Hikingtrail PRV 213 Benicadell
Just 20 minutes from Muro lies the mountain range of the Benicadell (1104 m), the natural border between the provinces of Valencia and Alicante, with Muro de Alcoi and Beniarres on the south side, and Salem de Rafol, Beniatjar, Otos and Castello Rugat on the northern side. Due to the lack of much sun, the northern slope is green and bushy. The south side on the other hand is a bare cliff. A dirt road allows you to reach quite far on the mountain. From Beniarres you have to take the CV 705. On the highest point of that road you must take a left turn onto a dirt road. After approximately 2.5 km you arrive at a white building with picnic tables where you must park your car. From here it is 1 hour and 25 minutes walk to the top of the mountain. The path PRV 213 is clearly marked with signs, and is also listed as a European trail.
The trails are centuries old. In the 12th century on the top of the mountain ice was stored in so-called 'Neveras' or refrigerators, which allowed having ice in the hot summer for storing food. Once the top, the view is breathtaking. To the east you can see with clear skies al the way to the coast (the Ifach Penon or the Rock of Calpe), also a great opportunity to explore flora and fauna and for instance to do some abseiling. To the south is the lake of Beniarres. As the trail is on the north side of the mountain, you have little or no sun in the spring and autumn. However, to be safe, we still had enough water with us, since the temperature was still quite high even for September.
Furthermore we noticed that that the track was being kept very clean by visitors; not once did we see rubbish. During the week you are completely alone; during the weekends, quite some locals enjoy the beautiful landscapes.
Our next climb is scheduled for climbing the Montcabrer in the Sierra Mariola. With almost 1400 meters it is possible to see Ibiza at 150 km.