Villanueva de Viver: Nature, Hiking Trails and Architectural Heritage

Villanueva de Viver invites you to discover a place where nature, trails and architectural heritage offer different perspectives.

More places in the overview: Casablanca, Benicassim, Todolella, Sant Jordi, Benafer, Moncófar, El Grau de Moncofa and Catí.

Nature

A notable feature is the Fuente del Collao, which has been included in the Spanish Zerynthia network of butterfly oases. Aleppo or white pines, Scots pines, maritime pines, black pines, downy oaks and holm oaks grow along the local trails. The pine forests provide a habitat for foxes, wild boar, roe deer, goshawks, woodpeckers, tits and lizards.

The site of the Oasis de Mariposas at the Fuente del Collao includes water flowing from the Barranco San Antón, a spring and a small collection basin with a weir for irrigation. The Fuente del Collao natural area was restored in 2021, including its spring, weir, basin and walls, and was established as a picnic area. The Mirador de Pradas is one of Villanueva de Viver's themed viewpoints.

Trails

Since 2019, a signposted network of 14 hiking trails has been opened in Villanueva de Viver. The trails include “hunter and lumberjack trails” with a high level of difficulty, “special trails” with a medium level, and “healthy trails” with a low level. The Caminos madereros are restored historic routes that were formerly used for forestry or agricultural work and are now organised as a Multisenda system with alternative branches.

The Multisenda trail network of Villanueva de Viver honours the sustainable former use of the mountains and the associated heritage that is to be preserved. On the Ruta de la Resinera, centuries-old holm oaks can be visited. The four circular routes near Villanueva de Viver run through the surrounding pine forests and are between 5 and 13 km long. In addition, there are four suggested trails between 4 and 7 km long with moderate elevation differences.

For your own planning, the trails can be compared side by side based on their indicated lengths, elevation differences and levels of difficulty.

Culture

The Iglesia Parroquial de San Antonio Abad is of interest as a local monument and is classified as a Bien de Relevancia Local. It has an attached bell tower and a two-part sandstone portal. Its interior has a Latin cross floor plan with three naves, a raised choir, lunettes and stained-glass windows. The parish church in Villanueva de Viver is estimated to date from the 17th century, around 1698.

The Ermita de San Martín is located in the immediate surroundings of Villanueva de Viver, 1 km from the town in the direction of Fuente la Reina on the CV-207. The sandstone building has a square floor plan and a single nave. The Ermita de San Martín is estimated to date from the mid-17th century, around 1656.

The Azud de la Jordana is a historic hydraulic structure included in the catalogue of ethnological assets. Until a few decades ago, it regulated water so that it flowed through the irrigation channel to the Balsa de la Jordana and was used to irrigate the surrounding area.

The Fuente de San Roque natural area was restored as a recreational facility in 2022. The Fuente de San Roque recreational facility is dedicated to the Arab irrigation systems associated with the origins of Villanueva de Viver. Cereals and grapevines, referred to there as “parra”, have traditionally been cultivated in Villanueva de Viver.

The ethnological sites of Villanueva de Viver are organised into nine guided routes with on-site signage; each site has an information board with a QR code. Festivals in honour of San Martín and Santa Bárbara are celebrated in Villanueva de Viver.

To the main travel overview: Castellon.