Along the River Vinalopó in Novelda

The starting point for this walk is on Calle Manuel Bonmati in Novelda (Province of Alicante), opposite the El Templo pub.
To get to this starting point by car, see the ‘Practical Information’ section below.

(S/E) Continue for a few metres along the road and take the steps on the right. This leads onto a path running parallel to the River Vinalopó.

(1) Turn right to cross the bridge and, immediately, take the path on the left along the left bank of the River Vinalopó. Carry on until you reach the Camino de Santiago del Sureste. Take this path by turning left, continue on and you’ll reach a crossroads.
(2) Cross the river and take the path on the left, which climbs very gently. Carry on until you reach a T-junction and a tarmac road.

(3) Follow this to the left for a few dozen metres, then turn right at almost a 180° angle onto the CV-8326 road. Continue uphill until, opposite the last houses, you reach a junction with a track.

(4) Leave the tarmac road and turn left onto this track. Walk uphill until you reach the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena.

(5) Retrace your steps and visit the Castillo de la Mola, then return to the road and head left. You will soon come to the^PR®®-CV311 road at the Fuente Castello de la Mola.

(6) Turn right onto this road, then turn right onto the CV-8325 and return to the junction leading to the sanctuary that you passed earlier.

(4) Follow the same route as on the way there. Continue along this path until you reach the X-shaped junction which you also passed on the way there.

(3) Carry on straight ahead and, a little further on, you’ll reach the^GR®®160at the junction of the Cami de la Nola and the Via Augusta.

(7) Turn right onto it, following a very gentle descent to the initial junction, which you also passed on the way there.

(2) Retrace your steps in the opposite direction to return to the Novelda car park (S/E).

Driving directions to the start of the walk:
From Alicante city centre, take the A31 motorway (from Calle Mexico) towards Madrid and continue straight on along the A31.
Take exit 216 for Novelda (sur) / Agost.
At the roundabout, take the^3rd exit towards Novelda.
Drive under the motorway bridge you have just left and, at the roundabout, take the^first exit towards the CV-820 / Novelda (East).
At the next roundabout, take the^second exit (which is actually straight on towards the Nero marble workshop) onto the CV-820.
At the next roundabout, take the^second exit (which is actually straight on towards McDonald’s).
At the roundabout, take the^second exit towards Novelda Norte. You’ll then be on the N-325 or Av. Vinalopó.
After about 800 m, at the junction, turn left towards the A31 Madrid / Centro Urba, but at the ‘give way’ sign, take the street directly opposite (C. Dos de Mayo), then take the^first street on the right (Carrer San Fermi), and at the end, turn right (C. San Juan D. Cruz).
Just before the stop sign, take the street on the left (Rue Manuel Bonmati) and park in front of the El Templo pub.

As a guide, the journey by car from Alicante is approximately 23 km and takes about 25 minutes.

(5) The Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena: it was designed by José Sala Sala (an industrial engineer born in Novelda) in the^first half of the 20th century (1918–1946). It is situated on the hill where the town’s first inhabitants settled.
Such a building was made possible by the presence of a wealthy bourgeoisie, thanks to the operation of marble quarries.
Its overall shape symbolises the jar of ointment which, according to the Gospel, Mary Magdalene used to anoint Jesus’ feet.
The style is distinctly modernist, in the tradition of Gaudí. Indeed, the sanctuary forms part of the European Route of Modern Art.

(5) The Castillo de la Mola: this is a fortress of Islamic origin built in the 12th century.
In the 14th century, during the reign of James II, a series of renovation works took place, notably the construction of a triangular tower that is unique in the world.
In 1931, the castle was declared a Site of Cultural Interest.
Restoration work is currently underway.

(6) The Mola Fountain: it is also known as the ‘Fountain of the Three Friends’, because in a small hollow at the foot of the sanctuary, three friends from Novelda decided to build a fountain using water from a spring.
They bought the land, carried out the work, and once everything was complete, donated the land to Novelda Town Council.
The fountain was inaugurated on 7 August 1922.
It was inspired by a fountain in Jerusalem and, to ensure it matched the style of the sanctuary, the same architect (José Sala Sala) was commissioned to design it.
He thus built a grotto decorated with stone balls.
The whole structure is dominated by the announcing angel holding a bronze trumpet.