In the cold and dark of January a post from warmer and sunnier days in August 2017.
It may be only 25Km from the beaches and bars of Benidorm but the hill village of Guadalest is a jewel that many visitors to the Costa Blanca may well miss.
Surrounded by mountains it has been a military stronghold for over a thousand years although you are now only likely to see the daily invasion of tourists.
The drive from the Mediterranean coast may only be short but it is largely uphill and is itself a treat so is not to be rushed. Travelling from Javea we left the motorway (Autopisa) to join the CV755 which took us first to the town of Callosa d’en Sarria. Much of the agriculture here is given to the production of loquats (I’d never heard of them either – apparently like a mix of peach, citrus and mango) and large areas of the countryside can be seen covered to protect the trees, which do not bear fruit until the spring. At Callosa there is the choice to turn to the Algar waterfalls or continue on to Guadalest. The road from here is wild, rugged and beautiful. There is a curt reminder of just how wild when the road crosses an area of a recent forest fire which has left several hectares blackened.
Despite the bus loads of visitors the village doesn’t feel crowded and parking was reasonably straightforward even arriving late morning. Shops are very touristy as you can imagine but there is an interesting range of museums for such a small village. These include a microgigantic and minature museums where magnifying glasses can be used to see a flea on a bicycle and the Statue of Liberty in the eye of a needle. Of particular interest was the ethnological museum which uses a series of dioramas to tell the story of life in the village in time gone by. Entry was free and although small the museum gave a very good picture of what life was like.
Orduna house is well worth a visit and the entry charge is very reasonable. While the house is very interesting it is the views afforded from the higher parts of the castle that are the real bonus
Looking east from the village you can see the reservoir formed by the damming of the river Guadalest.
Guadalest is well worth visit. So close to the hustle and bustle of the beaches yet so far away.