This route affords a tour to the Montgo Nature Park discovering an agricultural area of great beauty and environmental value around the massif between the municipalities of Denia and Xabia.
This route, of moderate difficulty because there are no great uneven levels of land, was created with the idea of it being accessible to a wide range of users. Leaving the ports of Denia or Xabia we always use roads that are little traversed and which also give access to the urban nuclei of La Xara and Jesus Pobre. Our route reveals, through a push on the bicycle pedal, all the faces of this emblematic mountain. We can complete the journey by sea, thanks to the ferries between the two ports, contemplating the impressive cliffs of Cabo San Antonio that are more than 160 metres above sea level. We will encounter scenery and hidden corners of a rural world, places that tell us about times gone by in which man lived in integrated harmony with nature. During the trip we will see buildings such as country houses, farmsteads, wells,and especially typical riu raus, arched terraces where grapes were left to dry into raisins. We will pass by groves of oranges, olives, almonds,and vines formed like a natural mosaic of different colours. We will also find some monumental trees, authentic living works of art, sculptured by nature over a period of many years. All of this a gift from nature in a 26km. route to be enjoyed without haste, seeing a countryside in continuous change. - Length: 26 Km (port to port)
- Time: 2 to 3 hours (without stopping)
- Return: we recommend the boat trip (40 min.)
- Climb: low Difficulty: easy tarmac and unmade country roads.
- Recommendations: helmet, water, adequate clothing, protection against the sun and camera.
THE MONTGO – A MOUNTAIN FULL OF LIFE The massif of the Montgo is at an elevation of 735 metres above the plains of Xabia and Denia. The geological characteristics and the climatic conditions favour the presence of different ecosystems of outstanding beauty. The south slope is formed by large vertical faces that receive a lot of sunshine while the north or shady side, having less uneven levels, receives humid and fresh winds from the sea tempering the climate. For this reason we find more than 650 species of plants, 52 of which are endemic, as well as birds and mammals common to the cliffs of the mountain. For these reasons the Montgo was declared a Nature Park in 1987. As well as this there are traces of the passage of man (Iberian, Roman) which testify to its strategic importance in antiquity. The protection of the agricultural area is very important as a natural connecter because the animals that live on the mountain find their food here,among them Bonelli’s Eagle the royal owl, wild boar and badgers. In the ravines next to cultivated fields we find riverside vegetation, elms, black poplars, reeds, rushes, myrtle etc. The conservation of these agricultural landscapes is the key not only to the maintenance of the ecosystems of the Montgo but also to the understanding of the culture and behaviour of the people in this region. |