that soon turned into us having to go through the river rather than follow it. The recent storm meant that much of the path was flooded and water crossings quickly became the norm for much of the hike.
We took a detour to see a tree. Sure, we were in a forest full of trees, but this one was special. La Castañera is a chestnut tree that is over 400 years old tree. As well as it’s age and size, it is also notable for having many trunks. The tree was certainly imposing and looked lovely with it’s autumn colours, although we did get the feeling it was trying to trap us.
The route continued with yet more water crossings. Various members of the group tried new techniques to keep their feet dry (see photos). Once we started hiking uphill, water was replaced by cork trees, a hallmark of the Sierra Espdán.
The path became narrower and steeper until we came out on a gravel road. The road has great views across the Sierra Espadán as well as some interesting rocks. We came to a fork in the road where we could continue to Espadán Peak or turn left towards the Rocks of Cullera.
The trail to the Rocks of Cullera was narrow and, as the name would suggest, rocky. We reached the first peak and headed down towards the actual Rocks of Cullera. The path down was through a lot of goarse and scrub bushes but it was certainly worth it.
The rocks form a wide area with epic views all the way to Valencia and the Mediterranean sea. The outcrop provided plenty of stunning photo opportunities as well as a great place for lunch. Also the wild thyme and rosemary was abundant at the top.
To go down from the rocks we took a different path. This one was equally narrow and rocky as the one that has led us to the stones. We passed by a small waterfall, and for a nice change, we didn’t need to cross it. The path down has numerous view points where we could appreciate the Cullera rocks from different angles.
We finally re-joined the road for the short walk back to Almedíjar. The afternoon sun made it looks like the water on the road was shining which was pretty cool.
Our route (which can be found here on Wikiloc) had a great variety of trails. The Rocks of Cullera certainly merit a visit as one of the most epic view points in the Valencian Community and the way to get there and back was certianly entertaining.
Thank you to Anxo López and Cate (@chimerasfire) for the additional photos😊.
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