Aljama Castle Trail

The El Castillo trail climbs to the ruins of the Aljama castle, a fortification of Muslim origin on top of a hill above the Mijares valley. Visit Montanejos dates it to the 13th century and says that remains of a cistern and two towers survive. It is an approved local trail, the SL-CV-104, waymarked in white and green: 6.04 km there and back, about 2 h 05 min and 386 m of ascent, with low difficulty. It is a good first climb for families with children who already walk, because it is done in a morning and has a reward at the top: the ruins and the view of the town.

The route

It leaves from the town's meeting point (the "Km 0" of the trails) towards the Maimona bridge and goes down some steps to the Mijares riverside path. You follow the river downstream to the confluence with the Montán river and, from there, go up the Montán to the San José bridge, where the approved stretch of the SL-CV-104 begins.

You cross the bridge and pass some corrals to a track junction that the GR-36, the GR-160 and several mountain bike routes also pass through. Take the concrete track on the left, the steeper one, and then the path on the right, which still keeps part of the old paving. The last stretch climbs in gentle zigzags to the top of the hill. The return is the same way, so you can't get lost.

What you see at the top

What remains of the castle is ruins: the cistern and the bases of two towers, with no interpretation or opening hours, because it is an open site. What justifies the climb is the position: from the top you command the Mijares valley and see all of Montanejos, with the river and the limestone walls around it. There is no shade on the final stretch and no fountains at the summit.

Practical tips

You can take a dog, on a lead. The route is done all year; in summer, better first thing or at sunset, because the hill is very exposed to the sun. Bring water, a cap and light hiking footwear: the paving and the concrete track are slippery when wet. With children, the riverside path at the start is flat and comfortable, and the slope is concentrated in the last third.

To begin, leave your car at the free Corral de Prats car park and walk to the centre. At the tourist office they give you the trail map, which can also be downloaded at visitmontanejos.com, along with the Wikiloc track for each route.

What to combine it with

On the way down, the riverside path leads towards the Fuente de los Baños, with water at 25 °C all year; on summer capacity days a ticket is needed. If you are looking for another short route for another day, the family trail passes the Cirat dam and the entrance to Los Estrechos.