The magical mountain, El Montgó
The magical mountain, El Montgó, is worthy of its own little article. There are various legends about the mountain, and it is said that those who live in the shadow of its 751-metre-high silhouette are touched by its magic. In our long route across the coast of the País Valencià, it deserves its own little article because the views from there are simply breathtaking. Here’s one way to climb the mountain, starting from Denia, where we left off last month.
There are several routes from Denia and we’ve chosen the one with the best views of Denia, the mountain, and its surroundings. Go towards el Passeig del Saladar, until you come to the Plaça de Jaume I. At one end of the square, take the Avinguda del Montgó, which joins the urban centre to the outskirts of the mountain. At the end of the avenue, there are two roads to choose between. Go to the right, down the Camí de Coll de Pous. Go through Pedrera and continue upwards, along a path lined with beautiful villas and the typical aromatic mountain vegetation that you’ll see all the way up. At the end of Camí de Coll de Pous you are at the point where the urban development ends and the natural park begins.
From this point, the easiest option is to take the Carrer de Dionisios until it meets the Carrer de Aristeu, where you should go right for a short distance, and then turn right again to take the Carretera de la Colonia. This is the main road that leads to Montgó, and you should follow it until you see a route to your left called the Camí Espigol. A bit further on, this time on the right, you come to Camí de la Colonia del Montgó, which is where you enter the natural park. (Remember not to leave any rubbish behind whilst you enjoy the protected area, or act in any way that might compromise the natural integrity of the beauty and distinct flora and fauna of the area.)
From the Camí de la Colonia del Montgó onwards, there are fantastic views over Denia and the surrounding country. On days with good visibility you can see the mountain of Cullera. On this route, within the reserve, we go towards the southwest, in the direction of the sea, in a line that cuts across the mountain about halfway up.
Further on, take the old road to Xàbia (Jávea); the natural beauty here is breathtaking… pine trees and other indigenous trees that grow where the mountain allows them, and where they stop, bushes and other smaller plants take over (if you go now, wild asparagus are beginning to grow because of the last rains; look out for their long, spindly stalks at the edges of the path). You can continue until a point where it’s no longer possible to go on two wheels. It’s a hard road in that parts of it are steep and at points the path is full of loose stones, but its worth doing. At any rate, this is the side of the mountain to take on hot days when the magic mountain gives you shade against the sun. This side is always cooler than the side that looks towards Xàbia, the direction in which we’ll take you in next month’s 24/7.
Orange Bikes
Editor Manuel Aguilar,1
Valencia 46001
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