The mesmerizing Charco Azul in Chulilla Spain is one of the most beautiful natural wonders surrounding the village. Set at the bottom of the Turia Gorge, it has clear blue water (thereof the name) and a wooden jetty makes it easy to enter the water without getting tangled in water plants.
This natural paradise is one of the most popular swimming spots in Chulilla in the summer months but a popular hike all year round. We recently spent some days in the area and fell in love with this spot!
In this post, I’ll go through everything you need to know to hike Charco Azul Culilla.
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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!
Hiking specs: Charco Azul Chulilla
Hiking Charco Azul Chulilla is easy and can be done by following the same trail there and back. However, we took one way there and chose a trail that went parallel to it back, on boardwalks climbing up the mountain side which made it more adventurous.
The latter option is moderate while the first option is easy.
I’ll describe that here but you can choose to take either way both ways. The most important thing to know is that you can’t get lost, you’ll be inside the gorge so you’ll only have one direction to walk.
HIKING SPECS:
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
Distance: 3.5 km
Hiking time: 1 hour there and back
Type of trail: Linear there and back with options to make it a semi-loop
Dog-friendly: Yes
How to get to Chulilla and the trailhead
Chulilla is easiest reached by car or by this guided tour from Valencia which includes a visit to El Charco Azul. The drive from Valencia is less than one hour.
There is paid parking at the top of the village, or you can park in a smaller parking area near the trailhead. This starts at the bottom of the village, though you can walk from pretty much anywhere in Chulilla, including the top of the village, as it’s very small.
We walked up again to the top parking lot a bit off track scrambling up a trail or not-so-trail, so you can try that too, though I don’t recommend it unless you’re a seasoned hiker.
If you feel more comfortable, you can follow a trail on Wikiloc like this one.
What to bring
The hike is mostly shaded depending on what time of the day you hike. But bringing a hat/caps is always a good idea.
I’ve only walked there later in the day when the sun is gone, but I’ve seen it from the top of the gorge when it’s filled with sun, and I would definitely not underestimate it.
It’s also good to wear good hiking shoes or sneakers. This is not a flip-flop walk, in fact, you don’t need flip-flops at all when visiting Chulilla.
Other than that, make sure you bring swimwear, a towel, and a good book if you want to relax a bit. You might also want to take a million pictures down there if you’re just a little bit like me, so don’t forget your camera or phone.
If you plan to stay there for the day, take with you some food and snacks, and no matter how long you plan on staying, make sure you bring enough water. There are no places to purchase food or drinks once you leave Chulilla town.
How to hike to Charco Azul Chulilla
As mentioned before, there are several places to start the hike from in Chulilla and there are basically two different ways you can take, one at the bottom of the gorge along the river and one along the hillside.
We did the first mentioned to get there which is mostly flat and returned on the path on the gorge wall which was a bit steeper.
Feel free to walk where you want, but I’ll describe the route we did here and if you choose to follow the Wikiloc trail I linked to above, they did a slightly different version. End of the line is that all trails lead to and from Charco Azul so you can’t get lost.
We started at the bottom of the village and followed the signs to Charco Azul. We soon entered the gorge and followed an easy, flat path. It crossed water a couple of times and there is a nice little swimming area with a river beach where it’s ideal to go for a dip on a hot day.
The path was easy to follow to Charco Azul – one of the highlights was a little natural tunnel/arch in the rock to walk through.
Charco Azul itself is absolutely stunning! With a wooden jetty to get a bit onto the lake, it’s surrounded by the steep walls of the gorge.
There was a broken path along the gorge wall when we were there, so it seemed like it had been possible to walk further into the gorge along the water once, but now it’s not safe and closed off. Hopefully, they will fix it up.
On the way back, we turned left into the vegetation shortly after leaving the pond behind us. We walked a bit wrong first (walked straight and right) but the path goes a little to the left once you cross the river and you’ll see signposts a few meters further up where the actual trail turns right back to Chulilla.
It goes past what looks like an old power station and continues up the gorge side slowly climbing further up. It’s a very beautiful path and it also passes a big cave that you can enter.
The trail winds up to Chulilla town again. Though a little more strenuous than the trail at the bottom of the gorge, this trail is more adventurous and offers great views and fun rock formations.
I found it really worth it to walk both paths as they have different beauty and nature.
Reflections on hiking Charco Azul Chulilla
Summin gup, hiking Charco Azul Chulilla is absolutely worth it. It’s a short but sweet hike with beautiful nature and several refreshing swimming stops.
It’s also super dog friendly, so if you travel with your furry friend (s)he can cool down too.
There ‘s no doubt, Charco Azul is a must on any Chulilla itinerary.
Happy travels!