Chulilla, the suspension bridge trail
13 de noviembre de 2016
Our first trip in the VW T3 Syncro, and to break it in we’ve chosen Chulilla. A few years ago we came here to visit the Charco Azul, a small lake at the foot of the village of Chulilla. Today’s route will be a journey lasting approximately two and a half hours, known as the ‘suspension bridges route’.
Without much preparation – pretty much just as we’d brought it from Tarragona – we set off for Chulilla. We just topped up the coolant a little and loaded the toolbox (just in case). We headed towards the Ademuz track and stopped to fill up with petrol. The temperature gauge is hovering halfway up; everything’s going well. Even so, we bought a litre of oil as we’d noticed the level was a bit low. We topped up the oil and carried on; it wasn’t far to go now.
Chulilla
Once in Chulilla, first things first: we head to the village square for lunch. Afterwards, we visit the Charco Azul and set off towards the eco-park, where the suspension bridges trail begins.
Chulilla’s suspension bridges
After parking, we head for the path to set off on the walk. The views are spectacular right from the start. A viewpoint allows us to admire a canyon through which the water flows, eventually reaching the Charco Azul.
The path takes us alongside the canyon for quite a while until we come to a flight of steps. These steps wind their way up to the first of the suspension bridges.
A bridge about 20 metres long, secured to the canyon walls with thick steel cables and suspended some 15 metres above the river. As you step onto the first plank, you can feel the bridge swaying and creaking; some people pick up the pace. We continue down another flight of steps that takes us down to the riverbed. Not far from there is the second suspension bridge. This one is lower, barely a few metres above the river, but it’s just as spectacular.
We cross over to the right bank of the River Guadalaviar, where we find numerous climbing routes. Chulilla is renowned as one of the epicentres of climbing in the Valencian Community. Climbing enthusiasts from all over Spain and abroad flock to this town. It is undoubtedly a great place to practise this sport.
We continue along the path until we reach what is known as the Torraeta Reservoir, where the canyon opens out. We are at the foot of the Loriguilla Reservoir dam.
It’s time to head back along the same path, as this isn’t a circular route. We retrace our steps until we reach the van. In the end, the route takes about two and a half hours. It’s time to head back to the village to recharge our batteries at the bar.
