This is probably the best walk from Villahermosa del Río. It can be an all-day affair, or a shorter route as far as the Río Carbo waterfall. The longer trek goes to the top of the second highest summit in the Valencia region, which is Peñagolosa (1,814 metres) – a sacred mountain and place of pilgrimage, but more importantly an area of extraordinary natural beauty.
One of the main protagonists of the route is water – that precious commodity which is often in short supply here in Spain. There was water in the River Carbo when I did this walk in mid April but it would be fantastic to see it in full flow. Having said that, this walk should not be attempted after torrential rain as much of the route is in the riverbed.
This route is a continuation north from the short section of the Carbo ravine featured in the previous post. The Carbo carves its way through limestone rock, in places with spectacular effect. The river disappears underground for short sections; the bed may appear to be dry, but water reappears a short distance away, as if by magic. The path crosses the stream a number of times on small wooden bridges.
En route, there are a couple of old mills, one of which was used until the 1990s. Local farmers would take their grain to be turned into flour, with the wheels working off the flow of the river. Information boards on the walk explain all about the history and the milling procedure, noting that they have been in existence since the 1200s. There are also natural springs and other points of interest such as the Pozo Negro (black well) pool.
The route to the Carbo waterfall is on the GR-7 long distance footpath which traverses the length of Spain. Therefore, we are able to make use of the red/white waymarks. There is also abundant signage pointing the walker in the right direction, which is basically up the river valley/ravine with no deviations as far as the waterfall.
It is 6km one way to the Carbo waterfall, with 307 metres of ascent. This will be the end point of the walk for some. For those who want to reach the summit of Peñagolosa there is approximately 12km of additional walking, which makes a total trek of around 24km, with more than 1,200 metres of ascent. It is a long hike but a very rewarding one.
It should be noted that the spelling of Peñagolosa in the Valencian language is Penyagolosa.
The route
Start from the church square at the top of the village, which is also home to the tourism office with handy large-scale maps outside that reveal how to get down to the River Carbo. This is done by descending to Plaza del Ayuntamiento, then taking Calle Caballeros and turning right on Calle Barriete to head out of the back of the village and descend on the lane to the Carbo ravine, with signs en route pointing for ‘ruta cascada Río Carbo’ (‘cascada’ is waterfall). The white/red waymarks help with orientation.
A couple of hundred metres down the lane, at the riverbed, it’s a left turn to head up the left bank of the Carbo which may be dry at this point, with the water flowing underground. We can also read a sign about Peñagolosa, which is a natural park as well as magnificent mountain. It tells us about some of the fauna which can be seen such as ibex and the alpine accentor (bird) – and the different types of ‘masía’, the strapping farmsteads which span the high pasturelands of the Maestrat (Maestrazgo) area, some of which had defence towers and many of which are now abandoned and falling down.
The path soon passes into the bed of the river, still dry at this point. When water reappears, stepping stones show that this walk would be a different proposition when the river is in spate. The path criss-crosses the river – part of the charm of this terrific route. Now on the left bank again, the path arrives at a ‘pozo’, a deeper pool in the river; this one called the Poza Cantales Pardos which may lead to an underground cavern. Keep on the left bank, heading for the Fuente El Cura.
The path moves slightly away from the bed of the river to pass two farmsteads which have been refurbished and turned into rural retreats – the Masía Roncales and the Posada del Río Carbo. This is around 3km from Villahermosa, and halfway to the waterfall. Here the route turns into a track for a short while. Soon the ravine takes on a more dramatic aspect, with steeper sides, the path now above the river on the left-hand side of the valley.
Then we are at the riverside again, making use of the narrow wooden ‘bridges’ which cross back and forth. Next up it’s the ‘Pozo Negro’ – a deeper pool on the river, where you might be tempted to have a dip if it’s a warm day. There is another tree trunk bridge just after this wonderful rocky spot.
Then, very soon, it’s back over again, from right to left bank to reach the Fuente La Higuera. The sign informs us that this natural spring is a ‘source of drinking water’. Keep on the left bank from La Higuera, continuing up the gently-ascending river valley/ravine.
Soon it’s time for our first mill – the Molino El Carbo. Mills operated on this river from the 13th century (and possibly earlier) and this one was a working concern up until the 1990s. The information board informs us that most recently it was run by Eugenio Badenas Allepuz and his family. They attended to local farmers arriving with ‘mules packed with grain’ which were ground by the miller. An attractive wooden bridge takes us away from the mill, back to the right bank, to continue on the path towards the waterfall.
Part 2 comes next
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