25th of November
Let’s go to one of the best lookout points at the edge between Valencia and Alicante, with splendid views of the sea on one side and Benicadell and the valleys around Alcoy on the other.
The Arabic toponym Safor, which means rock or space in the form of a rocky amphitheater, precisely names this landscape landmark; by extension, it also gives its name to the region where this spectacular rocky horseshoe is located. Circo de la Safor – one of the sublime spots in the entire Valencian mountain – constitutes an energetic slope with a singular morphology, a watchtower over the coastal plain and the river Serpis that fertilizes it, a source of natural resources (water, pastures, firewood, coal, etc.), a steep hillside colonized and lived, and the symbolic image of a Mediterranean environment.
The “circus” is located on the northern slope of the Serra de la Safor (1011 m, about 15 km from the coast), with a drop of more than 800 m in the form of a circular amphitheater. The network of secondary ravines, which drain the abrupt horseshoe, converges in the Barranc de la Safor which, shortly after, joins Riu Serpis in the Arcada Strait. Within the circus there is a great hydric, climatic, edaphic and botanical contrast that structures a diversity of microenvironments and ecological niches.
El Circo de la Safor – Paisajes Turísticos Valencianos
Difficulty: medium (10.5km with 450m elevation gain)
Technical level: medium/high (steep uphill to the summit, gradual descent)
Meeting point: Mestalla, parking lot on av. Aragón, 9:00 (return to Valencia ~18:00)
Price: 35 euros (31 euros signing up before Friday, 24.11) / 14 euros coming to L’Orxa.
The price includes professional guide, transportation, accident and public liability insurances.
Bring at least 1.5l of water, lunch, cap and hiking shoes.
Become a member and get a 6-euros discount for every hike.