# A getaway to Alcalá del Júcar, an hour and three quarters from Valencia A Saturday on the river, canoeing on the Júcar or rafting on the Cabriel, a night facing the lit-up village and a Sunday of caves, castle and trails in the gorge. 1 h 45 from Valencia. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/alcala-del-jucar/itineraries/alcala-del-jucar-canoe-weekend-from-valencia · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Alcalá del Júcar Alcalá del Júcar can be seen in a day, but night suits it: when the groups leave, the village lights up, hanging from the crag over the meander, and the river falls silent. That is why it works as a one-night getaway from Valencia, an hour and three quarters via the A-3 and N-322, or from Albacete, an hour away. Saturday is for the water; Sunday, for getting into the rock. ## Where to sleep? AccommodationAreaFor whom Hotel & Spa EliáFinca Los Olivos, a short walk from the old townCouples, spa and pool, four stars Casas Rurales OlmedaBeside the river, 5 min from the old townFamilies or with a dog, duplex with a fireplace Hotel rural AvenjúcarTolosa, upriverFamilies, rooms for four, peace and quiet ## And if I have one more day? Repeat the river with the other plan: if Saturday was canoeing, Sunday rafting, or the other way round. Or stay at the Eliá and spend the morning at the spa, with a heated pool, jacuzzi and hammam. ## With children Canoes from age 2, the Cuevas del Diablo, free up to 6, and a real castle: the village is an adventure park. Sleep at Avenjúcar, with family rooms, or in the Olmeda houses, with a kitchen and barbecue. The old town is not for pushchairs. ## El plan ### Saturday · 11:00 · Canoes on the Júcar Two hours in a double canoe on a calm stretch, with Multiaventura Los Olivos, from their landing stage: €15 with a picnic, from age 2 and with a dog. With teenagers, swap it for rafting in the Cabriel gorges, half a day from age 11, €40. ### Saturday · 14:00 · Lunch in Tolosa The Avenjúcar restaurant, by the river: the week's La Mancha menu, €28. Book the sitting. ### Saturday · 17:30 · The bridge and the old town Cross the medieval bridge, climb the steep streets and look at the cave houses. See the village lit up again after dinner. ### Saturday · 21:00 · Dinner at the Eliá The hotel restaurant, open to the public: dishes from Alcalá, rice dishes and chef's cooking. Book on 967 110 190. ### Sunday · 10:30 · Cuevas del Diablo and the castle The caves that cross the crag, €4 with a drink; then the climb to the castle with the morning light on the gorge. ### Sunday · 12:30 · Batán trail Along the top of the valley towards La Gila, with the best views of the gorge. Ask for the map at the tourist office. ### Sunday · 15:00 · Drive back A drink at the bar of the Cuevas de Masagó before leaving, and in Valencia before dinner. ## Un consejo más Park down below, by the river, and forget the car until you leave: the old town is all slopes and steps. ## Cuándo no ir In mid-August, at midday, the slopes in the sun tire you out: do the old town and the castle first thing or at dusk. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Valencia to Alcalá del Júcar? Around an hour and three quarters by car, via the A-3 to Requena and the N-322. ### Where to sleep in Alcalá del Júcar? At the Hotel & Spa Eliá, a short walk from the old town; in the Olmeda country houses, beside the river; or at Avenjúcar, in Tolosa. ### Can I bring a dog? Yes: the Olmeda houses and the Los Olivos canoes admit dogs. ### How much does the getaway cost? Between €120 and €250 per person with one night, two meals, the activity and the caves. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Las Colmenas Rurales**: Five houses, four of them inside the rock Las Colmenas is on Calle Algarrada, in the historic centre of Alcalá del Júcar, the village that hangs over the river gorge. There are four cave houses and an apartment named after beehives: Voirnot, Lusitana, Smith and Dadant are caves dug into the mountain, with ceilings and walls of whitewashed rock; Layens is an apartment with windows and views of the village, for those who prefer natural light. All have a 150 × 200 cm bed, a fitted kitchen, wifi, air conditioning, towels and a hairdryer, and something for a bath for two: Voirnot: two floors. Downstairs, the bedroom with a round 180 cm jacuzzi beside the bed and a bathroom with a shower; upstairs, a living room, kitchen, toilet and a private terrace with views. Up to four people. Lusitana: the mountain forms part of the bedroom, with the round jacuzzi next to the bed. Up to three. Smith: about 50 m² on a single floor, with a jacuzzi in the bedroom, and separate living room and kitchen. Up to four. Dadant: about 46 m², with a hydromassage bath instead of a jacuzzi. Up to three. Layens: an apartment of about 53 m² with a long hydromassage bath and shower. Up to four. What it's like sleeping in a cave The caves have air conditioning and, being dug into the mountain, hardly any windows: if you find it hard to wake up without sun, Voirnot has the terrace upstairs and Layens has windows. The bathroom is inside each house. The jacuzzi is in the bedroom itself, in plain view, so these caves are designed for couples; with children, Voirnot, Smith or Layens work, which have a sofa bed in a separate living room. All five share a patio with a brick barbecue, with unlimited firewood and charcoal. For the details, the house offers kits you order by WhatsApp: petals and chocolates from €30, flowers for €38 or candles and salts for the jacuzzi for €15. Arriving by car The streets of the old town are narrow. The website has two videos with the easiest route: one if you arrive from Casas Ibáñez via Las Eras and another if you come from Alpera, Alatoz or El Cerro. Watch them before entering the village, and if you get lost, call on arrival on 621 241 226. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or prices: you see them in the booking search when you enter dates. It also doesn't say whether dogs are admitted, so ask before booking. From the door you walk down to the old town and bridge walk or up to the castle. In summer, the river is paddled by canoe on calm water. - **Avenjúcar Rural Hotel, in Tolosa**, desde 58 € / night: In Tolosa, downriver from the noise The Avenjúcar rural hotel is not in the old town of Alcalá del Júcar but in Tolosa, a hamlet of the same municipality a few kilometres away, on Calle San Roque, on the bank of the Júcar. That has two sides. The good one: on spring weekends, when the hanging village fills with cars and visitors, here you sleep far from the bustle, with the river in front of you. The other: to see the old town, the caves or the castle you have to take the car, and in the evening you cannot stroll out for a drink along the streets of Alcalá. It is run by Avenjúcar, a rural and active tourism company that has worked in the gorge since 1993, with its office on Calle Batán in Alcalá. Thirteen rooms of stone and wood The house is rustic in style, with wooden balconies on the façade, and has thirteen rooms: 2 suites, 5 doubles and 6 family rooms for three or four people. All have a private bathroom and river views. The family rooms are what make this place practical for travelling with children, because you do not need to book two rooms. The common areas are the restaurant, an outdoor chill-out terrace used in summer and a lounge-café with a fireplace for winter. The house suggests a glass of Manchuela wine at dusk, with the sun setting over the river. Prices per person, with breakfast or board The website gives indicative prices per person per night: €58 with breakfast, €78 with half board and €98 with full board. They are indicative and confirmed when you book; it also has special prices for accommodation plus activities. Meals are taken at the Avenjúcar restaurant, in the same house, with its weekly La Mancha menu. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00; you can ask to leave later. Cancellation is flexible according to its website, with conditions in its policy. Book through its online booking engine or by phone and WhatsApp on 639 30 57 31, during office hours. The website says nothing about pets, parking, wifi or heating or air conditioning: if any of them matter to you, ask beforehand. What you have to hand The day is sorted by the Sunday of canoeing, caves and castle, which has lunch right here. From Tolosa you drive back to Alcalá for the castle and the gorge trails, which start from the village itself. - **Casas Rurales Olmeda**: The houses Olmeda is seven duplex-style rural houses in Alcalá del Júcar, facing the river and about a five-minute walk from the old town. They belong to the Grupo Los Olivos, the same company behind the Hotel & Spa Eliá and Multiaventura Los Olivos, which says on its website that it has been in rural tourism in the area for almost thirty years. All follow the same layout: on the ground floor, a living room with built-in kitchen and a wood-burning fireplace; upstairs, the bedrooms; and a small terrace for summer evenings. The website recommends them above all for couples with children, because each family has its own house, kitchen and fireplace without sharing space with anyone. The website does not publish how many bedrooms or beds each house has, the maximum capacity, the prices per night, or the check-in and check-out times. To find out you have to ask about availability by phone, WhatsApp or email. Facilities and services Next to the houses there is parking, a barbecue area and a gazebo. The company offers 24-hour assistance, with an emergency phone answered day and night, and its offices, on the Tolosa road, are open from 9:00 to 22:00. There is no pool at the houses themselves: guests can use the one at the Casas Los Olivos complex, about four minutes away by car, with parking. Among the group's services the website mentions a saltwater pool, an outdoor terrace and a children's play area. With a dog and with children The houses accept pets, and the website expressly invites you to come with the family and the dog. The same company organises a kayak route through the Júcar gorge that can be done with the dog and which it considers suitable for children: it is the same idea as the canoe trips on the Júcar, on calm water. What is nearby Being five minutes from the old town, the whole village can be done on foot. Crossing the river you climb the steep streets to the castle, with its viewpoints over the gorge, and on the way you pass the caves that cross the rock, such as the Masagó Caves or the Devil's Caves. The walk round the old town and the Roman bridge is the plan for the first afternoon, and for a longer walk there is the Batán trail. If you do not feel like cooking, the Eliá restaurant, from the same group, is open to the public for lunch and dinner. Booking Phone 967 11 01 90, WhatsApp 670 341 393 and email contacto@casas-losolivos.com. When booking, ask about the house's capacity, the pet charge, if there is one, and the opening hours of the complex's pool, which the website does not detail. - **Hotel & Spa Eliá**, desde 75 € / night: Inside Finca Los Olivos, beside the river The Eliá is a four-star hotel inside Finca Los Olivos, a Grupo Los Olivos complex on the bank of the Júcar with gardens, rural houses and an adventure company, Multiaventura Los Olivos. It is a few minutes' walk from the old town: you leave the car in the hotel car park, free and reserved for guests, and walk down to the bridge, the caves and the streets that climb the rock. It is the most comfortable way to sleep in Alcalá, a village where parking inside the old town is almost impossible at weekends. Nineteen rooms and two suites It has 19 rooms, all with breakfast, and its website groups them into five types. The Standard has an outdoor terrace and a double bed; the 1+1, two beds and panoramic views; the Attic, a terrace with views; the Views room, a double bed and a window onto the gorge. The four start from €75. The Relax, from €80, adds a hot tub in the room. All have a Smart TV. The two suites, from €150, are something else: the Suite has its own living room, a jacuzzi inside and a terrace with views of the old town; the Premium Suite, a king-size bed and a terrace. Both include access to the spa. The suites' weekend package adds the spa circuit, breakfast, padel and the pool. The spa and the rest of the estate The spa has a 12 by 5 metre marble-lined pool, with water features and natural light, a jacuzzi, a Finnish sauna at around 80 degrees, a hammam, hydromassage beds, waterfalls, an ice fountain, a bithermal shower and a relaxation area. The circuit is open for almost two hours; at reception they give you a bathrobe, cap and slippers. It is best to reserve your time slot when you book the room, or on arrival at reception or on 967 11 01 90, because it fills up. In the standard rooms, check whether the spa is included or paid separately. Outside there is a saltwater pool for summer, an outdoor jacuzzi of about 3 by 5 metres with a view of the mountains, a terrace with café and bar, a free padel court for guests (rackets and balls at reception) and a private landing stage on the Júcar where canoes can be rented. The group's staff are on hand 24 hours. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times and says nothing about pets or extra beds: ask before booking. For eating and going out The Eliá restaurant, in the same building, is open to non-guests too. From the landing stage the canoe trips on the Júcar set off, and the castle is up through the old town.