Relevant Information

What is La Vall d’Albaida?

It is a natural and historical region in the Comunidad Valenciana. It borders geographically with important regions such as “La Costera” and “La Safor” in Valencia province, and “L’Alcoià”, “El Comtat” and “l’Alt Vinalopó” in Alicante province.

The weather in La Vall is Mediterranean.

La Vall d’Albaida is formed by thirty-four towns. The region has a population of more than 85,000, and Ontinyent, which has a population of more than 33,000 is the main city.

It is one of the regions more industrialized, with a very important textile tradition, even though it has also a very important tradition of farming activities. For the last years the tertiary sector is growing very fast.

Regarding the communications, the entrance to the region via north is through the A-7 that connects with the CV-60 which later becomes highway until arriving close to Gandía. The old N-340 goes through Aielo de Malferit, Ontinyent, Agullent and Benissoda, joining againt to the A-7 on its way to Alcoy. From the CV-40 departs the CV-60, which brings us closer to Montixelvo and later to the region of La Safor.

An extensive road network connects the whole La Vall d’Albaida. The N-340 is parallel to the CV-40 and the CV-60, going through towns as Bellús, Guadasséquies, Alfarrasí, Montaverner, El Palomar, Albaida and, later, Alcoy. The Valencia-Alcoy rail network has stations in the whole region, being the most occidental the one in Ontinyent. The bus lines of Valencia-Villena and Valencia-Alcoy go through practically all the towns in the region.

Next to the coastline we find the N-332 and the AP-7, which go through all the Mediterranean coast.

You can really enjoy your visit as this region has a very rich gastronomic, natural, artistic and cultural offer.

Rugat Mountains

At the east of
Benicadell and limiting with La Safor region, there is a mountain range with
lovely places. The presence of water thanks to the big fountains and springs
(La Pasta, Hedra, Ferri, el Arenal, etc.), together with view points such as
Magre and Collado, with views to Sierra Grossa, Benicadell and Racó del Duc,
make a unique landscape.

The vegetation is
remarkable with the presence of the only native palm tree from Europe, the
European fan palm, and riverside vegetation associated with fountains and
springs.

There are leisure areas
in Montixelvo (Font de Micalet) or Terrateig (Font del Llop and Pla de les
Fontetes), the touristic campsite Natura in Rugat and the shelter Coll de les
Planisses in Montixelvo.

Shady Spot of Benicadell

This represents the social, environmental, cultural and scenic symbol of the region. At the moment there is an ambitious project promoted by the community of municipalities in La Vall d’Albaida with a direct participation of the towns where it has to be located, for the processing of the Shady Sport of Benicadell as a protected natural area.

The vertical position of this mountain makes a contrast between the forest and the farming ecosystems, with an exceptional scenic value. The great variety of ecosystems, from old pine forests with different kinds of pines, and undergrowth with noble species like oaks, maples, etc., to plant communities of rocks and cliffs.

The views you can see from the top, which is 1,104 meters of altitude, are amazing.

Over the north you can find the Pico Caroche, Mola de Corts and Pico del Teix between Siete Aguas and Requena, as well as the Albufera of Valencia. Over the east, the Mediterranean Sea. In the south, the Sierra de Aitana, Font Roja and Maigmó, and over the west, the Sierra del Mugró and Sierra Palomera.

There are lots of leisure areas such as the Forest House “Les Planisses” which has a restored garden center in Beniatjar, a camping zone in Font d’Elca between Ráfol de Salem and Salem, the picnic area in Otos, or the spot of the “Font Freda” in Atzeneta d’Albaida.

Sierra de Mariola

It is situated between the regions of l’Alcoià, el Comtat and La Vall d’Albaida. In the last one is located most of the town of Bocairent. Its environmental, scenic, social and cultural features are of great value.

From Bocairent, the main entrance is the local highway which links this city with Alcoy.

The main environment we can find is varied and is from the Mediterranean ecosystem. We can find pine forests, woodlands and bushy regions with specific species.

It also has a touch of subhumid Mediterranean ecosystem with maples, ash trees and oaks.

There are more than 1,200 vegetables categorized, which gives us an idea of how rich this land is. Most of those species are used for medicine, gastronomic or cosmetic purposes.

It has a rich fauna, and you can find amphibians (frogs and toads), reptiles (Komodo dragons and snakes) or birds (red partridges, pinches, robins, etc.). In the same way you can also find daytime birds of prey (golden eagles, falcons, sparrowhawks, etc.) as nocturnal (royal owls, brown owls, etc.). A special mention is given to the project of the reintroduction of the vulture. The mammals are also important, and we should underline the wild cat, the genet, the badger or the wild boar. The archaeological remains next to the Vinalopó river is very important (paintings and fields from the Neolithic, the Bronze Age or Iberian).

Being newest we can find the “Cavas” (cave) to stock snow, being the biggest one the Cava Arquejada, as well known as the Gran Cava (Big Cave).

Montduver and Marxuquera Sierra

Those mountains are comprised by the municipalities of Quatretonda, Pinet and Llutxent, which are in la Vall d’Albaida.

It is a pre-coastal mountain range of a great geological, geomorphological and scenic interest, with a huge variety of plant formations. Among all of them there are some very remarkable and rich in native species, as the boulders, bay forests or the original cork oak forest, which thrives among the calcareous soil of Pinet and Llutxent and becoming a natural spot. Also, the diversity of environments conditions an important presence of animal species of great value.

The bushes and pastures have a good constituency in the area, especially the grass and meadows, the thermo-Mediterranean bushes and the calcareous meadows. Other important habitats are the ones formed by different kinds of oak.

 Regarding the species, apart from a huge number of birds, it’s worth to mention the presence of bats. In addition, it is of great value the numerous plant species.

Natural Spot Surar de Pinet

This small spot, located between Pinet and Llutxent, is the botanical peculiarity which characterizes the region.

The presence of a small colony of cork oaks gives a particular character to this space.

Also, it is surrounded by plant species forming a progression-regression plant association such as pines as well as undergrowth, with the presence of the only native palm tree from Europe, the European fan palm. The presence of Valencian oaks in a near cliff makes an incredibly beautiful spot.

Middle course of the river Albaida

This area, most of it in la Vall d’Albaida, its formed by an exclusively river zone composed of the course of the river Albaida; two areas can be easily distinguished thanks to the reservoir of Bellús, recently built. Therefore, the riverbed is limited by an agricultural area, where the quality of water is poorer because of the industrial waste dumping. However, downstream of the reservoir, in the area known as “Estret de les Aigües”, the river gets a better environmental quality, creating very interesting coastal ecosystems.

The reason of the proposed place is based in the need of create areas destinated to the preservation of some fish continental species. That is the reason why the present habitats are circumscribed to the aforementioned river environment: Mediterranean rivers and Mediterranean meadows.

The Alforins

It is a farming valley, considered as a big interest, due to its peculiar configuration: small patches with different kinds of crops (cereal, vineyard and fruits) separated by natural borders, and even some sandbanks colonized by pine forests. This turns it in an appropriate habitat for a great number of fauna species, mostly small birds of prey.

According to what was said before, the habitats are not the most important elements of the area, even though some are well represented by bushes with Juniperus, meadows or dunes with pine forests.

However, among the species regarded as having priority, we find birds of prey as well as steppe species that are very low in the area.

Covalta – Umbría Sierra

Lying to the west of the shady spot of Benicadell and has an interesting variety of ecosystems, such as bushes, rocks and cliffs.

The climb to the top of Covalta in Albaida is another reference to this mountain range, both for its scenic value and its cultural meaning among the neighbours in the area. Close to the top, we can find the Font del Patge, in Benissoda.

At the west, in the city of Ontinyent, we can find spots as the Barranc de los Tarongers, the Molí del Patiràs, the Molí de la Lluna or the Alt de Maserra.

Bocairent’s cliff has at the beginning the spot known as “Pou Clar”, with an important influx of tourists coming from Ontinyent. The climb to the top, due to its pronounced slope and where land is scarce, it has only some isolated bushes. Therefore, you can see a landscape where rocky outcrops provide great value.

More at the west of the cliff there are some bushes and trees, with a great presence of strawberry trees and rock vegetation. La Font and Casa de Gamellons are also a big tourist spot.