Alicante’s Rugged Mountains

The title of the walk, Rugged Mountains, is very accurate!  A few stretches were challenging but the views were always worth the effort.   Both Paco and his son and Pilar and Juanjo were extremely welcoming, helpful and friendly and the two accommodations were very comfortable.  Hotel Alahuar was also very comfortable although obviously less personal.  We thoroughly enjoyed the week.

We thoroughly enjoyed the walking on this holiday which was quite varied although some of the paths are quite vertiginous and very loose underfoot in the gorges and we would definitely recommend using poles and full walking boots. We would also recommend using a 2 litre hydration bladder to carry enough water for the day. Although the almond blossom had finished, the apple and cherry trees were in full bloom and there were lots of wild flowers and birds of prey. The views are stunning and on most of the walks we met no-one at all - it's hard to believe that Benidorm is only half an hour away! We relied on the hotels for packed lunches as the shops are shut Sunday and Monday and there is only one tiny tobacco shop in Castell de Castells with very basic supplies and erratic opening hours.

The walking was wonderful, very scenic and varied. The notes were excellent and early March was sunny and warm but not too hot. As in the other reviews Hotel Tárbena and Casa Pilar were very welcoming and helpful and good choices. However, village church bells ring throughout the night, so ear plugs may be useful! Hotel Alahuar was disappointing and very different, not very friendly or much atmosphere and the bathroom was in a bad state, it was certainly not a 4-star hotel. However, the walking from this hotel was fantastic and the final longer walk one of the best. Overall a great holiday with some of the best walks we've done.

A thoroughly enjoyable holiday.

Beautiful and peaceful walking off the beaten path. Be prepared for rocky paths with many uphills and downhills. You may want to take walking poles. The towns you will stay in are tiny, and most shops close between 2:30 and 5:00, so there's not much to do after finishing your daily walk. CASA Pilar had a nice sunny terrace and cold beer available. Casa Pilar was definitely the highlight of the trip. Excellent room and delicious meals at a communal table where we had good conversation with other travellers. It's definitely helpful to have some Spanish for this trip. We were there the first week of March and the weather was variable. At times it was very windy and cold and other times warm and sunny, but we were able to complete all walks.

Great walking in a lovely area. At the end of February it was very quiet, on some days we saw no one when on the walks. Not a problem for us but worth being aware of. An opportunity to get to know an area that is not on the usual tourist trail and very enjoyable. The longer option of the final walk was tough but well worth it. Be aware that the church bells at Tárbena can be a disturbance at night but we got through it, as did other guests.

We were told that this is one of Inntravel's most popular holidays. It is easy to see why. Relatively easy to access - especially compared with the other winter walking options like the Canary Islands - with short flight times and transfers. The popularity of this holiday does mean you may get to meet lots of your fellow Inntravellers. The welcome at Hotel Tarbena and Casar Pilar was superb. The difference being that the food at Tarbena was mediocre whilst at Casa Pilar it was excellent. We also really liked the Alahuar. Yes, it is different and it's part of a chain. However, there are truly excellent breakfasts and interesting and tasty dinners. The location is superb with great views from the terraces. The soundproofing in the main hotel was not so good and so upgrading to one of the annex rooms would make sense. The last day's walk in the Catedral del Senderismo was superb and should not be missed. The other walks were good but had a fair amount of time on roads or concrete forestry tracks. None felt too demanding. Most importantly, it was amazing to be walking in beautiful countryside under blue skies in February. That, along with the friendly welcomes at all of the accommodations was what made this trip so worthwhile.

This was a challenging week with some long demanding routes but so worth it. This region in Alicante is rugged, peaceful and fascinating, full of interest, history and natural beauty. The scenery, views and changing landscape was a joy, and the routes provided everything you need for a most rewarding day's walking. Our highlights were the walk from Tarbena to Castell, and the tough circular ascents and descents of the Barranc De L'infern. Both walks extremely rewarding. 

This is a delightful holiday. Such a joy to be met by the Inntravel taxi and whisked up into the mountains to an authentic Spanish village, a truly genuine welcome at Hotel Tárbena and a world away from the coastal development. This is the second time we have done this trip and it didn't disappoint. We were a little too late for the full on almond blossom but the weather was glorious. A simple, charming and lovely week with perfect hosts, attractive villages, quite tough but rewarding walking with stunning views of a wonderful landscape. 

Our personal highlights were the walks around Tarbena and the walks between hotels. If you suffer from any kind of vertigo, you may find the easier of the gorge walks quite triggering on the second half ascent. Paco and his son were delightful at the Hotel Tarbena. At Casa Pilar the tapas dishes are delicious and just keep coming. We found this to be a beautifully quiet extremely rural holiday, and enjoyed the hikes very much.

Great walking - stunning views every day. Quite challenging walking - lot of concentration needed as pathways were often quite difficult and a lot of up and down - but we liked that - we needed a bit of a challenge! Lovely scenery and for February - and not wanting to go too far for a week - it was a great choice. The weather was amazing in the 20's with beautiful sunshine every day bar one. 

The scenery was spectacular and each of the walks was very different. Inntravel have managed to include a wonderful variety of terrain in a relatively small area. At times it felt like being on top of the world.

An excellent holiday ... the walking in this hidden spot of Spain was breathtaking . The weather was great and the almond blossom and sunshine such a good break from the wet windy weather back home.

A delightful area of Spain with good paths and accommodation. Paths are rocky and boots are a good idea (plus walking poles if you use them).

We particularly liked the two smaller hotels they were so personal and fantastic service. The location of all three accommodations was perfect particularly the last one in Benimaurel. The pace notes were very detailed we would have struggled without them as the map wasnt detailed enough needs to be 1:25,000. The flora and fauna was wonderful the almond blossom dates figs wild rosemary and thyme wafting their scent as you brush past and it felt really healthy and invigorating drinking the mountain spring water we would definitely book another Inntravel holiday.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Quite an eventful start as we arrived in Alicante just as Storm Gloria was building. At one point, we didn’t think the transfer up to the first hotel in Tárbena would get there! The hospitality shown from both Paco and Pilar (hosts at the first and second accommodation respectively) was just superb with fantastic food. Really enjoyable places to stay. After a couple of poor weather days, we had great walking conditions. The walks were fantastic, trip notes were very accurate and the area is just outstandingly beautiful. Highlights were the Tollos gorge walk and the final day Barranc de l’Infern which is stunning. Whilst the final hotel was very spacious & modern, we missed the very personal touch of the Hotel Tárbena and Casa Pilar.... the food definitely didn’t compare! Overall we were very impressed and look forward to planning our next Inntravel holiday.

Some great walks with lovely views. Wonderful area behind the Costas. We spent a very enjoyable afternoon in Alicante, due to a late flight, visiting the free castle and the museum of round the world ocean racing, also free entry. Our trip was slightly compromised by "storm gloria" but in a way it added to the adventure despite missing 2 days walking. Pilar is an exceptional host.

Beautiful walks and lovely traditional accommodation in the first two villages. Paco was a wonderful host as were Pilar and her husband. The food at Casa Pilar was excellent and very traditional. We thoroughly enjoyed all the walks. A note of caution for those who don't have a good head for heights: some of the gorges are steep with narrow paths. We like to take things at a leisurely pace and admire the scenery and wildlife along the way, which presented a bit of a challenge in January with the fading light on some of the longer walks. Loved the museum in Castell de Castells which really gave us an insight into the history of the area. The Cave Art was really interesting but it's worth arriving early before the coach parties get there. This is a beautiful, tranquil area and very traditionally Spanish. A whole different world from the more commercial towns on the coast.

Friendly people at the accomodation, Paco's welcome glass of wine a treat

Landscapes were stunning and a pleasure to walk through - good routes

A wonderful week of walking in late October/early November. Temperatures were in the low to mid twenties with sun and clear blue skies for the majority of the time (no rain) so perfect for walking. The area, although so close to Benidorm, is completely untouristy and off the beaten track. The scenery is fabulous. We really enjoyed all the walks but the final day Barranc de l'Inferno walk was epic! The walking was a bit more challenging than we'd expected, but having said that, we did manage everything with the exception of starting the Tollos walk at the end of the road near the rock paintings. A beer at the end of each day's walk was very welcome. The hospitality offered by Paco and Pilar and Juanjo in the first two private hotels was excellent. We bought lunch supplies from the bakery in Tarbena on Day 1 (get there early) but otherwise asked for picnic lunches from the hotels - Pilar's omelette baguettes are indeed very delicious!

We'd thoroughly recommend this holiday and hope to book another one with Inntravel soon!

Even though it was the end of a long dry hot summer, it was greener and there were more flowers and insects than we expected, adding to the beauty of the mountain scenery. It was a very hot week, afternoon temperatures were 25 - 29 in the shade if you could find any and it felt a lot hotter in the full sun. We found using umbrellas as a sunshade helpful in some of the hotter spells and had a rehydration sachet as our first drink every evening. We suffered no ill-effects from the conditions and enjoyed a memorable holiday in those 'rugged mountains'.

An excellent holiday in all aspects. Helped that the weather was wonderful so that the beautiful area that we were walking in could be appreciated in full. No real highlight as it was all delightful.

This holiday opened up a whole new area for us. The simple hospitality of local hotels was exceptional and the walks, sometimes challenging, gave us beautiful views of the surrounding countryside all the way down to the sea. All Inntravel regulars should include this holiday in their experiences.

An excellent area for walking about 25 miles and 100 years from Benidorm. Everyone we met was very helpful and friendly. Whilst drinking at a spring our youngest member swam in the adjacent tank. The landowner stopped and we thought we might be in trouble but he invited us to his house for beer, wine, chorizo, oranges .............. Our Spanish is very limited but we spent a very pleasant hour with Peppe chatting.

Excellent holiday. Challenging and satisfying, even thrilling. Spectacular scenery. Highlight was Barranco del Infierno on the last day. We went in May 2019, when temperature was not too hot and all of the hills and montainsides were covered in the most beautiful flowers. The Inntravel maps and walking notes were good, but at times it was helpful to have my compass. Walking sticks are also helpful on the steeper slopes. Well worth returning to do some of the walks which there was not enough time to cover during the week.

This was a great holiday - wonderful walking in the mountains and the most amazing wildflowers. For us the fantastic array and variety of wildlfowers were the highlight. We do not think it is worth upgrading to a junior suite at Hotel Alahuar as the balcony is so tiny. Better the enjoy the view from the hotel's terrace

This was a really enjoyable holiday with varied walks in dramatic scenery, all of which was complemented by beautiful flowers, vegetation and birdlife. The Terrace room in Hotel de Tarbena is well worth the extra if it is available, as is the large front room at Casa Pilar. Taste the water from the springs/fountains and reconnect with mother earth cool and delicious natural water. Yum! Use binoculars to see the amazing 8,000 year old paintings, it makes them much easier to see. The only (tiny) Supermarket in Castell de Castells closed a few months ago so be prepared to stock up on what tyu can in Tarbena. All the walks were simply great, none too taxing and the instructions made the walks really easy. 

Another excellent walking holiday; better than we had anticipated.  Stunning scenery and brilliant walks in such a quiet, remote area. We enjoyed the flowers and the birds. Although we saw many signs of wild boars we were quite relieved we did not meet them! The caves with the rock art were astounding not least because we were able to view them on our own at our own pace. This is a world heritage site but the simplicity of the site with fairly good signage enabled appreciation in a way that is rarely possible nowadays when art is so often glimpsed through crowds.  The museum in Castell de Castells specifically about the rock art is definitely worth a visit. There are displays with information in English  and several videos were also played in English. Limited opening times but definitely worth seeking out. Your information about the holiday mentions the genuine welcome. We agree wholeheartedly. Everyone was friendly. Paco and Pilar and JuanJo particularly were so helpful, kind and keen to tell us about their area; we felt like guests rather than customers. This undoubtedly contributed to making this a very special holiday. Plus their home cooked food was so good.  Probably the best walking holiday we have done with Inntravel. (We've done about 8)

Very peaceful villages and walking, the scenery glorious. The two private hotels very good, Casa Pilar exceptionally good food, and the hilltop hotel friendly and a superb position.

Another excellent experience with Inntravel which lived up to their standards and our (very) high expectations.

I agree with the notes that Day 2 and Day 6 were really good walks. I think that Option 1 for Day 3/4, the shortened walk that includes Pla de Petracos, could be shortened further by asking to be dropped off at the rock paintings rather than 2 km down the road from them. We found the walk from Pla de Petracos back to Casa Pilar quite enough, after lingering at the rock paintings and exploring the cave.

We really appreciated the clear notes about the history of the area. They've inspired us to learn more about it. We found it amazing that so many of the steep mountainsides had been terraced for farming.

Two of our party eat vegan diets when at home, and though we didn't expect to be provided with wholly vegan food in rural Spain and just requested vegetarian food, in fact we found that most of the food we were served was vegan. Vegetarian paella, made with rice and beans and vegetables, was often made for us, and we were happy with that.  Paco at Hotel de Tàrbena told us that his parents had been farmers and had lived long healthy lives eating mostly rice and beans! So, I think that vegans would be able to avoid animal foods on this holiday.  

The walks on this holiday were varied. stunning and challenging.  We managed the full itinerary and were still smiling by the end! Paco was very welcoming and went out of his way to provide helpful details about the walk around Tarbena. The food and room at his hotel were excellent. Pilar and her husband were delightful hosts and the food and the room we had were excellent also. The setting of the Alahuar Hotel was breathtaking.  We upgraded to a room with a jacuzzi and while the view from there was amazing I felt that there were things in the room which were beginning to need a freshen up. This is a very minor criticism. The staff were pleasant and helpful. All in all another great holiday adventure with Inn Travel. 

An excellent holiday. All descriptions of hotels and facilities were spot on and guidance notes were in the main very accurate. A walk I would do again if there were not so many others I have not done.

A week of sunshine and wonderful walks in tranquil surroundings. The home cooking at Tarbena and Casa Pilar was delicious and we appreciated their warm welcome.

The walks, accommodation, weather and blossom were all wonderful, but a particular highlight were the Macro-schematic 8000 yr old rock paintings at Pla de Petracos. We did the shorter version of the Tollos to Castell walk, and the lower morning sunlight (late February) behind the cherry and almond blossom was breathtaking. For sheer dramatic scenery, the "Cathedral of Hiking" route PRV147 around Benimaurell was superb, and a great end to our 6 days walking in the Marina Alta.

A beautiful area, rural Spain at it's best. Friendly hotels. Lots of character, blue skies and sunshine. Lovely almond blossom, olive trees and wildflowers. We even saw Spanish lavender in flower in the mountains in February. Overall great value.

This was an absolutely wonderful walking holiday, the scenery at this time of year (February) with the almond blossom was beautiful, we hardly saw anyone else whilst walking and the hospitality was great. This mountain region is spectacular and the sense of being alone in this wonderful scenery was very special (with the occasional view of Benidorm on the horizon making for a very surreal twist!). All the accommodation was lovely but you are literally next door to the churches in the first two hotels and the bells toll throughout the night which can interrupt sleep so we would strongly recommend taking good quality earplugs - but do not let this deter you from going!

Our third superbly organised Inntravel holiday, through a part of Spain we would never have discovered by ourselves. We had wondered whether we might be almost too early for the almond blossom (7-15 February), but it was in full bloom and even coming to an end in some areas. We were fortunate to catch a mostly warm, sunny week, although local people were concerned that it hadn’t rained for a month.

Highlights:

* Stunning views in every direction - almond blossom and mountains are a perfect combination

* The steady hum of bees in the background

* All the friendly people who chatted to us (speaking Spanish gave us an advantage)

* The lovely fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal

* Paco’s delicious rice with chick peas, artichokes and saffron – which his grandmother, who lived well into her 90s, ate three times a week

* The beautiful Casa Pilar, full of interesting artefacts acquired from family members, and with the best room to spend three nights in

* Pilar’s wonderful cooking, including the recommended omelette sandwiches

* The thought-provoking prehistoric rock art at Plaza de Petrarcos

* Walking around Benimaurell and Fleix on our final extra day, absorbing the sights and sounds of the two villages

Regarding the ease/difficulty of walks... We completed Day 1-4 with all detours (except the scramble up to the watchtower) comfortably within the given times. We completed Day 5 within the given time, but found the ascent from the CV720 valley road really quite strenuous. Day 6 was considerably more challenging and we decided to leave the route after the first gorge at Juvees De D'Alt, returning to Benimaurell via a westward mountain track to Collado de la Garga, with sweeping views down to the coast.

This was one of the best walks we've done with Inntravel. We would advise customers always to take the detours, because they are often highlights of the walks. Probably the most outstanding was the view from El Castellet. Although some of the walking was along roads, these were so quiet that we rarely saw a car, only a few cyclists.