We stayed at Camping Altomira https://www.campingaltomira.com/en/ The campsite is tiered and the motorhome pitches are located at the top of the campsite. It definitely gets the heart pumping walking up from reception! The pitches are all different sizes and we couldn’t fit into the pitch we were allocated, so we informed reception that we had chose a different pitch without any issues. The pitches all have a outdoor sink, water tap and drain. We paid 18 euros per night with ACSI and there is free WiFi too.
The main reason for our visit was the campsite is allocated right on the Via Verde Ojos Negro Cycle path.
It was a steep hill up from the campsite to the Via Verde which was a bit of a struggle!
Once up on the Via Verde we cycled towards the town of Jerica.
The path is quite high up so you could see quite away across the valley.
Once you get into Jerica you have to pick up the Via Verde again from the other side of the town. Some of it is a dedicated cycle lane and some of it is just main roads which luckily aren’t very busy.
We continued cycling along the Via Verde until we came to a couple of tunnels. The longest one being 1.6km long and a little bit leaky. So it was a double dose of bravery for Karen who had to cycle the tunnel again when we turned around.
We also walked into Navajas to visit the Salto De La Novia which translates as “The Jump of the Girlfriend,” this stunning waterfall has a tragic legend behind it is a waterfall.
The waterfall features a 30-meter single drop into a river surrounded by wilderness. According to local legend, there was a tradition years ago where brides to be would jump across the Riu Palancia river to prove their love and ensure a fruitful and successful marriage.
While most young brides would find a narrow part of the river to seamlessly make the jump in front of their fellow villagers, the story goes that one girl jumped and slipped into the river. On instinct, her groom to be jumped in after his bride only for the two ill-fated lovers to be swallowed up by the water and swept down stream.
Today, the legend of the lovers hangs above the waterfall. It’s said that at midnight, the voices of the pair can be heard floating above the water, while the waterfall itself is said to turn a blinding white, resembling the color of a wedding dress.
We took the long route along the river and it took us about a hour to walk to the waterfall. It wasn’t hot enough for us to take a swim and we were lucky enough to be the only ones there but we imagine it would be very busy on a summers weekend.
So we had a lovely few days and said we will probably return again to the area as there are quite few things to do in the vicinity.
