Routes in Els Ports
SPAIN has the distinction of being the second highest country in Europe – on average.
The average altitude here is some 600m and within Europe it is surpassed only by Switzerland. Other countries have higher mountains ( though not by much!) but they also have much lower tracts of land and Spain is rare in having a very high middle to the country.
To the north of our Costa Blanca peppered with enough mountainous country of its own – lies the Sistema Iberica and the easternmost section of this is called the Maestrazgo ( or Maestrat).
Our final geographical delineation is to the level of Els Ports – a grand area of limestone with jagged peaks, deep ravines and soaring vultures which stretches from north east to south west with a split about two thirds along its length manufactured by the river Ebro and providing safe ground for the major town of Tortosa.
This is a good base from which to explore the area although there are many towns,
villages and small hotels dotted around the perimeter of the Ports which in any event are so big that you'll need to move about a bit to get to know it well. In fact the author has visited on six separate occasions and still regards himself of somewhat of an amateur in his knowledge of this area.
Key characteristics are the amount of tree cover which is much more pronounced that our own Costa Blanca and the jagged nature of the pinnacles and in some cases the summits of the mountains. This tree cover can confuse. Viewed from a distance the range looks mostly tree covered with just tiny peaks poking through, but these tiny peaks tend to be much larger than you imagine when you are up close and
some of them can be challenging to surmount.
The highest point is called Caro and it is adorned with a cluster of antennas which require a road to reach them. A good job perhaps as it is 1,441m high just shy of 100m higher than Ben Nevis, the highest UK mountain. It's good to get a start up its flanks using the road which starts from the Ebro valley side near Tortosa and works up a wide valley before embarking on the flanks of the mountains and there are several walking routes exploring it which you can enjoy from along this road. On its northern side and very near to the summit there are a cluster of houses within woodland that provide a cooler climate for city dwellers during the hot summer months.
Following the Ebro to the north there are regular villages scattered on its banks many of them offering accommodation and it is only when you have passed the village of Xerta that you can cut through the remains of the mountain range to access the northern side of the range.
Before you do so, cast a glance to the right to look out at the mountains of El Cardo with their abandoned ‘ balnearios’ ( spa bathing) and many scattered hermitages hidden in nooks crannies and atop small rocky spires. A day wandering around locating as many as you can find is fun and works well in hotter months with plenty of tree cover.
Taking our escape route however a mountain road leads up through a gap in the mountains generally north west to reach Prat de Comte and from here easier progress leads us back down to the south west to Horta de Sant Juan a tidy village once inhabited by Picasso and boasting a museum in his honour. Just to the north of this lies a classic looking spikey hill the Muntanya de Santa Barbara appearing impregnable but with an easy route up to its summit from the far side and a slightly more challenging return route ( or of course back the same way!) if you are up for it. There is a largish hotel here in Horta and many bars.
On your way down the road in this direction you may spot a large tooth of rock ( Roques de Benet) sticking up on your left and several similar neighbours. As you drift gently past it one particular angle will make it look the spitting image of Snoopy dog! While it looks unassailable from this direction from the far side there is a forest track and then an easy gully scramble that can take you to its summit from where ( on the right day) you can watch the large gatherings of Griffon vultures. It can be a popular route.
Continuing past Horta the next village you will encounter is Arnes from where you can drive up to a convenient spot to explore the barranco Estret ( signed Els Estrets from Arnes) which apart from its dramatic rock scenery has running water except in the summer months and easy paths running up its length. You can combine this with other valleys, if you are adventurous, to make a good circuit.
Next on our driving route is Vall de Robres and just before reaching this a side turning leads south to the small village of Beceite. In earlier times this was a centre of paper making and several of its decaying mills dot the river valley. However, the walking piece de resistance is the Parrisal valley
which has a wooden walkway leading up for a short distance before you have to take to the river bed. This is all well and good when it is dry but even in the warmer months there can be residual pools which the Spanish think nothing of wading directly through. Boots may not be appropriate here or at the very least maybe you should carry a change of footwear! There are a couple of small hotels in the village, one of which has a reputed Roman column up through the middle of it.
Vall de Robres – if you do finally reach it – is a delightful town. From a parking area an ancient mediaeval bridge crosses the river to lead uphill into the heart of the town with its neat and tidy plaza and church perched high up on a hill. A pleasant morning stroll around the castle and museum are well worth doing.
All of these villages are peripheral to the mountain massif and in all cases you will be best served by driving further into the heart of the mountains before starting to walk
From Vall de Robres you can complete a circuit of the range by driving around the western end of the mountain massif and continuing down to the much better known town of Morella. This has a rocky hill very similar to the one in Horta but in this case it was decided to build both the town and an impressive castle directly on top of the hill. It's a stiff walk up to the ramparts of the castle which have been much improved over the years and there are a plethora of eating and drinking establishments here. Out of all the towns and villages surrounding Els Ports this is perhaps the most wellknown and visited.
This area is about 3.5hours drive from Dénia but well worth the visit. There are some 25 walks described in the Costa Blanca Mountain Walkers companion website – www. walksinspain. org ranging in difficulty from moderate to very strenuous.