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WALK 7

Castell de Granadella

Start/finish	Cumbre del Sol, near Benitatxell
Distance	8km
Grade	Easy/Moderate
Time	3 to 4hrs
Terrain	Broad tracks for the most part but a rough section along the clifftops plus a narrow coastal path protected by chains
Height gain	350m
Access	Leave the N332 on the CV 740 for Teulada and follow signs for Benitatxell. Go through the town and at a set of traffic lights on its northern edge take the right hand fork signed to Cumbre del Sol. Go up the hill, past a mirador and into the complex, following signs for Hipica.
Parking	Roadside by the Hipica stables.

First time visitors to the Costa Blanca can be surprised, even appalled, by the scale of development along the coast and even, more recently, by the way that builders have pushed inland so that it is not unusual to find large estates of villas and apartments almost dwarfing their host villages or even sitting on sites separate from other communities. The flip side of this apparently random development is that you can sometimes use the roads of these urbanizations to access interesting walking and within a few minutes be in open country. One such is Cumbre del Sol, the starting point for this walk to 200m-high cliffs, an old fort and a beautiful small cove. The development borders an area set aside by the authorities in Xabia as a reserve. It is the lowest walk in the book and makes a useful option to rescue a day when the inland hills are shrouded in cloud.

Walk into the entrance of the Parc Forestal de Granadella along a broad track. Even though a backward glance shows villas climbing the hillside, the view ahead of woods and a deep barranc is entirely natural. Stay on the broad track as it clings to the rim of the barranc, following yellow and white markers and ignoring all tracks to the right. After the track swings rightwards pass through a chained entrance. At the next junction is a three way sign; take the right hand option marked PR-CV 354 Cala Granadella por Castell.

When the road briefly becomes concreted carry on, passing a large water cistern, and on along the now unmade track to a signpost. Go right still signed to Cala Granadella and Castell on the PR-CV 354. Tall cliffs now stretch away rightwards and the path arrives at the Mirador de Llevant. It is a bit early for a prolonged stop but this viewpoint deserves a few minutes to admire the rock architecture.

After the mirador the wide track becomes a narrow path heading downhill making for a rocky promontory just ahead. The path, still liberally marked with yellow and white flashes, clambers over miniature rock steps and squirms between sea holly and dwarf palms to the headland. From there it is possible to see down into the bay as the path drops towards sea level. Go down following marker posts until at the bottom of the slope the path reaches the ruins of Castell de Granadella.

Castell ruins and cove

This horseshoe-shaped redoubt was part of a chain of defences built in the 18th century to protect the area against North African pirates and was intended to deny them a safe landing spot in the cove. It had a cannon and small garrison but they certainly meant business with walls 3 metres thick. It was, however, destroyed in an attack by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.