The Carrasca snow well near Castalla

The starting point for this hike is located at the Font de la Carrasca car park near the town of Castalla.
To get to this starting point by car, see the "practical information" section below.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the large green sign and the barrier. Continue a little further to see a water reservoir.

(1) Behind it, take a look at the Font de la Carrasca with its small stream of water. Continue along the small path that goes straight up. A little further on, follow the sign for "Pou del Carrascal", which directs you to the right. You will arrive at the entrance gate to a private property (Mas del Carrascal).

(2) Turn left, following the sign for "Pou del Carrascal", and walk about 200 m to reach a crossroads.

(3) Turn left, following the sign for "Pou del Carrascal". Note: the distance indicated (7 km) is completely wrong, as the well is only 1.6 km from the starting point. Go straight ahead at another crossroads and you will soon come to some very wide wooden steps with a metal gate at the bottom.

(4) Walk to this closed door, which allows you to see the base of the "pou". Retrace your steps to return to the main track, then turn right at the first intersection.

(5) Walk around the beautifully preserved "pou". It is a snow well built in the 18th century: it has a diameter of 8.80 m and a depth of 9.10 m. Its pyramidal cover is original. It was restored in 2010. Then resume the route by following the path that climbs up to the right. Join another path.

(6) Follow this path to the right. Turn left at the next fork and continue for about 100 metres.

(7) Turn sharply right.

(8) You will come to a wide path (Camino de la Fuente del Lobo) opposite Mas de la Torreta. Take this path to the right. Follow this almost flat path through the fruit trees, ignoring all the paths branching off to either side, until you come to the junction with the path you took on the way out.

(3) Continue straight ahead.

(2) Pass the entrance gate to the property and remember to turn right. Then walk back along the path you took on the way there until you reach the car park (S/E).

The starting point is accessible by car from the CV811 road. Coming from Castalla towards Sax, after kilometre 2 (marked on a sign on the left side of the road), a little further on, at the end of the first right-hand bend, turn left onto a dirt road: there is a green sign marked "Deposit contra incendio forestals". Continue along this dirt track for almost 1.5 km until you reach a hairpin bend with a green sign marked "Deposit contra incendio forestals". Take this direction: you are now at the Font de la Carrasca car park. Park here , leaving the passage completely clear (for any fire engines).

For information, the journey by car from Alicante is approximately 45 km and takes around 45 minutes.