La Peñeta Viewpoint

La Peñeta is one of the village's viewpoints over the Turia river, and the shortest way to look into the canyon if the Pantaneros route does not fit into the day or you are with small children. You reach it by the local footpath SL-CV 72, Las Cuevas – Peñeta, promoted by Chulilla Town Council: a 1.10 km circular walk of about 40 minutes that starts from the Plaza de la Baronía.

The Las Cuevas – Peñeta footpath

According to the Federació d'Esports de Muntanya i Escalada de la Comunitat Valenciana, the path leaves from the centre of the village, where the information board is, goes along several streets to the old slaughterhouse and reaches the Las Cuevas viewpoint, above the canyon. It passes through the Las Cuevas district, rounds the slope of the castle hill and continues south to the La Peñeta viewpoint, then returns to the starting point. It has 130 metres of ascent and as many of descent. On the MIDE scale it scores 1 for environmental risk and for effort, and 2 for orientation and for difficulty of movement.

The federation warns that there is no recent quality check of the waymarking, so it is worth bringing the map or the track, which can be downloaded from its website, or asking the way at the Tourist Info on Calle de las Eras.

What you see

From La Peñeta, according to the municipal audio guide, on the right appears a large mesa known as El Frailecico, where there was a Muslim watchtower of which only a cistern remains. On the left, the hill of La Muela, with a cross at the top that protects the village. Below, on the banks of the Turia, the old irrigated garden, of Muslim origin, still farmed by smallholders. Opposite, the houses of the Ermita district, which grew up when there was no more room for new homes in the village, and the Falfigueras ravine, where cave paintings were found in a rock shelter.

On the way, the Las Cuevas viewpoint looks over the end of the Turia gorges: a canyon with facing walls about 110 metres high and 4 km long, from the Loriguilla dam to the village. From there you see the Peña Mosen, the Gollizno cave and the ravine of the Tesoro cave, and below, the canal that carries water from the Charco Azul to the hydroelectric plant.

Tips

Bring water: there is a drinking-water fountain in the Plaza de la Baronía. In summer, sun protection and a hat. If you go with a dog, watch for processionary caterpillars, which the town council flags in its visitor information. The viewpoint is free and has no opening hours.

What to combine

The path passes by the castle and starts in the old village, so it can all be combined in one morning. If you still want more canyon, the Charco Azul and the Pantaneros route also start from the village.