Montanejos - a walker’s paradise
THERE are so many footpaths that converge on – or start in Montanejos, that it’s enough to make your head spin. Some people might need a lie down after looking at the map.
The town hall charts 10 waymarked routes which take in this large village in Castellón province. And they have gone to every effort to make sure that the footpaths are well maintained and well signposted.
Set at the confluence of three rivers, water plays a large part in most of the routes – and also adds to the impact of the scenery. The most spectacular features of the area are the gorges and ravines that are host to these waterways, which cut a swathe through the municipality’s mountains, with summits reaching nearly 1,000 metres above sea level.
The slopes are clad with forests of pines and other species of trees such as holm oaks and elms, and the banks of the rivers/streams are currently bedecked with spring flowers. Although this wonderful
scenery is more than enough for a simple soul like me, it is a different feature which attracts many of the visitors to Montanejos – and that is the warm
natural spring that flows into the River Mijares at the Fuente de los Baños.
A plaque near the spring states that the water emerges at a temperature of 25°C, but it must have been having an offday when I tried it, because it was lukewarm at best.
There is also a claim that it has medicinal properties – helping with skin problems, arthritis and a host of other ailments. I cannot comment on that, but can say that it does warm the river a tad and helps to add to the general appeal of a dip in the water (see photo above).
Readers should be aware that the attractions of Montenejos have not been lost on the general population at large, and it is a very popular spot to visit. Therefore any trip to the area should be planned outside the peak holiday seasons and if at all possible during the week to avoid the crowds – because when it is seen with just a few people present it really is a very pleasant spot indeed.
It’s around 45 minutes’ drive from the Sagunto junction of the A-7 and A-23 to Montanejos, meaning it is only a relatively short distance by car from the north Costa Blanca.
Over the coming weeks walking routes from the town, including the footpath along the river gorge, will appear on this page.