The Relleu footbridge is a vertiginous path suspended over the deep ravine formed by the Amadorio river as it passes through this town in the Marina Baixa.
This “floating path” has a total length of 370 meters, after the recent extension in December 2023.
Halfway along the footbridge there is a glass-floored viewing platform , where the new section begins, which will be inaugurated at the end of 2023. The whole complex challenges the void from an average height of 50 meters above the ravine.
In this article I tell you about the Relleu footbridge route and everything you need to know to visit it. Stay to the end and take note!
Keep reading to find out all the details of the visit to the Relleu catwalks.
Quick Guide
✔️ The floating wooden walkway has a total length of 370 meters, being a round trip.
✔️ To get to the start of the walkway you will have to walk 5 kilometers on a dirt path that starts in the village of Relleu (there is a shorter option, but we do not recommend it except for people who cannot do the whole route).
✔️ You will have to buy your tickets in advance, especially if you go on weekends. When booking your visit, please note that from the village it will take 1:00 – 1:30 h to reach the start of the walkway, next to the Relleu reservoir dam.
✔️ Read on to learn more…
Visit Information
✓ Relleu Footbridge Hours
- Winter Schedule: Tuesday – Friday, from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (last pass 5.15 p.m.). Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm (last visit 6:15 pm). From Sept 19 to June 12.
- Weekends: reservations 2 months in advance. Without reservation: you will have to wait for an appointment, up to one hour.
✓ Reservation of Appointment only by telephone on the phones +34 613 033 336 and 865 759 650 (hours from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
✓
Buy tickets online for the catwalk >>
✓ Gateway Ticket Price
- €2.50 for people over 11 years old.
- €1.50 for pensioners, retirees and children up to 11 years old
- Free entry to neighbors registered in Relleu who prove it.
- Payment only at the entrance, cash or credit card.
✓ Appointments are being given in 15-minute slots, so that approximately 15 people can enter in that time (except groups).
✓ Presence of personnel monitoring the facilities.
The schedule varies throughout the year depending on the sunlight and the weather, so we recommend consulting the Relleu tourism website.
✓ Please note: the reservation is for the gateway entry time. Calculate 1:15 h. from the village to the dam.
✓ Download the Route Brochure (PDF) below:
Relleu walkaway Trail
The route has a total length of 9.2 kilometers and starts next to the Relleu Town Hall. Halfway along the route you will reach the floating wooden footbridge. Tickets must be purchased in advance to visit the walkway.
This simple route runs along agricultural paths between terraces of almond trees , a traditional crop in the area that, due to the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium, has seen its extension in the province of Alicante decrease.
It is a circular route, a part of the route being easier as it is mainly on asphalt. We recommend following the route counterclockwise, although it can be done in both directions.
After about 3 kilometers of travel we arrive at the bed of the Barranc de la Cova , one of the channels that pays its waters to the reservoir. Bordering what would be the water sheet of the reservoir (which is normally dry), we reach the Casa del Guarda and shortly after the vertical of the dam, the point where the dizzying wooden walkway of 370 meters long and 50 meters high begins: “El Caminito de Relleu”.
The walkway itself, although vertiginous, does not entail any difficulty and it is not necessary to equip yourself with safety material (it is not a via ferrata). The most vertical part is the final middle section, ending in a glass-floored observation deck.
Once we have visited the reservoir and the walkway, we return along the same path to the indicator that takes us to the other part of the circular route, back to Relleu on a slight climb. This part of the route has more asphalt, as it becomes part of it through the road that connects the town with the reservoir.
Expansion of the Relleu footbridge
The new section of the Relleu footbridge was officially inaugurated on December 27, 2023. This extension, with a budget of 60,000 euros, extends the existing section of the footbridge by 150 meters . The new route begins at the glass-floored observation deck, the former end point of the walkway.
The novelty in this new final section is that the wooden walkway descends to the bottom of the ravine through several segments with stairs, entering the narrowest part of the ravine, known as l’Estret del Pantà (the narrow part of the swamp).
Once we reach the end of the walkway, we have to retrace our steps all the way back to the exit of the facility.
ROUTE SHEET
- Difficulty: Easy
- Circle Route
- Distance: 9.2km
- Slope: 200 m.
- Estimated time: 4 hours
- Attention: children must always be supervised by an adult.
Rules of Use “Caminito de Relleu”
It is important to comply with safety regulations and make responsible use of the dam walkway.
Safety regulations establish a maximum of 4 people per section . Children must always be supervised by an adult.
Below you can consult the official information on the Relleu Tourism website:
Relleu Reservoir: Environmental Values
Species as sensitive as the Bonelli’s eagle nest on the vertical walls of the strait that you are going to visit. That is why we ask you to access this space quietly, without shouting and slowly , so as not to disturb the native fauna.
The Relleu reservoir is a listed wetland that serves as a refuge and food source for many species of birds, amphibians and reptiles , as well as mammals such as foxes and wild boars.
History of the Relleu Dam
Like other dams in the province of Alicante, such as the Tibi or Elche reservoirs, the Relleu Reservoir dam is among the oldest in Europe. It is estimated that its construction was completed at the end of the 17th century, coming into operation at the beginning of the s. XVIII. Its construction was an initiative of the inhabitants of La Vila Joiosa , given the scarcity of water for their crops.
Designed by the Renaissance engineer Cristóbal Antonelli , the Relleu reservoir dam is 32 meters high (it was originally 28 meters) and 30 meters long. It is considered one of the narrowest and tallest of its time, thanks to the application of innovative techniques with an arch-vault-shaped construction that transfers the thrust of the water to the walls of the ravine.
Currently, the reservoir bed is partially clogged with sediment and remains dry most of the time, except in times of heavy rains.
More Plans in Relleu
If you want to know other attractions of Relleu, both natural and cultural, I invite you to see the article we dedicated to this beautiful town in the interior of the Marina Baixa:
How to get there and Parking
On the official website of Turismo Relleu you can check the free car parks available in the town, from where the hiking route begins to visit the dam and the walkway.
Frequent questions
Route Track
Although the route is very easy to follow, below you can view / download the track of the route for GPS via wikiloc.
