RUTA7y8_72a91 OK ingles:rutas 02/07/10 13:28 Página 72 History, culture and beautiful landscapes accompany us through the Cabriel and Júcar gorges Route 7 From Requena to Ayora o Turia R Rio e Chera E. de Fuenterrobles a t Buseo Benaguasil Caudete 8 il Utiel lo Vilamarxant de las Fuentes L«E E. de Contreras Villargordo CV- 16 del Cabriel 10 9 Circuito de la Comunidad 0 Riba-roja 13 5 a Cuen 14 859 4 Valenciana Ricardo Tormo ca-Madrid 11 503 7 Tejo del Tria CV- CV- 4661 A-3 6 CV- 5 4 1.251 Loriguilla 18 17 12 Venta 4 50 1.040 Cheste 20 24 19 del Moro 3 2 Requena Siete Aguas A-3 23 A-3 Chiva 22 1 El Bosque Hoces 21 del Cabriel 25 28 26 R 27 io 58 C 4 R Buol Godelleta 29 ab R ri CV- R el 322 Rio A Turs N- lb R 30 osa Ytova Alborache 15 34 Balneario R Macastre CV-50 33 Rio E. de Forata 3231 de Fuente Podrida Maga M 36 gro Tamayo 35 37 39 Montroy Re 38 40 43 Tabaqueros 41 42 44 45 Cas 46 tilillla- R La M io Ca 47 an briel Dos Aguas cha 48 Casas del Ro Casas Ibaez 330 49 Catada Alborea 50 N- Balneario E. de Casas de Ves CV- Millares Rio Seco 439 51 de Cofrentes 53 Cofrentes Cortes de Palls Millares 52 E. de Tous R R. Jcar 54 55 56 Jalance Cinto de la Cabra io R 1.018 R 1.074 R Jarafuel Bicorp R. Jucar Casas de Juan Gil R Caroch To Teresa de Quesa R 1.126 Sumacrcer . R Zarra C Cofrentes a Navarrs Alatoz Palomeras u linera t o a CV-440 a io M Antella b b R a Carceln 1.260 57 59a Cote n Ayora n Bolbaite R 1.108 te ai A 58 lb de o Chella B Sll t 1 • El Pontón Tamayo 31 • House: Casa la Mata Cabriel 2 • El Azagador 16 • Dam: Presa de Contreras 32 • Power Station: Central 46 • House: Casa de la Noria 3 • Derramador 17 • Los Cuchillos Hidroeléctrica la Terrera 47 • Rinconada de Muñoz 4 • Roma 18 • La Fonseca 33 • Power Station: Central 48 • House: Casa de Penen 5 • Barrio Arroyo 19 • Peña de Carcachal Hidroeléctrica del Retorno 49 • Waterfall/Power Station: Salto 6 • San Juan 20 • Mount: El Cerro de las Cuevas 34 • House: Casa del Pino Hidroeléctrico de Cofrentes 7 • Calderón 21 • Tollo del Hombre 35 • Casas de Carcel 50 • Houses: Casas de Alcance 8 • Spring: Manantial de la 22 • El Purgatorio 36 • Bathing resorts: Baños de 51 • Spa: Hervideros de Cofrentes Alberca 23 • Gorge: Hoz de Vicente Fuente Podrida 52 • Mount: Cerro de la Dehesilla 9 • Los Villares 24 • Rabo de la Sartén 37 • La Villatoya 53 • Volcano: Cerro de Agrás 10 • Casa de Doñana 25 • Bridge: Puente de Vadocañas 38 • House: Casas de Gilanco 54 • Castle: Castillo de Jalance 11 • Bronze Age Site: Yacimiento 26 • House: Casa del Zorro 39 • House: Casa del Perichán 55 • Cave: Cueva de Don Juan Edad Bronce. 27 • House: Casa Huerta de Los 40 • House: Casa del Salado 56 • El Moragete Cave: Cueva Mulatillas Desamparados 41 • House: Casa de La Tornera 57 • Farm: Finca El Rebolloso 12 • Casas de Moluengo 28 • House: Casa Salgar 42 • Houses: Casas de Tetuán 58 • Castellar de Meca 13 • Cave: Puntal del Horno Ciego 29 • Hamlet: Aldea los Cárceles 43 • Houses: Casas de Caballero 59 • Cross: Cruz de San Castillo 14 • House: Casa Zapata 30 • Hermitage: Ermita Santa 44 • Houses: Casas de La Golfilla 15 • Country House: Caserío de Bárbara 45 • Houses: Casillas del Río RUTA7y8_72a91:rutas 29/06/10 7:58 Página 73 72 - 73 The route commences at Requena in the Plana de Utiel- era settlement of Castellar de Meca in the Mugrón Requena region, principally known for the sierra, within the municipal district of Almansa, with Denominación de Origin [designation of origin - D.O. - what are probably the best woods of Phoenicean similar to the French appellation d’origine] of its wine juniper in the entire Region of Valencia. and for its rich cuisine. It also has a rich historical il heritage, like the Barrio de la Villa declared a place of Beginning of the route: Requena L«E Cultural Interest and of National Historic-Artistic and Utiel - from the land of wine roja importance. After Requena, following the river Magro, towards crystal clear waters ria we arrive at Utiel and, having passed through the towns guilla of Caudete de las Fuentes and Villagordo del Cabriel, we Requena, capital of the Plana de Utiel-Requena region, head for the Hoces del Cabriel nature park, one of the possesses a medieval quarter, the Barrio de la Villa, the ue most beautiful and important natural heritages of the present layout of which was carried out during the Region of Valencia. The Cabriel river is noted for its Almohad era, in the 12th century and the first third of waters having the best physiochemical properties and, the 13th. La Villa is set on a limestone hill which made it with its interminable meanders, for much of its length it possible, in its day, for Requena to be made into a small M marks the border between the Region of Valencia and defensive fort. Walking around the Barrio is an exercise Re Castille-La Mancha. All the way along the Cabriel’s in reencountering history. The Moorish alleyways, Santa riverside path we will discover structures of former María street where the Knights of the King’s Payroll were water-driven generators, buildings for livestock, forestry based and built their grand houses, and the many steep tada and agriculture, now disused, but forming an itinerary slopes such as that of Cristo or the Angel, take us back of great cultural value. This route, therefore, not only to ancestral times, making us participants in legend, the allows us to get closer to nature, but also to enter into annals of history, shared memory. The winding cobbled the history, customs and ways of life that have gone streets of Requena going up Calle del Cristo take us up back to being valued again as time has passed. After to the Plaza de la Villa, the real nerve centre of the Villa Rio our journey along the Cabriel as far as Cofrentes, and since time immemorial. Under the Plaza we find the JucarTo continuing south to Jalance, we will then head west caves that were dug out by the Arabs when they bored er and go back up a through spectacular narrow gorge through the limestone to the substrata and extracted ella with sheer vertical walls, on the Júcar river. From the the clay, thus forming the vaults of the caves. The caves Cote Cueva de Don Juan set into the gorge of the Júcar, we have been put to many different uses throughout A de ll t go in the direction of Ayora passing through the Iberian history, notably the use of the labyrinthine passages and chambers as refuges at various different times of war, as silos for cereals and, without a doubt, the most Vines in Requena 39° 26' 43.20" N 1° 8' 30.60" W recent and important use they have had, as cellars for making and storing wines. From Requena, and without leaving the Barrio de la Villa, declared a place of Cultural Interest and of National Historic-Artistic importance, we can find another series of monuments and places of great cultural interest to visit, such as the Casa del Arte Mayor de la Seda [Silk], the churches of San Nicolás, Santa María, and Del Salvador, the Alcazaba [Arab fortress], La Fortaleza [stronghold], La Judería [Jewish RUTA7y8_72a91:rutas 29/06/10 7:58 Página 74 Route 7 From Requena to Ayora for the Denominación de Origin [D.O.] of the region’s wine. Utiel has a marked medieval flavour about it with layouts that indicate its Arab past. We must not leave Urtiel without going to one of its local hostelries and partaking of its rich cuisine and drink its D.O. classified Requena 39° 29' 7.20" N 1° 6' 1.80" W wine, and we can get to know the characteristic friendliness of the local people. Leaving Urtiel we take the road for Carasquilla, in the direction of the Casa de Quarter], the Palacio del Cid [palace], and the Torre de Renegado. After six kilometres we turn right until we Homenaje [tower]. Meanwhile, noteworthy in the reach Villagordo del Cabriel. Halfway along the road Arrabal neighbourhood are the wine making station, between Utiel and Villagordo del Cabriel, on the right, the Fuente de los Patos and the church of San along a stretch of some three kilometres on the CV-543, Sebastián. As well as the heritage of monuments, the is the hamlet of Caudete de las Fuentes. The main city’s vernacular architecture forms a labyrinthine layout attractions in this hamlet is the 18th century church of that ensures a charming walk around the streets of the Natividad de la Virgen and the Luis García Ejarque Requena. We leave Requena on the CV-450 heading in archaeological museum. The area where Caudete de las the direction of Utiel. On the way we will find two Fuentes is located has been populated since the Bronze defining aspects of the Plana de Utiel-Requena region: Age, as can be seen from the archaeological sites on the hamlets and the vineyards. The hamlets that we can the nearby hills of Casa Doñana and Los Villares.