Beyond the Beach - Hiking around Xorret de Catí, Alicante
Most visitors flying into Alicante come in search of the usual sun, beach and nightlife routine and tend to head right up to the resorts of the Costa Blanca, including Benidorm. Few however opt to leave the comfort zone of the resort environment to immerse themselves into local culture, possible in Alicante Capital itself, which after all, is a bustling metropolitan area of half a million with a local infrastructure in its own right. Even fewer will choose to move away from the coast to head inland, although greater Alicante Province offers some of the best local hiking routes in the mountains about 50 km away from the coast. For a truly Off-the-Beaten-Track experience, it is recommended to head inland for hiking on a weekday, when most locals are working, who otherwise would be the only others to share such unique hiking territory.
The local administration provides an excellent online resource at http://www.cma.gva.es/areas/montes/viasverdes/vias/prsl/alicante/index.pdf for different hiking routes in the area - and a particular trail may then be chosen based on altitude, length and degree of difficulty.
A good point of departure for a number of the inland hiking routes is the HOTEL XORRET DE CATÍ near Elda/Petrer about 30 minutes inland from Alicante on the A-31 expressway. Turning right at the Elda/Petrer exit, we follow local highway CV-837 for about 5 km up to an altitude of 900m and, surrounded already by lush green shrubs and forest patches, and encounter a parking lot with information boards near the resort and mountain hotel of Xorret de Cati. This is a good venue to stock up on water and snacks and use the facilities before venturing on the nearby trails. They also have an excellent book for sale on more detailed descriptions of hiking routes in Alicante Province.
As a moderate 4 hour hike of about 14 km we opted for route V-31 - it is circular - which has the advantage of starting and ending at the same venue rather than elsewhere and needing transportation. It also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside from the L'ALT DE GUIXOP at an elevation of 1249m, the highest point of the trail. Numerous shaded bays and openings invite for a respite along the way as well. In the course of the 4 hours of hiking we encountered a mountain biker at the beginning and then nobody right until returning to the area around Hotel Xorret de Cati. This trail is thus suited for a true escape away from the daily grind, an experience of scenic beauty and solitude off-the-beaten track away from civilization and urban hassle. Good thing cellphone reception was sketchy - making for even less temptation to carry on our modern "available always"-lives.
The route V-31 is not always clearly marked as such - occasionally there are white and yellow markers either in form of straight lines indicating the correct route or as crosses for the wrong turn. However, on numerous occasions there are forks and intersections devoid of clear markers, but part of the charm of the area is that no matter where "you get lost", you will always wind back up on the official trail at some point, as it IS circular and most "wrong" adventure turns occur within the circle of the route itself.
The vantage point of L'ALT DE GUIXOP at 1249m can hardly be missed - and the view of Alicante Province is truly spectacular with the communities of Elder/Petrer on one side, the castle town of CASTALLA, manufacturing center of IBI and village of TIBI on the other side - and of course, the view of the coastline including Alicante Capital in the distance. It is a perfect point to rest to enjoy the view and have a light sandwich lunch before returning downhill, but following a much more gradual decline than the hike up.
Along the way down, there are a few "hidden gems" still to be discovered, including the CUEVA DE MOSSÉN FRANCÉS, a cave located at an altitude of 1150m.
The remaining third of the trail is relatively easy downhill and ends at the local highway about 1 km out from the Hotel, where one may rest up and enjoy a meal or drinks on the terrace before returning to civilization for good. A good last recommendation is the area surrounding the CATÍ creek itself - so small indeed it can hardly be called a creek but just a tiny stream of water - it DOES feed into a sizable POND though around which picnic and rest areas have been built - equally deserted on a workday mid-week. It is an ideal spot to rest in the afternoon sun following the hike - and a nice, mellow way to end a perfect day in the mountains.
The local administration provides an excellent online resource at http://www.cma.gva.es/areas/montes/viasverdes/vias/prsl/alicante/index.pdf for different hiking routes in the area - and a particular trail may then be chosen based on altitude, length and degree of difficulty.
A good point of departure for a number of the inland hiking routes is the HOTEL XORRET DE CATÍ near Elda/Petrer about 30 minutes inland from Alicante on the A-31 expressway. Turning right at the Elda/Petrer exit, we follow local highway CV-837 for about 5 km up to an altitude of 900m and, surrounded already by lush green shrubs and forest patches, and encounter a parking lot with information boards near the resort and mountain hotel of Xorret de Cati. This is a good venue to stock up on water and snacks and use the facilities before venturing on the nearby trails. They also have an excellent book for sale on more detailed descriptions of hiking routes in Alicante Province.
As a moderate 4 hour hike of about 14 km we opted for route V-31 - it is circular - which has the advantage of starting and ending at the same venue rather than elsewhere and needing transportation. It also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside from the L'ALT DE GUIXOP at an elevation of 1249m, the highest point of the trail. Numerous shaded bays and openings invite for a respite along the way as well. In the course of the 4 hours of hiking we encountered a mountain biker at the beginning and then nobody right until returning to the area around Hotel Xorret de Cati. This trail is thus suited for a true escape away from the daily grind, an experience of scenic beauty and solitude off-the-beaten track away from civilization and urban hassle. Good thing cellphone reception was sketchy - making for even less temptation to carry on our modern "available always"-lives.
The route V-31 is not always clearly marked as such - occasionally there are white and yellow markers either in form of straight lines indicating the correct route or as crosses for the wrong turn. However, on numerous occasions there are forks and intersections devoid of clear markers, but part of the charm of the area is that no matter where "you get lost", you will always wind back up on the official trail at some point, as it IS circular and most "wrong" adventure turns occur within the circle of the route itself.
The vantage point of L'ALT DE GUIXOP at 1249m can hardly be missed - and the view of Alicante Province is truly spectacular with the communities of Elder/Petrer on one side, the castle town of CASTALLA, manufacturing center of IBI and village of TIBI on the other side - and of course, the view of the coastline including Alicante Capital in the distance. It is a perfect point to rest to enjoy the view and have a light sandwich lunch before returning downhill, but following a much more gradual decline than the hike up.
Along the way down, there are a few "hidden gems" still to be discovered, including the CUEVA DE MOSSÉN FRANCÉS, a cave located at an altitude of 1150m.
The remaining third of the trail is relatively easy downhill and ends at the local highway about 1 km out from the Hotel, where one may rest up and enjoy a meal or drinks on the terrace before returning to civilization for good. A good last recommendation is the area surrounding the CATÍ creek itself - so small indeed it can hardly be called a creek but just a tiny stream of water - it DOES feed into a sizable POND though around which picnic and rest areas have been built - equally deserted on a workday mid-week. It is an ideal spot to rest in the afternoon sun following the hike - and a nice, mellow way to end a perfect day in the mountains.
This week's article is dedicated to my dear friend & Spanish soul mate Pedro Alacid, without whom this Off-The-Beaten Track adventure would never have been possible. Alicante would not be the same without you!
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