The first time you access Hell’s gully you feel overcome by a strange sensation, indeed it is almost mystical as the countryside before you appears not to be real. The banks of the dry river bed practically touch each other and an enormous amount of stone blocks appear completely covered in white chalk.

It is almost as if an uncontrollable force of torrential rain has sculpted this great passage, more than 15 kilometres in length. Undoubtedly impressive to both visitors and inhabitants who must have thought it could only be the work of the Devil, the interminable action of its water throughout thousands of years has not only given rise to gullies or ravinesbut also various caves. For example the Rull’s cave, a marvellous example of stalactites and stalagmites.

This custom made excursion by Oxytours will immerse you in the heart of the mountain via its gullies and singular vertical countryside. Before arriving we will stroll through paths of cultivation to later on descend into the gully by a narrow pathway set up by the Arabs.

The gastronomy of this area is in harmony with its villages and inhabitants. Its tranquility rich not only in detail but also delightfully attacking your senses arises from a tradition often lost. In addition you will be able to learn how its cuisine is created as our selected restaurant will demonstrate the traditional cooking methods as carried out by generations of locals and so we take our tables to enjoy our well deserved mouthwatering food.

For this trip your camera is a must!

You will discover all this and more with Oxytours.

A mountain of Paradise in the heart of Alicante, Serrella is known as the Little Alps of the Costa Blanca due to its impressive 15 kilometres in length leading to 7 peaks of more than 1.300 metres in height. All in all an authentic mountain range in miniature.

Visiting Serrella is indeed a pleasure for the senses as they are seduced by this mountain. The crystal sound of its waters or the song of Red-billed Chough, the delightful smell of aromatics flowers, the sight of Barbary sheep or even the cold touch of the chalky rocks spectacular blocks of stone known as els Frares (the friars).

This mountain encourages you to enjoy yourself at your leisure. Only in this way will you discover the history that its snow wells narrate, together with the many species of bushes used by ancient inhabitants to cure illness or banish evil spirits.

We continue with this delight of the senses by visiting a specially selected restaurant to enjoy the flavours of traditional gastronomy from this region. Cuisine that has been brought about by a fusion of the various cultures passing through the area and its locally grown produces.

You might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an olive oil press. This is available at a small extra charge. Here, we will sample its excellent oils which have one won numerous international awards.

Among the great mountains of the Costa Blanca lies a small jewel known as Xorta mountain. Due to its 1.220 metres in height and imposing profile this is often overshadowed by Serrella, Aitana or Bernia mountains.

That is perhaps why its richness is only sampled by these lucky enough to pass through its trails. The arch itself is hidden but soon appears to surprised hikers. Some 20 meters in height with two openings separated by a narrow column which looks as if it is about to fall into the Foies ravine. This is without doubt a natural wonder of great geological and botanical importance.

Let Oxytours take you along almond and olive groves, at the feet of the enormous vertical walls of Xorta. We then ascend to the top (according to the fitness level) giving us exceptional views of Mediterranean sea, Guadalest valley and neighbouring Aitana mountain. Countryside of great beauty immortalised by the exceptional Works of the painter Emilio Varela, one of the most important Alicante artists of the XX^th century.

At the end of the hike extraordinary cuisine awaits you. As we visit a restaurant hand selected by Oxytours. Here you will sample traditional flavours which have evolved with time thanks to traditions and new trends preserving the quality of products of this area.

After lunch you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an artisan workshop to learn are prepared its famous handmade meat product named Sobrasada.

Emerging from the sea is the gigantic Bernia mountain, which stretches as far as the Tarbena valley, reaching 1.129 metres in height.

We invite you to ascend its slope observing the countryside giving unsurpassed views of Marina Alta, Marina Baixa as well as Alicante’s interior. On a clear day we can even see the island of Ibiza.

Its proximity to the sea combined with its altitude makes Bernia one of the greatest diverse habitats, unbelievable species of flora and fauna are found only in this area.

The incredible stone vantage point made up of the mountain, itself and the16^th century fortress some 800 metres high, aimed to protect the coastline from the constant pirate attacks which plagued this land as since ancient times.

We visit the remains of this fortress to get to know its story,wild orchidsand the Forat, a natural orifice crossing the mountain from one face to the other offering spectacular views of the entire region.

You will have the opportunity to discover typical Alicante cuisine, famous throughout for its excellence. You may already be familiar with paella, however we invite you to try various other delicacies accompanied by good wine of course!

After lunch you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to anexcellent bodega in order to sample its exquisite wines and olive oils. This is available at a small extra charge.

In a nutshell: the perfect combination of hiking, nature, history, culture and gastronomy to immerse yourself in the authentic Costa Blanca.

There has always been magic in the air as we explore mountain paths. This sensation is difficult to explain but it’s exactly what is felt as we hike through Penya Foradà.

Our route tell the tale of ancient villages and their inhabitants, working the land and cultivating it opening tiny paths to unite the valleys. The majestic stone arc of Forada spectacularly appears before us, inviting us to scale its 700 metres. Our reward is a unique panorama not to be found elsewhere on the Costa Blanca. Most visitors never will witness its beauty.

In addition, you will discover why this area is included within Natura 2000 Network, an ecological network of European protected areas, thanks to its numerous important environmental values. Among these are rock plants, protected eagles and the Stone arc to name a few. The arc in particular is one of nature’s miracles, twice a year the sun shines through to reveal the now disappeared site of the Franciscan convent in Benitaia.

There is no better way to end the morning than speaking about what you have seen and experienced in these wonderful surroundings while tasting the excellent cuisine. We have selected a restaurant which upholds not only artisan traditions but also the quality of produce found in this unique valley.

To end the trip journey excursion you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to a Cherry Co-operative. This is available at a small extra charge. Here we will sample their produce, discovering its social and economic important.

The Costa Blanca mountains tell us hidden stories from time immemorial via their peaks, hills and ravines. One example of this is Mariola mountain, with its amazing cave paintings, created by the original inhabitants more than 10.000 years ago. As well as the castles of the region, they have stood the test of time to tell us the tale of battles between the Kingdoms of Castilla and Aragon.

The importance of its heritage is only comparable to its environmental worth. You will encounter an extraordinary variety of aromatic and medicinal plants, the possibility of witnessing the rare flight of Bonelli’s eagle and Griffon vulture all of which helped the establishment of this Natural Reserve in 2002.

We will take you to the impressive snow wells where you will see exceptionally preserved examples of these constructions such as the Cava Gran. We learn about their function and economic influence during the middle of the 18th century.

We enter a forest of Yew trees discovering why European mythology considered the Yew as the most magical of trees. Considered as the oldest species in Europe, with more than 3.000 years of age and its incredible properties you will be enchanted.

We finish our hike by ascending Mont Cabrer, the mountains peak at 1.390 metres high. From here you will have the most extraordinary panoramic views.

We move to a specially selected restaurant where delicious mountain cuisine awaits you. You meal will be prepared using traditional methods and locally grown produce plus an excellent wine list, of course!

Last but by no means least on our return trip you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an olive oil press. This is available at a small extra charge. Here we will visit olive groves for a tasting session of its international award winning oils.

Cada paso dado en estas montañas le transportará a tiempos remotos, cuando sus antiguos pobladores excavaron y afianzaron los senderos que unían sus poblados y que aún hoy se conservan. Una tierra orgullosa de sus orígenes donde fueron constantes las batallas y luchas por cada Castillo, por cada rincón del valle. Las fuentes y manantiales aún cuentan la vida de Al-Azraq, el ultimo visir moro de Valencia que luchó por estas tierras contra el rey cristiano Jaume I en el siglo XIII.

Caminará por sus senderos descubriendo un valle fértil y acogedor que alberga un excepcional patrimonio ambiental y cultural que incluye especies botánicas endémicas únicas en el mundo o abrigos con muestras de arte rupestre Neolítico declaradas Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco en 1988.

Actualmente, el cultivo del cerezo es la base de la economía de la zona y en primavera la espectacular floración tiñe de blanco el valle. Pero todo el año es posible disfrutar de este valle a través de sus caminos o admirando los restos del castillo de Gallinera, una de las últimas fortalezas de Al-Azraq, que resistió como pocos en el Mediterráneo la conquista cristiana y que aún hoy, 800 años después, exhibe orgullosos sus restos.

No hay mejor manera de acabar la mañana que hablando de lo visto y vivido en la montaña alrededor de una buena mesa. Para ello Oxytours ha seleccionado un restaurante en la zona en el que tendrá la oportunidad de degustar la excelente gastronomía del lugar donde la tradición de siglos, la calidad de los productos locales y el trabajo pausado en la cocina ofrecen como resultado platos con personalidad propia, como la de cada rincón de este valle.

Como opción para finalizar la jornada podrá contratar la visita a las instalaciones de una cooperativa de cerezas donde, además de realizar una degustación de sus productos, descubriremos la importancia económica y social de su cultivo para el valle.

Un valle increíble. Descúbralo con Oxytours.

The aim of this route is to offer you the opportunity to get to know the Costa Blanca from a completely different point of view: l’Alcoià.

We will visit the Natural Reserve of Font Roja located in the north of the province an enclave with an excellent representation of forest where we can observe its diverse array of deciduous trees.

We shall also enter into its history to discover how its inhabitants took advantage of its unique natural resources throughout the centuries. We are able to visit 18^th century snow wells used for the production of ice.

After 3 hours of being completely immersed in mother nature we will recharge our batteries in a specially selected restaurant perfectly combining tradition and excellence. You will enjoy dishes typical of this area prepared with elaborate care, such as homemade bread filled with wild mushrooms and chestnuts, salads with seasonal vegetables fruits and flowers to name but a few.

To round off your journey you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an excellent bodega in order to sample its cultivated delights and to appreciate the importance of the area’s labour. This is available at a small extra charge.

This excursion allows you to lose yourself in the forest of Alcoi enriched with incredible environment and sample its gastronomy steeped in tradition and unique produce.

The sleeping lion of Ponoig mountain was so named by Gabriel Miró, the Alicante writer and poet at the start of 20th century. The peaks and curves of this marvellous formation resemble the mane of a magnificent feline: the lions head. Those who venture to discover the mountain which is in effect a true lion formed by peaks, deep ravines and an amazing watchtower peak at 1180 metres in height from where we observe an excellent panorama of the Costa Blanca will not be disappointed.

Ponoig is without doubt a unique mountain. Its elevated height coupled with its proximity to the Mediterranean has made it home to a series of distinct habitats that house numerous species of particularly interesting plants and animals. A biodiversity which turns this area into an environmental paradise.

The Ponoig trails tell us how its inhabitants lived, how they learnt the medicinal properties of the plants on its slopes and also how they survived the transformation this region has undergone during the last 50 years. The original stone walls are still in evidence today to tell us the story.

Of all the tales that you will hear perhaps the most delightful will be the silent one that you will feel with your senses: the gastronomy. We take you to a restaurant which will take you on a veritable journey through the area’s traditions, flavours and wealth of produce, respecting the original methods used to create these exceptional dishes. You will be in no doubt as to why the Costa Blanca is famed for its cuisine!

After lunch you might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an excellent bodega in order to sample its exquisite wines and olive oils. This is available at a small extra charge.

Known for being the highest mountain on the Costa Blanca at 1.558 metres, Aitana is one of the best places in the Area to go hiking, enjoying the spectacular views of the Mediterranean and the Guadalest Valley.

Walking through Aitana lets you get in touch with your senses such as the silence and distinct colours present in each season. A silence broken only by the sound of water or its numerous species of birds.

With our guides you will come to know Aitana as the place with the greatest biodiversity thanks to its height and proximity to the sea. Geology and Botany come together to offer unique formations for your enjoyment.

Pas de la Rabosa, this narrow passage leads you another aspect of the mountain where you will be amazed by the unbelievable chasm of Partagat.

Learn about how it´s inhabitants lived centuries ago, thanks to the remains of snow wells found among beautiful olive groves with almond and cherry blossom trees.

Countryside that produces crops which are made into a multitude of dishes giving the interior Costa Blanca its gastronomic fame. Cuisine exclusive to the mountain region plus handmade aromatic liqueur which you can sample in selected restaurants with Oxytours where the traditions have been maintained will delight you.

You might wish to extend your day by booking a visit to an olive oil press. This is available at a small extra charge. Here, we will witness the jewel of the Mediterranean being made into the liquid gold we call olive oil.

Oxytours has prepared this route to share with you the incredible ambience of Aitana.