What to do at any time of the year
The Mancomunidad Espadán-Mijares is "open" 365 days a year. There is no such thing as seasonality and every day of the calendar is marked in red.
The visitor who comes to this area, in the southwest of the province of Castellón, starts from a certainty: here, boredom is forbidden. The intensity of summer and its leisure activities are followed by an autumn to rediscover the colours of its landscapes; a winter to enjoy good food and the peaceful surroundings; and, closing the circle, a spring that invites you to explore with the eyes of a child the richness of the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park and the river Mijares and to celebrate, in style, the Day of the Mancomunidad.
The best thing is its dynamism, its renewed faith in the future. Its fifteen municipalities do not stand still: they look at what they have, they ask themselves what they lack and they get down to work to extract all their potential from the territory, always with a will and an innovative outlook.
In this way, the calendar never closes and every season it's time to get ready for a new intervention. At the end of the summer, without going any further, the wheel will keep turning with two brand new family trails in Aín and Villamalur and a via ferrata in Ayódar, which will be incorporated into the landscape as if they had always been there. The star of the menu is expected to be served in 2022: a high-altitude multi-adventure circuit in Ribesalbes, the main investment of the second three-year plan for tourism dynamisation and governance.
All these projects say a lot about what really moves the Mancomunidad Espadán-Mijares, which can be summed up in a single verb: “DAR”/"GIVE". Let's see, then, what we will receive in summer, autumn, winter and spring.
SUMMER
Summer is the best time for active tourism in the Mancomunidad Espadán-Mijares. Alone or with the help of the companies that operate in the area (Sargantana Aventura, Viu Natura, Itinerantur and Nucs), we can give free rein to our most refreshing passions.
The Sitjar reservoir, in Ribesalbes, is ideal for kayaking, paddle surfing, swimming or simply spending the day in the picnic area among the pine trees. And what about the Río Chico, in Ayódar? Wouldn't you like to take a dip in August?
Canyoning knows no dates, but in summer there are fewer risks and, for most people, it is more pleasant. Although in some cases, such as in the canyon of La Covatilla - inside a cave in Aín - access is forbidden at this time of year, in the rest the sight of these athletes in their wetsuits is very common in the summer season, and even more so since 2020, when canyons in all the municipalities of the Mancomunidad will be equalised.
The Alcornocal, on the route from Benitandús to Veo, is an open ravine formed by the erosion of water over sandstone, in the middle of a large cork oak forest. The height of the longest abseil in Salto de los Perros, Alcudia de Veo, reaches 18 metres, and the Buitrero, in Argelita, reaches 25 metres, which is best descended in the rainy season. Also in Argelita is the Espadón ravine, so vertical that it looks like a skyscraper, or the Quiles ravine, 320 metres long, with walls of high limestone rock. There are many more: the Manzano, which ends in the river Villahermosa, the Azud, in Ayódar, the Turio, in Fanzara, the Catalán, in Fuentes de Ayódar, the Carboneras, which opens up at the foot of Peña Saganta... And so on and so forth, because the Espadán-Mijares Community is synonymous with canyoning, abseiling, semi-static ropes and, in short, fun.
And now we're getting down to business, how about leaving the deckchair on the beach and going to the Cueva del Toro, in Alcudia de Veo, to spend the day learning the secrets of aquatic speleology? The route, in groups of seven people and always with the guarantee of the best professionals, shows us the bowels of the Earth as we have never seen them before.
AUTUMN
Without a doubt, the main attraction of this territory is hiking, and what better time of year to get out and about than autumn?
The GR-333 Mancomunidad Espadán-Mijares, a circular route that embraces the fifteen municipalities of the Mancomunidad, is irresistible at this time of year. In its fifteen stages, not only will you get to know the heart of its villages, but you will also lose yourself in its forests of cork oaks - the most representative ecosystem of the area -, pine trees and even chestnut trees (there is a wonderful route in the area around the uninhabited village of Jinquer, take note).
In turn, the GR-36 TransEspadá crosses the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, between Vilavella and Montanejos, along 66.6 km, passing through the towns of Aín, Veo, Alcudia de Veo and Torralba del Pinar.
During these excursions, you may come across some curious constructions, the neveras or "pous de neu", typical of the Plana Baixa region. At the foot of the PicEspadá, for example, you can find the Algimia icehouse; at the head of the L'Oret ravine, in Aín, the L'Oret well; and in Villamalur, the Cuatro Caminos icehouse, listed as an Asset of Local Relevance, another enjoyable way of getting to know the past trades that distinguish this Mancomunidad.
The cool autumn weather also encourages us to explore another of the most satisfying treasures of the Mancomunidad: its via ferratas. Recently equipped or reconditioned, we can put ourselves to the test on three of them, which we will choose according to our abilities (and stay tuned to your screens, as we will soon be launching the fourth, in Ayódar).
The most bearable is the Benitandús, in Alcudia de Veo, with a 30-metre drop and an equipped route of 50 metres. The reward? The impressive views of Los Órganos and the Benitandús reservoir at our feet. The via ferrata of La Piqueta, in Espadilla, is considered to be of medium difficulty, with a drop of 85 metres and an equipped route of 95 metres. All precautions are necessary to overcome its drops, which will require our skill for the natural supports. And finally, the Ponts, in Argelita, a K4 via ferrata, i.e. of high difficulty. From the first steps, with a rigorous extra-sloped slab, its different sections will bring out the best in us, with steps and natural holds that will measure our physical... and psychological resistance, always protected, of course, by our life cable. The verticality makes the effort worthwhile and, on the face of it, the descents are not so steep either, so if you are motivated by the subject, go for it, you'll have it done in an hour.
WINTER
Winters here are quite mild, and life is very quiet. For urbanites who sincerely love Nature and, for work reasons, have to dream of it from a distance, this is the best time to stop the clock and make a getaway.
If we are looking for rural accommodation that adapts to our needs, we will find it -and, moreover, with unbeatable offers-; and if, on the contrary, we prefer to travel with the house on our backs, we can park in the motorhome area of Sueras, next to the Pla del Riu municipal hostel.
Whatever our final option, the solitude and authenticity of these places will convince us to repeat at this time of the year. Of course, we can explore the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park at our leisure and receive full information about its itineraries and characteristics at its Visitor Centre in Eslida.
Recently, the ViaLynx project has set its sights on this Sierra for the possible reintroduction of the Iberian lynx, and who knows if we may soon see them in their rutting season, between December and January, but only time will tell!
Finally, seated at the table of its restaurants, we will warm up with its hearty game cuisine - wild boar, thrush... -, its thistle and cabbage pots, its stews, its chops and onion sausages... After dessert, of course, we will have a concoction of rum, coffee, cinnamon stick, sugar and lemon peel, in other words, a "cremaet" or "carajillo", Castellón's gastronomic heritage.
SPRING
We have left for last - or for the beginning, depending on how you look at it - the mountain bike circuit that links the fifteen municipalities of the Mancomunidad along forest tracks, paths and cobbled roads. What more could you ask for than to cycle among cherry blossom trees in bloom or to stop along the way to take out your binoculars and watch birds?
We can take a route around the remains of the Muslim castles that dot these regions; follow one of our trails to see the flour mills that make their popular architecture unique; or explore their museums are just some of the suggestions we have for this time of year.
If we go into the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, the El Tajar floral micro-reserve, in Torralba del Pinar, is a very appetising option at this time of year. With its 8.60 hectares, this communal forest was once a coal reserve that served the municipalities of La Plana and Segorbe.
Finally, we must not forget that in late spring, usually the first week of June, the Mancomunidad Espadán-Mijares celebrates its big day, and if we make a point of going on these dates, the liveliest leisure activities (fairs, exhibitions...) and the tastiest tablecloth are more than guaranteed.
