Looking for a unique hike near Alicante? Then you should consider hiking from Elche to the open air museum of CAU de Elche.
It’s almost like a small village or sculpture park showcasing different scenes and locations from Elche, like the palm grove and the famous Dama de Elche, as well as biblical and historical scenes.
The around 100 sculptures were carved out in the nearby Sierra de Castellar by local artist Marioano Ros (1926-2017) and moved to the current location in Sierra Ferroil between the years 2000 and 2008.
This is truly one of the incredible hidden gems in Spain that deserves your attention!
In this post, I’ll go through how to hike to El CAU de Elche, also known as El CAU de Ros, from Elche.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi, I’m Linn Haglund, the face behind Brainy Backpackers. I’ve been based in Spain for the last 10+ years, and travel locally and abroad whenever I have a chance. I’m passionate about responsible travel, slow and off the beaten path travel, and outdoor activities, especially hiking. I’m currently slow traveling in my van Persistence (Persi among friends) with my fiancée Mohammed and rescue puppy Atlas. I’m excited to help you explore this planet responsibly!
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Hiking specs
🏠Trailhead: Aparcament del Pantá d’Elx, Alicante Spain
👣Type of trail: Loop
🥾Distance: 11.6 km
⏰Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
⛰️Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
🍃Hiking season: mid-September to mid-June
🐶Hiking with dogs: Hiking with dogs is allowed. However, there’s a section on the way back with pine trees, so during the Pine Processionary Caterpillar season I recommend walking back the same way you came from. We saw a lot when we hiked ther ein the season and don’t recommend taking your dog there in the season.
How to get to the trailhead
Elche Dam is located just north of Elche city and it’s just an 8-minute drive from Elche Bus Station to Aparcament del Pantá d’Elx where the walk starts.
If you opt for walking, it takes about an hour extra each way from the bus station and by bike it takes 15-20 minutes from the bus station or the city center. (Yes, I’ve done it all!)
It’s a spacious dirt parking area with 2-3 different levels which is super popular among campervans.
If you’re campervanning in Spain, I highly recommend staying there when visiting Elche.
The trail starts below the parking areas, following the dirt road, it soon converts to a trail.
You can download the app Wikiloc to follow driving instructions to the trailhead and follow the route I recorded on my last walk.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL ON WIKILOC
Best time to hike to CAU de Elche
The first part of the trail takes you along the river and to the Elche Dam with plenty of water to cool down. But the rest of the trail is dry with little to no shade, so I don’t recommend doing this hike in the summer months.
You can still explore the CAU de Elche by driving to this point and hiking about 15-20 minutes each way from the parking to the site.
The rest of the year, on the other hand, it’s perfect to do this hike. Make sure you bring enough water and a cap or hat to protect your head from the sun.
Hiking CAU de Elche
Starting at the parking area, it’s straight forward to reach the dam with its impressive waterfall. Along the trail you’ll cross the river a few times and even pass a couple of small aqueducts before you reach the dam.
Once at the dam, follow the stairs up on its right side to the top where the trail takes you further to the reservoir. There, you’ll get to a short wooden walkway along the water before the trail winds onto the dry land again.
Follow the trail until you reach landscapes that look more like desert land and soon you’ll get to a wide dirt track. There, you’ll turn to the right.
Not long after, there’s a long aqueduct with multiple arches. Walk under it and you’ll find a track a bit further ahead where you’ll also continue towards the right.
Not long after, you’ll get to a fork. Take left. Now, you’ll be walking on concrete road until the small parking area where the trail to the CAU starts.
The landscape is absolutely stunning here, so make sure you turn around to take it all in as you walk up the hill.
Be aware of a sign to the Puente Candido in a steep right turn before reaching the open air museum. There’s a narrow trail to the left in this turn where you can see this famous sculpture. I almost missed it.
After this small detour, continue up the trail and take left in the next couple of forks you get to, it’s just a few meters up and there are signs leading to El CAU marked in the rock.
The first art work you’ll get to is a religious image on the wall before you reach a welcome sign on another wall. After this, you’ll feel like you enter a small village.
I love how the entire space is so well looked after with terraced gardens and small walkways around the art work.
From small figures to large sculptures of sites in Elche and a memorial for the main artist, Mariano Ros, there’s so much to see around there.
There are also small picnic tables and chairs of rocks which are perfect for your lunch break looking over the colorful park.
Make sure you walk up the hill to see the rest of the sculptures of the crocodile, the serpents, and not to mention the birds flying under the large airplane.
This is also a great spot for the views, and you can continue up to the top of the hill for even better views before you loop back down.
Once you get out of the sculpture park the same way you got in, take left instead of right where you came from if you want to do the loop trail like we did.
If you hike with dogs in the Pine Processionary Caterpillar season I don’t recommend the loop, go back where you came from to avoid the pine tree area and putting your dog in danger.
The path takes you down to a road and once you reach the end, turn right. In the next fork, turn right again. After a stretch with pine trees on the side of the road, there’s a trail to the right that you’re going to follow.
When you reach a fork, keep left m walk past some rock formations and a lone palm tree, until you reach a road where you take right in the fork.
Continue on this road until you get to a right turn with a trail to the left. Turn left there and follow this path across vast landscapes until you reach the dam again.
You can return where you came from to get back to the parking lot.
If you\re looking for a bit more adventure, you can cross the small aqueduct after the small section where the trail is cut through the rock.
I really love this section as it continues along the old water line at the edge of the hill.
Reflections on El CAU de Elche hike
Summing up, El CAU de Elche is one of the most unique hikes in the Valencia region and definitely one for the bucket list.
I love the hike from Elche since you get both the open air museum and Elche Dam and reservoir in one hike. Besides, you’ll walk through one of the epic aqueducts of the region.
Happy hiking!