Swimming at the Gorgo de la Escalera in Anna

18 km from Xàtiva, in Anna, the water has cut its way through a canyon. The Gorgo de la Escalera owes its name to the 136 steps that lead down to it; before they were built it was called the Gorgo del Salto, after the waterfall of about 20 metres that drops from the weir. According to the town council, it is declared an Inland Beach of the Comunitat Valenciana. By car it is about 22 minutes from the centre of Xàtiva.

A canyon with a paper history

It was carved by the Anna river, a tributary of the Sellent. A weir holds back the water for industrial use, and its drop forms El Salto. In the late 18th century the water drove one of the four paper mills that the botanist Cavanilles noted in Anna; in the early 20th, the Volta company installed a power station in the old mill, using the irrigation channel its owners had built. The gorgo is one of the three stops on the 3 Waterfalls route, with the Gorgo Gaspar and the Vikings Waterfall.

Entry, capacity and rules

The council publishes a general entry fee of €2 from age 4, paid at the entrance, preferably by card, or online in advance. A maximum of 350 people go down the stairway at a time. The Comunitat's tourism website warns that in summer you may have to pay and recommends arriving early; outside that season, confirm at the Tourist Info whether it is charged.

You swim at your own risk: there is no lifeguard. Fire, throwing cigarette butts, camping and fishing are prohibited. Dogs may not be off the lead or swim. If you want to do water canyoning, the council asks you to hire a licensed active-tourism company.

How to combine it with Xàtiva

In July and August, when the castle is punishing, the gorgo is the afternoon: old town and museums in the morning, lunch and a swim in Anna. Bring water shoes, water and something to eat; the descent and, above all, the climb back up the 136 steps are noticeable. Anna's Tourist Info, on calle Mayor, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00, on Friday also from 15:00 to 17:00, and Sundays and public holidays from 9:00 to 13:00; telephone, 616 551 877.