The Valencian Community has incredible places to visit, in particular, tourism in Alicante always offers thousands of possibilities, with its white coast and paradisiacal beaches, its historical traditions, such as the Moors and Christians of Alcoy or its spectacular fauna and flora, Something that we can enjoy in Sierra de Mariola.

The enchantments of the Sierra de Mariola

Situated between the regions of l’Alcoià, Vall d’Albaida and Comtat, Sierra de Mariola has an area of ​​16,000 hectares. It was declared Natural Park in 2002 and through it passes the river Vinalopó and the peak of Montcabrer finds its highest point.

Among its buildings stand out the masias, the hermitages and the castles, but also call the attention the cavas, are constructions for the storage of the snow that suppose a sign of identity of the Mountain range of Mariola.

Among its flora stands out the variety of aromatic herbs, for which it is known fundamentally. Herbs are used for therapeutic purposes and also as a gastronomic supplement. In fact, if you visit this area, you can taste dishes where the herbs are the protagonists, and also the oil that we find in the area coming from the olive trees of Sierra de Mariola. Among the typical dishes, we can find the peppers stuffed with rice or “olleta”.

Another distinctive element that we find in the Sierra de Mariola is its large number of fountains, which together with its farmhouses and the large number of roads, show the use of the natural resources of the area. And is that it is a place of abundant water, so it has been inhabited since ancient times.

This mountainous chain presents an unparalleled historical heritage and makes it one of the most recommended places to see in Alicante. In this area we find places that have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO, such as the archaeological site La Sagra de Alcoy and also the Sarsa of Bocairent. Other places that we can enjoy and which have a great historical value are the castle of Banyeres de Mariola, the route that passes through the most famous houses of Alcoy or the medieval district of Bocairent.

For people that loves sport, this park also represents a good alternative, since in Sierra de Mariola, we find numerous hiking routes enjoying the beauty of the area. One of the preferred routes is the one of the sources, where we will find numerous points of water by the way. It is advisable that, if we are going hiking, choose the month of spring, where we will enjoy the flora in all its splendor.

The Sierra de Mariola comprises the towns of Agres, Alcoi, Alfafara, Banyeres de Mariola, Bocairent, Cocentaina and Muro, and represents one of the main lungs of the Valencian Community.