Ayódar: Hiking Trails, River Landscape and Architectural Heritage

The PR-CV 276 is a marked, moderately difficult to challenging circular route from Ayódar via Villamalur and back. The 16 km route takes 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Hiking

A linear option is the Ayódar–Azut–Fuentes de Ayódar route. It is partially marked, moderately difficult and covers 6.4 km each way. The route format, level of marking, length and duration help you compare the two trails in terms of scope and course and objectively assess the desired hiking option. The circular route combines a longer distance with a clearly specified duration and a more challenging profile. The linear route, by contrast, follows a single course and covers a shorter distance each way. This places two differently structured forms of hiking side by side: a circular route returning to Ayódar and a linear connection between several places.

Nature and Water

The Río de Ayódar, also known as the Río Chico, runs 100 m from the centre of Ayódar. El Estrecho is 2 km from Ayódar in the direction of Torralba and is a rocky gorge on the Río de Ayódar with lush vegetation, unusual rock formations and fast-flowing water suitable for swimming. El Azud comprises natural pools formed in limestone by the action of water and integrated into the Ayódar river; nearby is an irrigation weir that serves as an access route. The Fuente Larga recreational area lies 300 m south of Ayódar town centre and can be reached via a developed footpath; it has tables, masonry benches, paelleros and a small car park. The Río de Ayódar and El Estrecho differ in their geographical setting, landscape form and water characteristics. Fuente Larga complements these landscape features with a specifically equipped area south of the town centre.

Culture and History

Architectural form, dating and function offer three different perspectives on Ayódar’s cultural history. The parish church of San Vicente Ferrer is a neoclassical building with three naves separated by large pilasters, an apse, a dome and a bell tower. The Torre Campanario de los Dominicos is the bell tower of Ayódar’s former Dominican monastery, dates from 1575 and is considered Ayódar’s most important and distinctive architectural landmark. The remains of Castillo de Ayódar include a defensive Muslim tower from the 15th century. Castillo de Ayódar lies opposite the town centre to the southeast, 500 m from the settlement. El Castillico is an Iberian archaeological site with the remains of a tower. The Corrales y Pajares of Ayódar are agricultural buildings made of stone with traditional tiled roofs, grouped around threshing floors and mostly located near the town centre.

Other places:Pina De Montalgrao, Eslida, Catí, Fuentes De Ayódar, Vilafamés, Benicarló, Villahermosa Del Río, Caudiel

For the higher-level travel overview: Castellon.