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Alicante's Secret Mountains

Land of the Moors
 
Experience dramatic ravines and fertile valleys as you walk self-guided between two very welcoming mountain hotels while your luggage is transported ahead. This is a region steeped in history, and you pass ruined Moorish castles and delightful villages as you walk.
Alicante's Secret Mountains. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Alicante's Secret Mountains. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking break in Alicante's mountains

Just twenty-five kilometres from the Costa Blanca, as the crow flies, rise the secret mountains of Alicante. This is another world completely, beautiful and completely unspoiled, where terraced slopes, dotted with small villages, climb towards craggy limestone peaks that soar over a thousand metres into the sky.
Beneath the craggy limestone peaks, enjoy some of the best walking you can experience anywhere in Spain, with routes through fertile valleys coated in almond groves, and along panoramic ridges and dramatic ravines.
As you walk, you discover sweeping views and reminders of the region’s multi-layered history, as well as witnessing its rich traditions. In this sunny corner of Valencia, life moves at a slower pace, and you receive a warm and genuine welcome at the authentic mountain hotels along the route.
 

Book with confidence

We are accepting bookings for our holidays to Spain. Our flexible booking arrangements, commitment to safety and financial protection mean that you can book with confidence.

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
Check the destination entry requirements >
 
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Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    In the mountains, temperatures will be cooler than those shown above. The almond groves are in blossom in February. Early spring also brings colourful displays, which last until June.

     
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 16 16 18 20 23 26 29 30 28 23 19 16
    mm 32 32 35 37 31 21 9 20 44 81 53 47
  • Arrival in Tárbena
    Night 1: at Hotel de Tárbena (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Circular walk: 12km, 5hrs; longer option: 14.5km, 6hrs
    Your first walk, a circuit from Tárbena, is an excellent introduction to the region's limestone landscapes, revealing very varied scenery and passing several breathtaking viewpoints from which you can admire the panorama of hills, gorges and fertile valleys. Watered by numerous springs, the area has been cultivated for centuries, and you pass many almond, avocado and carob groves. You can extend the walk by taking an alternative route for the last section.
    Circular walk: 14.5km (shorter option: 12km)
    Route around Tarbena
  • Tárbena to Castell de Castells: 17km, 6.5hrs; longer option: 19km, 7.5hrs
    Today’s walk, a real highlight, is a very varied journey through a changing landscape. After passing through a cultivated valley, you follow an old muleteers’ trail to reach another broad valley of orchards before rising into the hills to the south to reach the incredible double-arched rock formation of Els Arcs. From here, you can choose to approach Castell via a lovely descent along a narrow valley, or opt for a slightly extended route which offers a good view back to Els Arcs and then contours around the side of a valley to approach Castell from the south. Either way, your destination is the very welcoming Casa Pilar. 
    Tárbena to Castell de Castells: 17km (longer option: 19km)
    Els Arcs
  • Choice of walks from Castells: 13km or 16km

    Neolithic art: 16km, 6hrs; shorter option: 9km; 3.5hrs
    After a short transfer to Tollos (pay locally), you walk along the floor of a gorge planted with almond and olive trees to the site of some fascinating 8,000-year-old Neolithic cave paintings, which you have time to visit. You return to Castell on paths and tracks that follow the course of a dry riverbed. For an easier day, it is possible to shorten the route – the abridged version still leads via the ancient cave paintings.

    Moorish watchtower: 13km, 6hrs; shorter option: 9.5km, 4hrs
    This lovely route rises through the hills south of the town to reach a ruined Moorish watchtower, perched on precipitous crags and affording sweeping views for miles around. You return along an equally panoramic ridge. (The section along the ridge is not recommended for vertigo sufferers; we provide notes for an alternative (and more direct) return route from the watchtower to Castell.)
    Excellent waymarking around Castell de Castells
    Neolithic art: 16km (shorter option: 9km)
    Moorish watchtower: 13km (shorter option: 9.5km)
 

Accommodation

Your two bases are both authentic mountain hotels offering outstanding hospitality and cuisine.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

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  • 4 nights: 02 January 2021 - 31 May 2021, 01 September 2021 - 21 December 2021, 02 January 2022 - 31 May 2022 & 01 September 2022 - 21 December 2022

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    2 Jan - 28 Feb 2021 £615 £115
    1 Mar - 27 May 2021 £645 £120
    1 Sep - 31 Oct 2021 £695 £140
    1 - 30 Nov 2021 £680 £135
    1 - 17 Dec 2021 £645 £130
    2 Jan - 28 Feb 2022 £645 £125
    1 Mar - 27 May 2022 £680 £130
    1 Sep - 31 Oct 2022 £730 £150
    1 - 30 Nov 2022 £715 £145
    1 - 17 Dec 2022 £680 £140
    3rd & 4th person discount -£130 to -£140
    Single traveller supplement £130 to £140

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Included travel: return taxi from Alicante airport (see Connecting Travel section)

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel de Tárbena, Tárbena
    Junior suite: 02 Jan - 30 Apr 2021 £25
    Junior suite: 01 May - 31 May 2021 £35
    Junior suite: 01 Sep - 21 Dec 2021 £35
    Junior suite: 02 Jan - 30 Apr 2022 £28
    Junior suite: 01 May - 31 May 2022 £38
    Junior suite: 01 Sep - 21 Dec 2022 £38

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Casa Pilar, Castell de Castells (with dinner) Double room Single room
    02 Jan - 31 May 2021 £72 £90
    01 Sep - 21 Dec 2021 £78 £98
    02 Jan - 31 May 2022 £76 £95
    01 Sep - 21 Dec 2022 £82 £104
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Alicante
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Madrid. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Alicante Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl - Alicante jet2 
    Belfast Intl. - Alicante Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Alicante jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Alicante Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Alicante easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Alicante TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Doncaster Sheffield - Alicante TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Alicante jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Alicante easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Alicante easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Alicante Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Alicante Ryanair 
    Leeds Bradford - Alicante jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Alicante Blue Air,  easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Alicante British Airways,  easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Alicante (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Alicante easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Alicante easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Alicante jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Alicante easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Alicante easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Newquay - Alicante Ryanair 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Madrid. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above except those operated by Ryanair. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Alicante

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    taxi Alicante airport to hotel (1h) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Alicante airport (2h) included flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 4 dinners
    2 picnics
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • return transfer from Alicante airport
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 7 reviews
  • Mrs G Laing
    Weymouth
    03 February 2020

    Overall, a lovely quiet area, with stunning limestone mountain scenery, the almond trees in full blossom in early February, and some fascinating historical sites, which we had to ourselves. We were glad we stayed an extra night at Casa Pilar, as both walks from here are very worthwhile and the food and hospitality were excellent. The views on the Moorish Watchtower walk are exceptional and we were glad we ignored the plea in the route notes not to climb to the very top as we found the short scramble to the grassy summit plateau relatively easy (and we are in our 70s) and being on it was a highlight.

  • Mr D Graham
    Richmond
    25 November 2019

    We particularly enjoyed the isolation on walks - meeting only other walkers - not Inntravel - on one of the walks out of the four that we did. We also enjoyed staying in small towns and having half board - which was essential due to the lack of restaurants where we stayed.

  • Mrs Susan Richards, Suffolk
    18 November 2019

    Really enjoyed this Inntravel holiday. The big scenery, and lushness of the area made it very attractive for walking. Not sure why we hadn't visited before!  Both Paco and Pilar were very welcoming hosts. We really felt at home. We met other Inntravellers at dinner one evening and Inntravel would be very proud if they could have heard us discussing their service. Keep up the good work!

  • Mr N Cornall
    Chelmsford
    20 March 2019

    Superb holiday - walks very well planned, accommodation cannot be faulted, will definitely use Inntravel again.

  • Anon
    12 February 2019

    Recommendations: Because I'm older and not an experienced or regular hiker, it made a huge difference to my confidence, balance and endurance to have walking poles for the slightly trickier parts of walks. This year, I also brought a GPS and this meant that I always had an overview of where I was in relation to other roads and routes in case I was feeling unsure of where I was. I took photos of the relevant part of the maps. The phone screen is easier to access for a quick reference or check, rather than taking out the map when out walking.

    Highlights:

    Introductory Day: Being at the top of Sa Caseta des Moros 

    Day 1: The detour with the view Pas Tancat, the profile of which gave me a marker for the earlier part of Day 2

    Day 2: The country road and particularly the following descent into the Gorge: with the almond trees at the bottom it seemed like a remote, rugged paradise. The view from Els Arcs is awesome. 

    Day 3: The ridge path directly after passing the Moorish Tower point. From there as far as the wired area, the views there were wonderful, delightful. A great feeling of being high up. An expansive view. (The rest of the trip was lovely through the trees, the part on the road was dull but necessary. The route ended beautifully with the valley walk.)

     

     

     

  • devon
    28 November 2018

    This is a beautiful and rugged area of Spain. So easy to access yet in the heart of small villages & quiet walks. We travelled late November & hardly saw any other walkers, yet this was a time of lovely weather & very pleasant temperature which made for excellent walking conditions. the walks were varied & interesting & the walk notes were excellent. This was my 1st self-guided walking holiday and I was impressed.

  • Anon
    01 November 2018

    The walk from Tarbena to Castell is excellent, the views magnificent, the flowers carpeting the hillsides stunning.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety, not least taking tests before and after your holiday for many destinations.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
    Entry requirements for non-UK destinations & for re-entering the UK >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines (but not, currently, with Ryanair). As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe, there’s a £35 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £60 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out our recommended travel insurance policy (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; in Catalonia, for example, Catalan has equal status. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Last fetch time is : 9/18/2021 4:43:52 PM