At the northern end of the Serra Gelada Natural Park is the Albir Lighthouse , a sober and charming building that, since the 19th century, has been a faithful reference for sailors in this portion of the Mediterranean. Today’s route – which coincides with the official red route of the natural park – leads us to the end of Punta Bombarda , the site of an old watchtower from the 16th century, next to whose ruins the lighthouse was built in 1863.
We are going to learn about a very simple and accessible excursion – suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs – that leads us to the lighthouse on a gentle walk, while we enjoy magnificent views of the Bay of Altea , the Serra de Bèrnia and the mountain itself. Serra Gelada. A perfect route to introduce children to hiking and return home with a very good taste in their mouths. Do you dare to meet her? Keep reading!
Index of contents
Route Summary
From the information point of l’Albir, we will follow a paved road, practically flat, and without the possibility of getting lost. Along the way we go through a small tunnel, and we find several viewpoints, which can be visited by means of a small path and/or stairs.
The path leads us to the end of Punta Bombarda , where the Faro de l’Albir (natural park interpretation center) and the ruins of the Torre Bombarda , built in the 16th century, are located.
It is a round trip of 5 kilometers in total. The approximate time is an hour and a half, depending on the pace. As always, I recommend doing it slowly and enjoying each of the viewpoints. It is a suitable route to do with children; You can even do it with a baby stroller .
ROUTE SHEET
- Difficulty: Very Easy, all audiences
- Accessible: YES. Wheelchair, pushchair, cyclable
- Linear route (round trip)
- Total distance: 5 km (round trip)
- Slope: +100 m.
- Approximate time: 1-2 hours
How to get
The start of the route will be the Information Point of l’Albir ( see map ). This access point has been recently renovated, and has a wonderful car park where you can leave your car. However, and due to the large influx of people, you may find it full if you go on a weekend. No problem, you can leave the car in the nearby urbanization.
Description and Photographs
We start at the information point of l’Albir, where we find different information panels about the hiking route that we are going to do.
For bicycle fans , say that it is a cycle path , that is, suitable for cycling. If we opt for this option, we must remember that pedestrians have priority.
Just over a hundred meters from the start of the route, we find a recreational area with some tables and shade . We will have to get up very early if we want to get a seat.
A little further on we find the fork in the yellow route : La Travesía de la Serra Gelada . It is a route of medium/high difficulty that runs along the entire crest of the mountain range.
We discard this fork and continue advancing along the paved road. We arrive at the first viewpoints of the route. The second balcony is especially beautiful, with fantastic views of the Bay of Altea , with the Serra de Bèrnia in the background.
The day I did the route, the visibility was not very good. Despite this, from the second viewpoint we could easily see the Peñón de Ifach , also a natural park, located in the neighboring town of Calp.
Along the route we find different information panels of the #install photographic route, an initiative of the Department of Tourism of l’Alfàs. If you are an instagramer , be sure to follow Turismo l’Alfàs on Instagram .
As I said at the beginning of the post, it is a cycle path. A good way to enjoy the route, because the slope of it is very smooth. You can also choose to use the BiciAltea rental bikes.
Close to the Albir Lighthouse we find another viewpoint, a fantastic ledge on the face of the mountain range that overlooks the sea, with its impressive cliffs and fossil dunes. To get to it we have to go up a small stretch of path.
After 2.5 kilometers we reach the end of the route: The Albir Lighthouse Interpretation Center. Here we can visit the exhibition of photographs of the Albir Lighthouse itself and the Serra Gelada, with a lot of information and curious data.
Hours of the Lighthouse Interpretation Center of l’Albir
WINTER TIMETABLE
- Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
TIMETABLE SUMMER
- Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Wednesday – Saturday: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
For guided tours, contact the phone number 965 889 424
I hope you have enjoyed the route, see you in the next one!
Route Track
Below you can check the track for gps via wikiloc of this route:
Near El Albir
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