Sierra de Santa Pola

Park in the Playa del Carabassi car park.

(S/E) Cross the small road to find a path that you will take on your left, in order to follow it. Continue in roughly the same direction for about 3.5 km, staying more or less parallel to the road on your left.

(1) Once you have passed a few small huts on your right, you will see the footbridge to the Santa Pola lighthouse viewpoint and the island of Tabarca opposite. Continue straight ahead on the path that runs along the coast and arrives at the Santa Pola Est housing estate.

(2) Continue straight ahead through the housing estate, following Avenida de El Catalanet. Go to the junction with Avenida de Tabarca, just after the residence called "Residencial el Catalanet".

(3) Look for the signs on the right and take the stairs up the mountainside, following the signs for "Torre de les Escalates". Go past the tower, then turn left to reach a beautiful viewpoint overlooking Santa Pola.

(4) Retrace your steps, leave the tower on your right, and continue straight ahead on a path right in the middle of the mountains: this is not the most interesting part of the route, which is about 2 km long. You will come to a T-junction.

(5) Take the path on the right to head towards the viewpoint, passing some military remains from the Civil War.

(6) When you reach the Santa Pola lighthouse viewpoint, take the footbridge if you don't suffer from vertigo, then rejoin the main road leading to the lighthouse. Follow it for a good hundred metres before turning onto a path on the right leading to the Mirador de l'Escolgador de Cristo.

(7) Join Avenida d'Escandinavia and pass the Residencial El Faro.

(8) At the bend, take a small path on your right that will lead you to a viewpoint, a paragliding take-off point, with a superb view of Alicante.

(9) Turn around and retrace your steps to return to Avenida d'Escandinavia.

(8) Turn right and follow it straight ahead until you reach the Gran Alacant roundabout.

(10) Go around it on the right to follow Avenida del Mediterráneo. After passing three successive bends, leave the avenue and turn right onto a path that leads back to the starting car park (S/E).

(S/E) It is also fairly easy to park in the surrounding area. But you need to arrive early at the weekend, otherwise it fills up quickly. You can also try the "Clot de Galvany" car park. You can get there by bus from Alicante. Allow about an hour.

As you enter the Gran Alacant residential area, the last quarter of the hike, you can take a short break in one of the many bars or restaurants. It is quite a touristy area.

A few ideas for nearby visits:

• Tabarca Island.
• The port and village of Santa Pola.
• An easy and very pleasant hike: El Clot de Galvany.