The outing will take place on Saturday 12 March.

Meeting point: Km 0 of the Alcoi greenway.

Time: 10:00 a.m.

The activity is free but registration is required. Limited places!

One of the Demetrio Ribes Chair's most firm commitments is to appreciate the most representative infrastructures of the Valencian territory and to make them known to the general public. What better way than to do it in the same place we want to defend? On this occasion, we invite you to walk along a section of the Alcoi Greenway.

In the middle of nature, we will discover the remains of a railway line that was never finished and that, after its definitive abandonment, has been reconverted into a greenway for the use and enjoyment of society.

Presentation

In this edition we would like to enjoy with you the Alcoi Greenway, a beautiful route where nature and a railway chimera merge into one.

The book of the history of infrastructures in Valencian territory has golden pages: some of them we have already covered in other ‘Walks through public works’ organised by the Demetrio Ribes Chair. However, it also includes ambitious pages that were never finished. One of them is the railway from Alcoi to Agost, a key work that would ultimately connect Alcoi, a pioneer city of the industrial revolution in the Valencian Community, with the port of Alicante.

The origin of the project dates back to 1873, although the most important works were carried out between 1928 and 1932. No train ever ran along this route. The current reconversion into a greenway allows us to walk along the silent memory of an unachieved dream despite the construction, for example, of one of the most remarkable viaducts of the time.

If you want to learn about its history and enjoy a natural environment of great beauty, this is your chance. In this edition we will have the collaboration of the Chair of Citizen Participation and Valencian Landscapes, whose representatives will explain in detail the splendid landscape environment.

We look forward to seeing you, but remember that there are only 40 places available.

The route

The meeting point is the same as the starting point: Km 0 of the Alcoi Greenway at 10:00 a.m. For the smooth running of the activity, we ask you to be punctual.

Where to park?

The local authorities recommend parking in the vicinity of the Batoi sports centre, preferably in Mondúver street (if possible, near where the Sunday street market is set up).

Important

The route is linear.

The outward and return journeys follow the exact same itinerary.

For a personalised enjoyment, we suggest that you do the outward journey as a group - sharing the explanations of the organisers - and the return journey independently. By doing so, we will be free to set our own pace on the way back: stop as much as we like at the places that most captivate us, take photos with friends/family, rest, etc. Of course, this does not mean that we do not want to return together (it will also be a pleasure to have the company of those of you who want to return with us); we simply believe that this option will make the experience even more enjoyable. In the same way, the fact that the route is linear allows full autonomy to adapt the length of the route to your liking.

From the meeting point (1) we will leave the town centre of Alcoi behind us. After about 700 m we enter a first tunnel at the exit of which there is a viaduct that crosses the river Barxell, the so-called Pont del Salt (2). We then enter a second gallery, almost 330 m long. Once on the open surface, we reach the el Puente de las Siete Lunas (Bridge of the 7 Moons) (3) that crosses the Polop river, 1,600 m from the starting point.

Once we have passed this infrastructure, we will cover almost another 2 kilometres, marked by a series of tunnels and galleries of varied lengths. In the open air we will pass by ‘El Mirador’ (4), a rest area (located 3,700 m from the starting point) and where, on the way back, you will be able to capture spectacular panoramic views of the area's charismatic sites.

Towards km 4.6 of our route we will pass next to the Francisco Laporta Municipal Sports Centre. If you do not feel like continuing the route or you are exhausted, there is a rest area and a bar about 400 metres away.

This brings us to the last section of the route, which is just under a kilometre long. We will cross only the first of the three tunnels that penetrate the Carrascal de la Font Roja Natural Park, because as soon as we pass it, we will reach a new viewpoint of the greenway (5), the goal of the excursion (at about 5,350 m from the starting point).

To sum up

The length of the route is approximately 11000 m. It is 5350 m outward and 5350 m return, plus possible slight detours for taking photos and/or particular circumstances, for those of you who do the whole route.

It is a simple walk, without notable orographic difficulties, neither technical, adapted to people with reduced mobility according to the official organisms. There is an accumulated difference in altitude of around 220m. The outward route shows a very slight upward trend, logically descending on the return.

Under normal circumstances, the activity will last an estimated 3 hours: from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If the weather conditions are adverse, the route could be shortened or even postponed, after appropriate notice on the previous day. In this regard, it is important that you look at the last point on the final page of this brochure. The timetables, except for the departure time, are approximate and may vary due to different aspects.

Sign up, places are going fast!

The registration form is available here. It must be completed and submitted by email to the following address: catedradr@uv.es. If you are among the first 40, we will send you a confirmation email. Otherwise, we will inform you that you will be put on the waiting list. Important: If new places are allocated to people who were originally on the waiting list, they will be informed by email on the morning of Friday 11 March (before 2:00 a.m.).

We look forward to seeing you!

Considerations

• It is absolutely essential that you follow the instructions of the guides and organisers.
• Enjoy the route respecting the environment, preserve the greenway and the nature that surrounds it.
• You participate in this activity under your own responsibility. You are responsible for your own safety and, indirectly, for the safety of other people in the area. When making decisions, use your conscience and good judgement. No smoking, throwing stones, running in dangerous areas, etc.
• People suffering from vertigo or claustrophobia should be warned about passing through several tunnels and viaducts.
• To make the experience unforgettable and always positive, we remind you that haste, hunger, thirst and cold are bad companions. Take it easy, take some food with you (nuts, fruit...) and, of course, don't forget to protect yourselves against the weather and remember that there may be temperature contrasts in the tunnels. In addition, sunscreen, caps or hats will avoid unpleasant consequences for those with sensitive skin. Finally, don't forget that we will be walking for a long time. Wear exercise shoes or comfortable shoes.
• If the weather forecast for Friday 11 March warns that the day of the 12th will be rainy, the walk will be postponed to a new date to be determined. If this is the case, we will notify you on the website and send an email on Friday 11 before 2:00 p.m. to those registered, to avoid unnecessary travel.

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