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WALK 4

Fonts de Pedreguer

Start/finish	Capelleta de Sant Blai, Pedreguer
Distance	12km
Grade	Moderate
Time	3hrs 30mins
Terrain	Clear paths and exemplary waymarking
Height gain	550m
Map	Costa Blanca Mountains (Discovery)
Access	Leave Pedreguer on the CV 720 towards Alcalali and on the outskirts of the town double back left, following signs to the Ermita, onto the Avenida Maria Lopez, which becomes the Carrer del Migdia. Follow this to a T-junction and turn right into the Carrer Passatage.
Parking	In Carrer Passatage.

Water is precious in the dry landscape of the Costa Blanca and ancient wells and springs are still tended and marked. This gentle walk, following one of the variations of the PR-CV 53 Sender de Pedreguer, visits several of the springs emerging from the Muntanya Gran – ‘the Big Mountain’ – behind the town. Clear paths and consistent waymarking mean navigation is seldom a problem on this ramble through a countryside that is less demanding than among the bigger, more dramatic, hills, which feature in the distant views.

Fiesta flags in Pedreguer

From the car park walk downhill and turn into the Carrer Meravelles and just before a left hand bend go right up a ramp to join a path which traverses above the houses. Ignore a path breaking up right and carry on to where the main path reaches a concrete track by a play area. Turn right up this to a brick path but after a few steps turn left by a wooden information board, as indicated by yellow and white paint flashes on the ground, to pass down the left hand side of a building apparently used for barbecuing to reach a path and turn right uphill following the PR-CV 53 to the Font Colberta and Font d’Aixa. Leaving the rooftops of Pedreguer behind, a much older landscape comes into view. The shape of Montgo dominates the view and beyond it Ibiza floats on the horizon.

Font Colberta

Carry on following the path up the rim of the barranc and after about 40mins it passes a ruined casita with a deep well and a couple of minutes later comes to a sign embedded in a large cairn announcing that Pedreguer is 1.7km behind while the Font Colberta is 800 metres ahead and Font d’Aixa another 4.1km.

As the path crosses a col the jagged tops of the Bernia and Olta emerge as well as a colourful collection of villas across the barranc. Zigzag down the terraces to reach the Font Colberta. The font proves to be an old arched well, still with clear water in it but a sign suggests it is not drinking water.

From the font turn up the initially concrete track to pass a house guarded by a large Buddha among the trees by its gate and immediately afterwards, at a four way junction, carry on up the hill and 100 metres later come to a sign on the left to the Font del Rull. A flight of restored stone steps climbs the few metres to the font, which is little more than a black iron door over the old cistern.

Continue up the hill for a little under 10mins to where it meets a dirt road on the left signed to Barranc de l’Aigua. Turn left onto this but after just a couple of dozen paces turn right by a cairn onto a narrow path heading off downhill with the Bernia in front. It traverses round a large bowl across gentle slopes until it turns a corner and broken cliffs and sharp summits come into view with a grand, newly-built house in the valley below. Follow the path as it winds down to it. Across the barranc from the house are the Font d’Aixa climbing crags and teams are often to be seen on the routes.

Carry on down the concrete access road of the house until, on a bend, as you pass another house on the left, a track marked with yellow and white paint goes off leftwards across the hill. Follow it until it comes to a junction and here turn sharply back right down to a road and turn right. This dogleg can be avoided by staying on the concrete road to reach the same spot but the path is more pleasant underfoot.

The road now passes houses and orange groves and a sign pointing right to Pedreguer per Aspres. This is the onward route but it is worth continuing a couple of hundred metres further to visit Font d’Aixa, one of the larger pools in the area. From there go back to the ‘Aspres’ sign and turn up the concrete track which passes a casita and quickly dwindles to a footpath. Keep climbing until it reaches a fairly long level section and about 20mins after leaving the road comes to a fork. Take the left branch, which continues to climb and traverse until after a few minutes it comes to another concrete road with a sign ‘Pedreguer per Poets 3km’.

Turn up this and in less than 5mins come to a right hand bend where a sign points leftwards to Castell d’Aixa. Go up this path and where it comes to olive groves at the top of the first slope there is a T-junction of paths. Turn right, passing a tumbledown casita and following yellow and white paint as it traverses round the bowl. Ignore a path dropping leftwards.

As it continues Montgo and the colourful villas seen earlier reappear. When it reaches a junction turn right signed to Pedreguer. The town is now visible at the foot of the Barranc dels Poets, whose name refers to wells rather than versifiers. At a three-way junction carry on downhill to Pedreguer and at the next junction turn left guided by ample paint marks to arrive back in the car park.