Comunitat Valenciana. Fredes - el Pinós
The place
The Gran Recorrido of the Comunitat Valenciana, Fredes-Pinós, is an 800 km route running the length of the Comunitat Valenciana from the Ports de Beseit (Fredes, Castellón) to Pinós (Alicante), east to west and north to south, over 35-40 stages. The route crosses the ranges of the Sistema Ibérico and the Prebético, pine and holm oak forests, plains of carob and olive trees, and reaches the limestone massif of the Serra Mariola. One of the most complete routes in the Valencian GR network.
Why go
Ports de Beseit (national hunting reserve, wolves). Morella (walled medieval town). Serra d'Espadà (nature park, holm oak forests). Penyagolosa (1,814 m, the highest peak in the Valencian Country). Mariola and its ethnobotanical heritage.
A bit of history
The trail was designed by the Federació d'Esports de Muntanya i Escalada de la Comunitat Valenciana (FEMECV) in the 1990s-2000s as the backbone route of the Valencian network of long-distance trails (GR). It connects the main Valencian comarques and showcases the geographic diversity of the region.
Getting there
Fredes: car from Morella (30 min). Pinós: bus from Alcoi (40 min) or Villena (30 min). Valencia Airport.
Recommended gear
Hiking boots. Sunscreen. Water (some stages have no springs). Map at 1:50,000 scale.
Best season
September-June. Avoid July-August because of the heat and wildfire risk.