Valley beauty in Chulilla

I've previously mentioned Chulilla, the small mountain village in the north of Valencia, but I wanted to show you a more in-depth look at what this stunning steep-sided valley has to offer for the adventurous outdoor enthusiast. I visited the mountainous area again with Happy Erasmus Valencia, a fantastic company that organises really easy and cheap trips around Valencia and the surrounding provinces. Valencia is currently competing for 'best city to live in' in my world, and it's competing very very well! I've never been on the beach in five minutes then in the modern and stylish yet historical city centre 15 minutes later. I've also never had both those fantastic aspects, as well as being able to be in gorgeous mountains and rivers and valleys in under an hour. Check out similar articles about hiking in Montanejos or walking in Valencia.

The walking route...

The first thing I should say is this is a fairly long and arduous walking route. We left Valencia around 9 am and returned at 7 pm, and with the hour drive each way, that means around seven hours walking. Even though it was the beginning of November, this is Spain, so it was still around 20 degrees, and so it was a hot and sweaty day for sure!

Yet all the heat and sweat couldn't stop me from being blown away by the beauty of this location once again. In some moments it seems like the Australian outback, and the dry but pretty lush landscape is dramatic and huge most of the time. This walk also takes you through the bottom of the valley floor, which sifts from wide open never-ending views to close and green and secret paths.

Chulilla

Chulilla, Valencia, Spain

I pity the many people who come to Spain to enjoy the cheap beer, the great weather and the even better beaches, and never see the interior. These inland parts of Spain are some of the most beautiful natural areas I've seen in my life, and can compete with Indonesia, Australasia and Africa. But having said that, I'm actually quite happy that these areas are relatively unknown (internationally at least) as it means you really can enjoy them with very few people around. I've never had to wait to walk on a trial, or felt any kind of frustration at being surrounded by people. The real joy of exploring in nature is to get away from people and crowds, and in the interior of Spain, and at Chulilla, you can do just that.

You'll more than likely start the journey in the village of Chulilla (where to be honest there isn't much to do or see), and then wander the path on through the hills, past the large reservoir and dam and then back around to the village again. This was one of my favorites walking routes I've done in Spain; the sense of freedom and nature all around was beautiful, and I can't recommend it strongly enough!

All photos used in the article belong to the writer