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Contrasting nature parks in the Region of Valencia
Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
1•
2•
3•
4•
5•
6•
7•
8•
9•
10 •
11 •
Castle: Castillo del Papa Luna
Hermitage: Ermita de San Antonio
Tower: Torre Badum
Beach: Playa del Pebret
Lagoon: Pou del Moro
Farmstead: Mas del Señor
Hermitage: Ermita de Sant Benet i Santa
Llùcia
Castle: Castell de Xivert
Lagoon: Pou de L’Aiguador
Castle: Castillo Santa Magdalena de Pulpis
Santa Magdalena de Pulpis
12 • Tower: Torre Defensiva del Rey
13 • Castle: Castillo de Oropesa
14 • Convent: Convento Carmelitas Descalzos.
Desert de les Palmes
15 • Waterspout: Font de Miravet
16 • Castle: Castillo de Miravet
17 • Hermitage: Ermita de Les Santes
18 • Village: La Pobla Tornesa
19 • ‘Spires’: Agujas de Santa Águeda
20 • Villas: Las Villas
21 • Peak: Pico “El Bartolo”
22 • Hermitage: Ermita de Santa Teresa
23 • Hermitage: Ermita de Sant Josep
24 • Information: Centro Información Parque
Natural “La Bartola”
25 • Hermitage: Ermita de la Magdalena
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This route will take us through two of the wildest and
Desert de les Palmes. We will travel across these
uninhabited areas of the entire Mediterranean coast
from the French border to Algeciras. From Peñíscola, a
town with an impressive historical legacy and a beauty
mountains, delighting in the spectacular vegetation. We
will discover the hermitages and convents situated
throughout the length and breadth of the nature park
worthy of that history, we will gain access to the Serra
d’Irta. This nature park conceals, in amongst the low
scrubland of its mountains, some of the secrets of the
former inhabitants, and offers a thrilling natural
spectacle, the sierra being set just a stone’s throw from
the sea. From the Serra d’Irta we come to Alcossebre.
There we will board a catamaran to visit the fascinating
Columbrete islands, declared a nature park and marine
reserve. After this amazing visit, we will arrive at another
nature park, the Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca. This
former lagoon is now a group of wetlands and salt
marshes with its own unique biodiversity. After passing
through the Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca nature park
we will take a turn around the old part of Oropesa del
Mar, to then enter the fourth nature park of our route: El
and we will be thrilled by the marvellous views of the
Mediterranean Sea this spot affords. After our incursions
through the Desert de les Palmes the route will
culminate in a look around the capital of the province:
Castellón de la Plana.
From the Tómbolo de Peñíscola to
the precipices of the Serra d’Irta
The city of Peñíscola is situated on a rocky peninsular
which was originally only joined to the land by a narrow
sandy isthmus, which facilitated its defence and which in
former times, for one week of the year would flood and
the isthmus would be left under the seawater. In present
times, due to the construction of the port and buildings
on the isthmus, this curious phenomenon has
disappeared. On this rocky peninsular stands the old part
of the town and, crowning its highest rock, Papa Luna
castle. Peñíscola, with this special geographical situation,
is “the city in the sea”; it wins hearts and bewitches, seen
from the adjacent beaches. After these first impressions
that Peñíscola creates we go into its old quarter and into
its history. Peñíscola castle was built by the Knights
Templar between 1294 and 1307 on the remains of the
Arab fortress, and was later reformed by the Order of
Montesa. During the 14th century this castle was an
exceptional witness to the Western Schism, when the
Catholic Church split into two. Pedro Martínez de Luna,
better known as Papa Luna [Pope Luna], was appointed
Pope by one of the two Catholic factions, more precisely,
by the Avignon faction, who backed his posture as the
highest ecclesiastical authority, against that of Rome.
Pope Luna, at a time of maximum pressure, with nearly all
Peñíscola 40º 21' 27.60" N 0º 24' 27.00" E
the great powers coming down on the side of the Papal
authority from Rome, decided to go into self-imposed
exile and fled from Avignon to Peñíscola and died in this
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Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
The farm workers and manual labourers of Peñíscola put
pressure on the local council not to auction off the stateowned lands piecemeal but rather to cede them for
communal beneficial use and thus avoid the workers’
Peñíscola 40º 21' 16.20" N 0º 23' 53.40" E
Templar castle at the age of 95, still claiming he was the
real Pope. Various defensive walls extend around the
castle, dating from different eras; the historic urban centre
lies between them, with its labyrinth of steep cobbled
streets, with steps and steep slopes that, in the majority
of cases, lead to terraces looking out onto the sea. The
old part of Peñíscola never ceases to offer us curiosities,
like that of the Bufador, a large opening between the
rocks through which the seawater suddenly surges on
stormy days. In winter and out of the holiday season
Peñíscola shows its quieter side, offering visitors its
harbour, its beaches and an environment of peaceful and
gratifying mountains.
Leaving Peñíscola, heading in a southerly direction, we
enter the Serra d’Irta nature park. This nature park is
formed by two mountainous alignments with a
maximum altitude of 543 metres, parallel to the coast and
separated by the Estopet valley. Due to the proximity of
the sea, its mountains drop steeply, forming numerous
cliffs, coves, cornices and reefs all along its 12 kilometres.
Its great singularity is precisely this combination of sea
migration. The territory was declared indivisible, which
has contributed to its conservation. The entire park is
covered on our route bordering the sea by means of an
unmade track which was a former livestock track known
by the name of Pebret, along a stretch of some twenty
kilometres, from Peñíscola to Alcossebre. From this track
numerous rural ways run off across the sierra and, by
means of officially marked footpaths, enable us to get
closer to the rich cultural heritage.
and mountain within such a short stretch, which makes it
possible to gaze, from the highest peaks, at splendid
panoramic views of the coast, and even as far as seeing
the Columbrete islands. A notable historic fact regarding
the conservation of the Serra d’Irta was the setting up, in
1907, of the Community of the Mounts of Irta [Jointownership Community of the Mountain Lands of Irta [a
legal entity establishing joint ownership rights of
common land, typical in mountainous parts of Spain].
Peñíscola 40º 21' 27.60" N 0º 24' 27.00" E
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A nature park straddled between
sea and mountain
Starting to walk through the Serra d’Irta, no sooner have
we left Peñíscola than we find a road that takes us to the
Sant Antoni hermitage; we take this and on this fourkilometre route we already notice the type of vegetation
that will accompany us during this trip through the
Serra d’Irta nature park. The typical Mediterranean
scrubland stretches over these mountains with notable
peculiarities. We find, as is common, Kermes oak, mastic
tree and juniper, but the fan palm on these lands is of
especially large dimensions. Moreover, one plant grows
in Irta that is exclusive to the place, known as the Irta
geranium. We come to the San Antoni hermitage, built
in the 16th century, which comprises the chapel itself,
the hermit’s dwelling, and lodgings. With its position at
over 300 metres above sea level it becomes an
exceptional vantage point on the northern slope of the
nature park. Annually, during the month of April, a
traditional romería [local pilgrimage or religious
procession] is undertaken to this hermitage from
Peñíscola, accompanied by numerous festive events.
Retracing our steps back to the Pebret footpath, we
travel through the area closest to the coast. On this first
stretch the Serra reaches, literally, as far as the sea, and
we come to cliffs plunging down a drop of over fifty
metres. The deep blue Mediterranean lies calmly below.
Soon the Bardum tower appears, a lookout tower built
species, it belongs to the plumbago or leadwort family].
This endemic species grows in small restricted areas. A
count in recent years put its numbers between 40 and
400. The cliff, second highest in the Region of Valencia, is
a refuge for numerous birds, principally cormorants and
gulls. This area is also a privileged spot for underwater
swimming and, as a curious fact to point out, several
freshwater springs emerge from the seabed here.
Continuing along the Pebret path we go down the
dizzyingly steep cliffs from the Badum tower to find
ourselves on an costal strip where there are lower cliffs,
flat areas and coves with beaches of sand, pebbles and
gravel. All this coast is solitary and practically untouched.
The first sandy cove we come to is the Russo beach,
which conserves excellent dune formations with species
of vegetation adapted to the environment: a peaceful
spot where the Mediterranean displays crystal clear
waters. Moving on in a southerly direction, after crossing
the Russo beach and the Pebret beach, a few steps
further on we take a path off to the right signposted to
the Pou del Moro. We climb up the sides of the
mountain by a rural road, in the heart of the Serra d’Irta,
in the 16th century as a preventive measure against the
to find ourselves in small woods of Holm oak and dried
Turk and Beber pirate attacks. The positioning of the
Badum tower is the best place to appreciate, as a whole,
the landscape and environmental quality of this stretch
up watercourses and discover the Pou del Moro, an
attractive waterhole opening up amidst the leafy
vegetation of rushes, fan palms and olive trees. They say
of the Valencian coast. In this environment of the Badum
tower there is a micro nature reserve with the only
specimens of a plant called saladilla or limonio
that the name “waterhole of the Moor” is because a
Moor took refuge here when fleeing the bloody
persecution during the expulsion of the Moors.
[Limonium cavanillesii - named as sea lavender or marsh
rosemary in English, although not related to those
Following the same road we come to Mas del Senyor, a
ruined farmstead with a recreational area which includes
Serra d’Irta 40º 15' 54.60" N 0º 16' 34.80" E
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Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
an elm grove and a spring, undoubtedly an ideal place
to rest and refresh oneself. We must now go back down
to the coast and can do so following the shortcut
signposted PRV-1943. This way we will pass the fallen
defensive walls of the uninhabited town of Irta, which
gave its name to the Serra. There is scarcely nothing left
of this former town. Nonetheless, we are able to see
how the action of human habitation, in other eras, has
left vast terraces that sit on the mountains as if facing
the sea.
By the time we return to the coastline, we will have
already travelled through the two great ecosystems of
the nature park. On the one hand, the coastal space and,
on the other, the mountain area. In this way we will have
discovered that the Serra D’Irta offers beautiful
landscapes of great environment value. We continue in a
southerly direction and the drovers’ road on which we
came leaves the coastline and runs between pinewoods,
already passing the occasional country house or chalet,
until it reaches an unusual lighthouse of recent and
daring constructional forms, a curious sight for hikers.
Although off our route along the drovers’ road running
parallel to the coast, we must not miss out the rest of
the sierra’s cultural and natural heritage. Such is the case
of the Sant Benet i Santa Llúcia hermitage, within the
boundary of Alcalà de Xivert. Whitewashed, humble and
of marked Greek Orthodox influence, it is an exceptional
vantage point looking out over the coast and the
nearby Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca marshland. All that,
without forgetting the castles of Santa Magdalena de
Pulpis and of Xivert to the west of the sierra. Xivert
castle, of Arab origin, has suffered numerous alterations,
Pebret 40º 18' 27.00" N 0º 21' 6.00" E
Illes Columbretes and the Prat de
Cabanes-Torreblanca marsh
In the foothills of the southern end of the Serra d’Irta,
on the coast, we come to a famous outlying district of
the small town of Alcalà de Xivert: Alcossebre. At this
small coastal hamlet we find excellent beaches and the
harbour for going to the Columbrete islands, the
second of the four nature parks we will be visiting on
this route. There is no regular ferry service to the Isles,
so contracting a private boat is, at present, the only way
to visit Illes Columbretes, with prior authorisation, since
it is not permitted to land without the permission of the
nature park staff; reaching the island in a boat does not
mean ensuring a visit. Moreover, to contribute to its
conservation, only small groups are allowed and must
be with a guide. It is recommended to get in touch
with the Illes Columbretes information office for further
information and help. There are four groups of islands,
each known by the name of its largest islet: La Illa
Grossa, La Ferrera, La Foradada and El Carallot.
Moreover, there are numerous reefs and sandbanks in
the archipelago. The islands stand over a seabed of up
to 80 metres in depth and cover in total an area of
roughly thee nautical miles squared. Approaching the
amongst them the construction of a Templar fortress
islands one is impressed by the irregularity of these
within the walled enclosure. The Pulpis castle, also of
Arab origin, subsequently Templar and donated to the
Order of Montesa, shows today, in a relatively good state
coastal islets formed by volcanic materials that give this
island group a magical feel, spectacular and surprising.
The first impression of the Isle of Grossa, as you come
of preservation, the Homenaje tower and its entrance
gate. The surroundings of the two castles and their
access roads are of great landscape and environmental
alongside it when arriving by boat, is unforgettable: the
ear-splitting cawing of thousands of seabirds, the
inaccessible sheer cliffs, the dark colours of the volcanic
value.
rock, the transparent waters and the feeling that you
are entering a very particular world of inexplicable
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beauty. Then the boat rounds Punta Bonica on the Illa
surroundings of the Illa Grossa, the Illa Ferrera group of
Grossa. At that moment the crescent shape of the
island opens up onto an unexpected sight, especially
when the Illa Grossa appears to be closed in by the
islands, those of Illa Fordada further south and, closing
the whole, those of the aforementioned island El
Carallot. The history of the Illes Columbretes speaks of a
group of islands appearing before us: Mancolibre, La
Senyoreta, and the magnificent island of El Mascarat,
characterised by its dark black colouring. The openended arc-shape of Illa Grossa is characteristic of great
underwater volcanic activity. For its part, another of the
main islands, El Carallot, at 32 metres high, presents the
remains of the central chimney of a volcano. Excitement
increases as we go ashore and the gulls start wheeling
menacingly over our heads. But the gulls are not the
only seabirds that inhabit the Illes Columbretes, since
we can also find species like Eleanor’s falcon, Cory’s
shearwater and the common shag. From the landing
jetty, we will walk up a narrow road towards the
lighthouse, all the time under the watchful eye of the
nature park’s wardens and biologists.
This is the only route permitted for visitors to the Illes
Columbretes. Never will such a short path of such
negligible height to climb cause us such pleasant
emotions. The 61 metres above sea level where the
lighthouse is located forms a privileged lookout over
the whole ensemble of the archipelago. And in the
human occupation since ancient times. The Greeks and
Romans knew the Illa Grossa as Colubraria, for the large
number of snakes [colubraria = snake in Latin]. It has
been an anchorage for fishermen, pirates and
smugglers, although it has only been inhabited since
the lighthouse was built in 1856. The lighthouse
keepers and their families lived there until 1975, when
the lighthouse was automated. In the time when they
inhabited the island they got rid of nearly all the snakes
and caused a grave environmental impact with the
introduction of non-native plants and animals and the
burning of the original vegetation to get rid of the
snakes. Moreover, until the islands were protected, they
were used as firing ranges for the Navy and Air force
which caused the deterioration of much of the reefs
that form them. To this was added the uncontrolled
visits and illegal fishing. The declaration, in 1988, of the
Illes Columbretes as a nature park, in 1990 as a marine
reserve and its reclassification in 1994 as a nature
Badum tower 40º 19' 21.60" N 0º 21' 45.60" E
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Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
into the park, although there are various freshwater
springs that contribute to maintaining some areas
flooded all year round. Among the productive activity
undertaken at the Prat, livestock stands out and the
Prat de Cabanes marsh 40º 9' 34.80" N 0º 10' 41.40" E
reserve has preserved them with dignity for future
generations, such protection turning them into a
paradise for wildlife, with a rich and particular birdlife
and a marine bed with an animal and plant life of
incalculable value. It is worth pointing out that the Illes
Columbretes are a destination of the first order for
underwater diving and snorkelling enthusiasts from all
over the world, due to the transparency of their waters,
the beauty of the seabed and the great variety and
number of animal and plant species that they hold.
We bid farewell to the Illes Columbretes and return to
the Iberian Peninsula at Alcossebre, to continue
southwards to the urban development of Torrenostra.
From there we walk along the beach, bordering the Prat
de Cabanes-Torreblanca along its coastal strip of
pebbles. The marsh, formerly known as Prat d’Albalat
dels Ànecs, is nowadays a nature park protecting
around 2,200 hectares. It is a former lagoon in an
advanced state of silting up by alluvial sediment
(accumulations of limestone runoff interspersed with
powerful clayish deposits) coming from the
surrounding slopes. The park is characterised by the
presence of a sheet of water, permanent in some
places, temporary in others. The flooding of certain
areas is the result of its being a depressed area because
there is no continuous watercourse flowing with water
extraction of peat. This latter activity began in the mid19th century, but it was towards the end of the 1950s
that it started to be industrially exploited. At present
over sixty hectares of marshland have been
transformed as a consequence of this activity. In the
park there are basically three groups of plant
communities: those of the salt flats, those proper to the
coastal strip and the aquatic and marshy plants. Nigh
on eight hundred hectares of the nature park are
protected as a Special Protection Area for birds. The
species for which the Prat was declared a SPA [ZEPA in
Spanish] are: least bittern, Montagu’s harrier, blackwinged or common stilt, collared or common
pratincole, and moustached warbler. The existence
must also be pointed out, of two fish species
emblematic to the Region of Valencia, both in danger of
extinction: the Valencian toothcarp and the Spanish
toothcarp. The information centre is to the south of the
area. All that must be taken into account is that guided
visits are only free of charge in the morning and that a
maximum of 35 people is allowed in the group, passing
through birds’ nesting areas being severely controlled.
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name the Carmelites use for their spiritual retreats,
while Les Palmes refers to the large number of fan
palms that exist over this coastal sierra which, as on the
Serra d’Irta, are of a great size. We start our route by
Oropesa del Mar, old quarter 40º 5' 32.41" N 0º 8' 1.80" E
The fabulous Desert de les Palmes
Once the Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca has been
crossed, we continue south along the coast and, before
heading off into the Desert de les Palmes, we make a
stop at Oropesa del Mar. Looking around the old
quarter of this costal town, it displays a mediaeval city
structure in the upper part, with its steep narrow streets
leading to the ruins of the defensive walls and the
castle of Arab origin. Although the greatest historical
and architectural interest of Oropesa del Mar lies in the
defensive Torre del Rey [King’s tower], located in the
vicinity of the lighthouse. As with the Badum
tower, this lookout tower was built to prevent
attacks from Berber pirates. It is a splendid
example of military construction built in the
reign of Fernando I de Antequera to Renaissance
rules, reaching present times in a perfect state
of conservation. Now, indeed, we make for the
Desert de les Palmes, the fourth and last nature
park we will be visiting on this route. These
leafy mountains still bear the scars of the fires
of 1985 and 1992. Nevertheless, marvellous
spots can be found in this reserve, residence
for many years of the ‘barefoot’ Carmelite
monks. In fact, the name ‘Desert’ refers to the
entering the Desert de les Palmes on the old road that
joins Oropesa del Mar and Cabanes, climbing the
Miravet valley. It is a good idea to make a stop at the
Font de Miravet to drink some water and look at the
nearby castle perched on a hill. We reach, through the
Miravet valley, the hermitage of Les Sants, before going
into the heart of the mountains of the nature park. The
setting of the hermitage, with its fresh waters, displays
an exuberant vegetation of pines, Holm oaks and
strawberry trees. The people of Cabanes and Pobla
Tornesa specifically attend a procession to this place of
worship every year. Now we do enter the central valley
of the Desert. Above us, the spires of Santa Agueda
seem to pierce the sky. From this point we can head for
the town of Benicàssim. This town is one of the most
emblematic of Castellón Costa Azahar. Benicàssim has
been the tourist destination par excellence due,
amongst other things, to its highly esteemed sandy
beaches. We cannot pass by without looking at the area
of villas, summer holiday homes of the Bourgeoisie that
were built facing the sea from 1879. Throughout the
final decades of the 19th century and the first two of
Oropesa del Mar, old quarter 40º 5' 33.00" N 0º 8' 1.20" E
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Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
the 20th, a focal point for the summer was articulated
with buildings in an eclectic mix of styles, such as
modernist, classical, rational, Victorian, and even
popular. We also point out the spot where the road
going up from Benicàssim meets the Miravet valley,
since it gives a panoramic view of the whole of the
central valley of the Desert de les Palmes. We return
again to the interior of the nature park and, on the
slopes of the peak ‘El Bartolo’, the highest in the nature
park, at 721 metres, we find various different
hermitages like Los Desemparats, El Naixament (late
17th century), Santa Teresa, the best preserved of them
all, and Sant Josep with its excellent waters. These give
the landscape its distinctive character, to the point of
being one of the emblems of the nature park. At one
point on the route we come to the two Carmelite
convents: the more modern one, on the right, and the
old one, built in “rodeno” stone [a red sandstone from
Ródenas in the province of Teruel, Aragon]. The story is
that in March 1697 the building works of the monastery
were begun. It was only occupied for half a century, for
towards the end of 1783, a series of landslides and
earthquakes caused great schisms in the area and
various cracks opened up in the walls of the building.
The old convent was abandoned, and in 1784 a new
monastery started being built on a safer and more
stable place. From the moment of its foundation the
history of this spot has run parallel with the vicissitudes
of the Carmelite order and to it is due, in part, the
conservation in good condition of the natural and
cultural heritage, since it was the only religious order
not secularised in the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of
Argilaga cove 40º 15' 35.99" N 0º 18' 13.80" E
as far as the Illes Columbretes. Next we reach the nature
park’s information centre. In 1994 the Valencia
government acquired the former Social Assistance
building, where orphans of Castellón de la Plana
received attention, and restored it and converted it into
a visitors centre. With the opening of ‘La Bartola’
information centre the park was provided with the
necessary infrastructure for attending to visitors,
arranging all types of activities from there, including
itineraries through the surroundings. There are some
magnificent informative panels, models and audiovisual
material, and also of interest is the Hermann’s Tortoise
Rescue Centre set up in the adjacent gardens.
Final steps to Castellon de la Plana
Mendizábal. The fact that a large part of the lands has
We make our way down to Castellón de la Plana and,
always been owned by the order is, undoubtedly, what
prevented the proliferation of urbanisations in the area.
The Carmelite monks offer guided tours of the ‘new’
along the way, we stop off to look at the Magdalena
hermitage. Since 1378 the romería [local pilgrimage
and procession] of Las Cañas has been held, in which
convent, including its small museum, on Sundays and
Bank Holidays at midday. From the convent an
asphalted road off to the right leads to the top of El
the local people walk from Castellón de la Plana to this
hill to commemorate the relocation of the town, as the
centre of population was previously on the same hill
Bartolo, where we find impressive views worthy of
being photographed. On clear days one can even see
where the Magdalena hermitage is. The romería also
marks the start of the celebrations of the feast day of
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the patron saint of the city, capital of la Plana Alta and
the province of Castellón de la Plana. A look around the
cultural heritage of Castellón de la Plana has to take us
to the Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Pescadería and Plaza de
Santa Clara. An obligatory visit is to the bell tower El
Fadrí, which at 58 metres tall constitutes the symbol of
the city. Here, at Castellón de la Plana, our route ends, a
road that has enabled us to get to know four nature
parks.
Practical Information
Fiestas, food and Crafts
Traditional in the northern area of the route are the
ancient dances and processions that evoke the
traditions of warfare and working the land which,
together with the seafaring traditions, form the roots of
the local people. The magical night of San Juan, on
June 23rd, is traditionally celebrated on the beach,
around numerous bonfires. Also in this area, in January,
Argilaga cove 40º 16' 42.60" N 0º 19' 36.60" E
the festival of San Antonio is celebrated with bonfires
in the streets of many towns, accompanied by the torrà
(charcoal roast). Neither is it strange to find the Fallas
celebrated in some towns, but it is the romerías that
abound in nearly all towns and villages, with
processions to their corresponding local hermitages,
the outstanding one being the one that leads the
people of Castellón de la Plana to the Ermita de la
Magdalena.
The cuisine of the area is based on the combination of
produce from the land and the sea (prawns, a local
mollusc called ‘caixetes’, Norway lobster, European
lobster, sea bass…). The seafaring culture is, in short,
the base of a rich cuisine in which rice, fish and
seafood play a leading role.
A delicious paella may be tasted, without forgetting to
try the suquet de peix [a fisherman’s stew rather than
soup, of various fish and seafood], olla barretjà [stew],
allipebre de rap [monkfish] and the various different
ways of cooking dorada [gilt-head bream], lubina [sea
bass], or seafood. We can also find an interesting offer
of international cuisine and the different Spanish
regions in the city’s numerous restaurants.
Regarding sweets, home made pastries are very
extensive, among them it is worth mentioning: coc
rapid [quick cake], almendrados [almond macaroons],
carquinyols [biscuits], pastissets de cabello de angel or de
boniato [sweet pastries filled with ‘angel-hair’ squash or
sweet potato], rollets d’anis [aniseed rings], coques de
Sant Antoní i Sant Blai [dry sponge cakes, for the saints’
days] or coques de panses i anous [with raisins and
walnuts], home-made or from a cakes and pastries
shop. Among the desserts those that stand out are the
almonds with honey and the cuajada [like junket].
RUTA2y3_22a41 OK ingles:rutas 01/07/10 12:43 Página 40
Route 3
From Peñíscola to Castellón de la Plana
Recommended time of the year
Any time of year is good, except perhaps for the hottest
days of summer with a west wind blowing. From the
end of January to mid-March the colourful landscapes
accompanying the route are enjoyed with the almond
trees in blossom. In summer, the whole coastal stretch
becomes an invitation to take a dip in the sea, while on
a sunny day in winter the stroll through peaceful
Peñíscola can turn out to be most gratifying.
Public transport
Regional trains stop at Benicarló-Peñíscola station, at
the start of the route, and Castellón de la Plana is also
served by local trains. Bikes are transported free of
charge on the trains.
Recommendations
If you wish to do the route just as it is set out in the
guide, by bike or on foot, a word of warning: a
mountain bike is better, or as a minimum, a hybrid type.
We will not come across too many water spouts to
quench thirst and refresh oneself away from the urban
centres, so we must replenish supplies whenever there
is the chance, both in the Serra d’Irta and the Prat de
Cabanes-Torreblanca. The early hours of the day and at
dusk are the times of day with best light and most
Oropesa del Mar, old quarter 40º 5' 30" N 0º 8' 3" E
agreeable temperatures. The route may be done by car,
along all the forestry tracks that are proposed, although
with 4WD vehicles in the wooded areas or private
country estates. The marked road should never be left.
It is much better for getting to know in detail the
nature in each area, to leave the vehicle safely parked
and go for walks along the officially marked footpaths.
The stretch along the coastal bank of pebbles of Prat de
Cabanes-Torreblanca is not passable by car.
Peñíscola 40º 21' 24.00" N 0º 24' 26.40" E
RUTA2y3_22a41:rutas 28/06/10 10:55 Página 41
40 - 41
RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY:
National Geographic Institute
Scale: 1:25,000, sheet numbers: 571-IV, 594-II, 594-I, 594-III, 617-I, 616-II, 616-IV & 641-I.
Further information: www.comunitatvalenciana.com
Information on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es
Information Centre for the Illes Columbretes nature park: This is found at the Planetarium in Castellón de la Plana.
Tel. 964 28 89 12.
TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE:
Tourist Info
Alcalà de Xivert (Temporary)
Pl. de la Iglesia, s/n
12570 Alcalà de Xivert
Tel. 964 41 06 47
Tourist Info Alcossebre
Pl. Vistalegre s/n
12579 Alcossebre
Tel. 964 41 22 05
Fax 964 41 45 34
[email protected]
Tourist Info AlcossebreRomana (Temporary)
Playa La Romana, s/n
12579 Alcossebre
Tel. 964 41 22 05
Fax 964 41 45 34
[email protected]
Tourist Info Benicàssim
C/ Santo Tomás, 76, bajo.
(Casa Abadía)
12560 Benicàssim
Tel. 964 42 12 12
Fax 964 30 01 39
[email protected]
Tourist Info Benicàssim Heliópolis (Temporary)
Av. Ferrandis Salvador s/n
(Playa Heliópolis - Heliópolis
beach)
12560 Benicàssim
Tel. 964 76 01 19
[email protected]
Tourist Info Benicàssim Torre San Vicente
(Temporary)
Pº M. Bernat Artola s/n
12560 Benicàssim
Tel. 964 30 51 47
[email protected]
Tourist Info Cabanes
Pl. de la Iglesia, 4
12180 Cabanes
Tel. 964 65 70 32
Fax 964 33 19 31
cabanes@touristinfo. net
Tourist Info Cabanes - Torre
la Sal (Temporary)
Playa de Torre La Sal
(Next to the promenade)
12595 Cabanes
Tourist Info Castellón
Pl. María Agustina 5, bajos.
12003 Castellón de la Plana
Tel. 964 35 86 88
Fax 964 35 86 89
[email protected]
Tourist Info Castellón Gurugú (Temporary)
Av. Ferrandis Salvador s/n
(Playa Gurugú - Gurugú
beach)
12100 Castellón de la Plana
Tourist Info Grao de Castellón
Pº Buenavista, 28
12100 Grao de Castellón
Tel. 902 20 31 30
Fax 964 28 32 02
[email protected]
Tourist Info
Oropesa del Mar
Pl. de París s/n. (Playa de la Concha)
12594 Oropesa del Mar
Tel. 964 31 23 20
Fax 964 31 24 91
[email protected]
Tourist Info Oropesa Amplaries
C/ Moscatel, s/n. (Marina d ‘Or)
12594 Oropesa del Mar
Tel. 964 31 41 34
Fax 964 31 24 91
[email protected]
Tourist Info Peñíscola
Paseo Marítimo s/n
12598 Peñíscola
Tel. 964 48 02 08
Fax 964 48 93 92
[email protected]
Tourist Info Peñíscola Peñismar (Temporary)
Paseo Marítimo Norte, s/n
(Peñismar lighthouse)
12598 Peñíscola
[email protected]
Tourist Info Peñíscola Puerto (Temporary)
Av. Marcelino Roca, s/n
12598 Peñíscola
Tourist Info Peñíscola Toboso (Temporary)
Intersection Av. Estación and
C/ Huerto, s/n.
12598 Peñíscola
Tourist Info Torreblanca
Pl. Mayor, 1,1
12596 Torreblanca
Tel. 964 42 12 12
Fax 964 42 01 25
torreblanca@touristinfo. net
Tourist Info Torreblanca Torrenostra (Temporary)
C/ San Juan, 20
(Playa Torrenostra Torrenostra beach)
12596 Torreblanca
Tel. 964 42 51 84
Fax 964 42 01 25
torreblancaplaya@touristinfo. net