The caves and Montcabrer, stone snow wells on the way to the roof of the Mariola.

Montcabrer, at 1,390 metres, is the highest summit of the Serra de Mariola, and the route published by Bocairent's tourist office reaches it by the most interesting way: that of the cavas, the stone snow wells where the mountain's ice was stored. It is a demanding circular route. In full, from the village, it is 36.3 km and about ten hours; if you start at the Font de Mariola recreation area, it is 15 km.

From the village to the heart of the mountains

The full route sets off from Bocairent's football ground, at 626 metres, and climbs along the track of the Terrers farmhouse to the pass. From there it follows the waymarks of the GR-7, the long-distance footpath whose stage 32 in the Comunitat Valenciana is here. It passes the hermitage of Santa Bàrbara, with the Plà spring and a centuries-old poplar, and the farmhouses of Mingol and Bassa Roja as far as the campsite. It reaches the Font de Mariola recreation area, leaving the Alt and the Mariola castle on the right.

The snow wells, one after another

From the Mas dels Arbres spring the best part begins. About 200 metres to the left, a path leads to the Cava de Don Miguel, with enormous buttresses. Back on the main track, the climb passes the Cava del Buitre and, higher up, the Cava Gran or Cava Arqueada; a few metres away are the Centre Excursionista d'Alcoi refuge, the Cava de la Habitació and the summit of the Teix.

They are the other face of the village's Cava de Sant Blai. According to the tourist office, between the 17th and 19th centuries the snow trade gave work to day labourers, muleteers and merchants: up here the wells were filled in winter and, in the heat, the muleteers brought the ice down to sell it. If you do the route, visit the village's cava first, which you can see inside, to understand what you will find in the mountains.

The summit and the descent

To climb Montcabrer you take the PR-CV 27, which shares a few metres with the GR-7. The return follows the PR-CV 57 eastwards, past the Mas de la Foia Ampla, to the Font de Mariola. If you set out from the village, from there you still have the way back to Bocairent, which is included in the 36.3 km.

Ten hours or half

The full route is for fit walkers and long days: in autumn and winter there is not enough daylight to do it unhurried. The variant from the Font de Mariola, 15 km, suits almost everyone; the recreation area is reached by car from Bocairent in about 20 minutes. The tourist office names springs along the way, such as the Plà, the Mariola and the Mas dels Arbres, but does not say whether the water is drinkable: carry all the water you will drink.

The mountains are a Natural Park. For the state of the paths, the rules and fire-risk restrictions in summer, ask at the Serra de Mariola Natural Park Interpretation Centre, on 965 937 961, or at Bocairent's Tourist Info.