The Penya Negra archaeological site

The starting point for this walk is at the spot known as Els Pontets (a sort of aqueduct) near Crevillent.
To get to this starting point by car, see the ‘Practical Information’ section below.

(S/E) From the car park, continue straight ahead along the road (so do not go under the aqueduct).

(1) Follow the path on the left. A short while later, at the signpost, follow the direction for “Pouet de la Mel”, i.e. straight ahead on the wide path (so do not follow the other direction, “Yacimiento Penya Negra”, which is a shortcut to get there). You are now following the^PR®CV108.

(2) Take the path on the right. You’ll now leave the^PR®CV108to join the^PR®CV109. It feels like you’re in the setting of a real Western film: all that’s missing are the horses. You’re about to enter the vast protected area of the archaeological site. There’s a chain blocking the road to prevent vehicles from entering, but of course not walkers. A little further on, follow the signs for Barranc del Corcons – in other words, carry on straight ahead. This is also where the shortcut mentioned earlier joins the route.

(3) Arrive at the site itself. Take the time to explore it and read the various information boards.
Resume the walk by following the signs for Barranc del Corcons – that is, turning left rather than going straight on, although this path does not appear on maps.

(4) At the signpost, carry on straight ahead. You’re now on a narrow mountain track surrounded by lovely scenery.

(5) You’ll emerge at a place called Costera de la Bigotilla onto a very wide dirt track, wide enough for cars to pass. Turn right as you head downhill. This wide track will become a tarmac road.

(6) Follow the tarmac road, turning right.

(7) Continue along the tarmac road, heading to the right. This will take you gently to Els Pontets and thus to the car park (S/E).

To drive to the starting point of the walk:
from Alicante city centre, take the A31 motorway (from Calle Mexico) towards Madrid and, shortly afterwards, take exit 235B towards the A70 / airport / Elx / Elche / Murcia.
Continue on the A70 towards Elche.
Take exit 523 for the N340 / Elx / Elche / Crevillent, then turn right onto the N-340 / Crevillent.

At the roundabout, take the ^3rd exit towards the N-340 / Crevillent.
At the next roundabout, take the ^2nd exit towards the N-340 / Crevillent.
You will enter Crevillent.
On the N-340, you’ll see a sign next to a traffic light for Tarrotorio / Policia Local / Iglesia S. Cayetano; carry on straight ahead.
Pass two sets of traffic lights and, at ^{the third} set, turn right. At the traffic lights, turn left onto Avenue de Madrid.
At the roundabout, turn right towards the obelisk and carry on straight ahead.
You’ll then come to a stone bridge, which you pass under.
At the roundabout after this stone bridge, turn left and, at the top of the street, turn left again.
You will then reach Carrer Molins, veering slightly to the left.
At the junction, turn left to stay on Carrer Molins and carry on.
You’ll then arrive at a place called Els Pontets (a sort of aqueduct), where you can park.

In Crevillent, you can also drive through the town centre (which the suggested route avoids) or enter “Carrer Molins” into your sat-nav in Crevillent.

For your information, by car from Alicante, the journey is approximately 35 km and takes about 35 minutes.

The archaeological site of La Penya Negra was inhabited from the 9th to the 8th century BC until the 5th century BC. Covering an area of over 40 ha, this is the ancient city of Herna, which had close ties with the Phoenicians of the River Segura. This influence transformed the way of thinking and living of the population, who gradually adopted an urban way of life.
Excavations were carried out between the 1970s and 1980s, and resumed in 2014.

To find out more, here is a link to studies carried out by the University of Alicante (in Spanish):
https://dprha.ua.es/es/herna/