Want to go hiking in Valencia Spain but not quite sure where to go? I don’t blame you, there are so many incredible hikes in Valencia’s surroundings and I struggled to decide where to go too.
Luckily, there are some trails near Valencia that stand out and I totally fell in love with them, having hiked some more than once.
In this post, I’ll share my favorite hiking trails in Valencia including everything you need to know to hike them yourself. Read on to uncover the stunning Valencia region’s walking trails!
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!
Best time to go hiking in Valencia
You can easily go hiking near Valencia Spain all year round, however, you should choose different trails depending on the time of year you go.
In the summer months, it gets incredibly hot, so it’s important that there’s shade on the trail, and also water to cool down during the hike. Summer hikes with waterfalls and rivers are always a winner!
In the winter months, on the other hand, it can get cold, though some days are perfect for hiking in shorts and T-shirt. Thus I don’t recommend hikes that include walking in water, as your feet will get cold quickly.
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Hikes in Valencia Spain
Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Chulilla
Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Length: 7 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of hike: Linear return
Best time to hike: all year round
Hiking fee: 1 Euro (paid at the trailhead)
Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes is an amazing Valencia hike which is not too challenging, as long as you don’t suffer from bad knees or hard core vertigo.
It starts at the top of a breathtaking gorge in the town of Chulilla and takes you along the edge before climbing halfway down to the first hanging bridge.
Then, steep steps take you the rest of the way to the bottom of the gorge and the second hanging bridge is a short walk from there.
A little further, there is a third bridge, a low, wooden bridge, which you’re not going to cross. We did the mistake of crossing as we got extremely excited and managed to loose two powerbanks in the river (that Mohammed bravely jumped in and rescued while Atlas and I were laughing our heads off!)
The trail continues inside the gorge and the natural beauty is insane. At the end of the trail, there is a power station.
You can either turn around here, or walk up thr road (to the right) to you reach the dam. The trail instructions said to cross the dam and loop back onto the trail to return the same way, but when we were there, the entrance was closed so we had to turn back.
The lake is still beautiful, though, so it’s worth going for the views.
Ruta del Agua in Buñol
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Buñol
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Length: 8.8 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of hike: Loop
Best time to hike: summer
Ruta del Agua in Buñol is a stunning summer hike taking you past three epic waterfalls and several swimming spots.
First, it passes Turche Cave, which is a half an hour’s hike from Buñol, it continues along the Rio Juanes where there are several swimming stops before reaching Charco del Mañán, another stunning waterfall.
You will walk along an Asequia and there are some steep sections where you must use your hands to not slide backward down the vertical trail.
The last waterfall you’ll reach, is Cueva de las Palomas, a mesmerizing paradise overlooking a deep canyon.
This is by far one of my favorite hikes near Valencia for hot summer days as there are so many opportunities for swimming along the way, but it’s just as beautiful any other times of the year.
Ruta del Agua y Aqueducto de la Peña Cortada in Chelva
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Chelva
Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Length: 13.8 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of hike: Loop
Best time to hike: all year round
Ruta del Agua y Aqueducto de la Peña Cortada in Chelva is one of the most incredible Valencia hikes I’ve done and should definitely be on your Spain bucket list. There is so much variety to the route that it feels like 3 different hikes.
It starts with the Ruta del Agua (Water Trail) along the river from Molino Puerto recreational area where some of the highlights along the way are prehistoric caves in the rock walls and an old electricity station that sourced light to the town of Chelva as the first tone with electricity in the area.
Further along, up some strenuous steps and through farmland, you get to the start of the Aqueducto de la Peña Cortada trail.
Taking you into beautiful nature with hanging bridges and beautiful views, the highlights of this second part of the hike are multiple caves in the mountain wall with stunning gorge views in between and a 1st-century Roman aqueduct.
Read my complete Chelva itinerary (including this hike)
Ruta de los Pontaneros
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Chulilla
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Length: 16.7 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of hike: Loop
Best time to hike: October-May (too hot in summer)
Hiking fee: 1 Euro (charged at the trailhead)
Another fantastic Valencia hiking trail is Ruta de los Pontaneros in Chulilla. It starts with the beautiful Ruta de los Puentes Colgantes, but instead of turning back through the gorge, it loops around the hills for epic lake views and continues into the forest.
The forested trail seems to follow a riverbed, so I recommend good footwear as there is some scrambling down rocks some places (at least if you’re as small as I am.) I had to help Atlas down a couple of rocks, but he did most of it himself (at almost 9 months old.)
I also recommend taking the detour to find the prehistoric cave paintings. It’s well marked from the trail, but once you leave the trail, we didn’t find them.
After walking back on the trail, we could see where they are, but didn’t want to walk back in, so skipped it. It seemed like some rocks had fallen over the trail where you climb up to the cave which is why we didn’t see it.
When you reach the beginning of the village, continue into the Charco Azul before looping back up to the village. It’s a fantastic little detour!
Cueva del Turche
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Buñol
Hiking time: 1 hour
Length: 3.8 km
Difficulty: Easy
Type of hike: Linear return
Best time to hike: summer
Cueva del Turche is an easy but stunning hike in Valencia’s small town of Buñol. It’s only about half an hour ti hike from the village to the Cueva del Turche swimming hole and waterfall.
This is a fantastic summer hike as you get to swim and cool down at the waterfall, however, there isn’t that much chade along the trail and it gets hot.
But since it’s so short, it’s not that bad and well worth it for the epic destination you’re hiking to. That said, this is a great all year round hike if you’re not going for the swim. Especially after the wet season in winter, you’re more likely to experience a powerful waterfall.
Charco Azul, Chulilla
HIKING SPECS:
Where: Chulilla
Hiking time: 1-1.5 hours
Length: 4.2 km
Difficulty: Easy
Type of hike: Loop
Best time to hike: summer
Charco Azul in Chulilla is a fantastic place for hiking near Valencia Spain for the entire family. It’s fairly easy from the village.
The most natural place to park is at the top of the village before entering, which means you’ll hike through the village to the bottom where you’ll find a small parking space and signs pointing to Charco Azul.
You’ll walk a well-marked route to the swimming hole at the bottom of the gorge. On the way, you’ll pass a small natural river beach which is great for swimming too. Besides, there are natural caves you’ll walk through.
On the way back, swing to the left just after turning back until you reach the path along the gorge wall. This will climb up the side of the gorge and you reach a cool cave you can go inside on the way back to the village.
There are basically several options for going there and returning and we tried a few when we were there, so don’t fret if you wonder if you went the right way, they all lead to the same destination.
This is a great small hike that you can combine with visiting Chulilla village.
Reflections on Valencia’s hikes
When it comes to hiking, Valencia province was really surprising. I had no idea that there were so many grand hikes around Valencia.
As the hiking enthusiast I am, I was really excited to go on these and was not one bit disappointed, so I think you will enjoy them too!
Happy hiking!