Cortes de Pallás Reservoir

There is no public transport to Cortes de Pallás reservoir. You can get there by car or on foot from the village.

To get to the village Cortes de Pallás, you can take a bus from Buñol or Requena.
From Valencia, there are trains to Yátova and from there you can take a taxi.

How to get to the village of Cortes de Pallás?

From Valencia city by car take the A-3 and then the CV-425 followed by the CV-428. It takes approximately 1 hr 17 min.

How to get to Cortes de Pallás reservoir?

The reservoir can only be reached via the jetty area. From the village take the road that goes down along the edge of the reservoir (leaving it on your left). Then go through the tunnel and cross the bridge. After crossing the bridge, take the first turn on the left. It takes you along a small road that descends along the edge of the reservoir to the jetty.

There is space to park next to the jetty. 

This place to swim is impressive at any time of the year. Between April and October, the temperature is usually between 14 and 23 °C. In July and August, the temperature can reach 31 °C.
It’s always open and there are no opening hours.

Lake swimming, paddle surfing, kayaking (about €10 per hour). Some rental companies allow pets to go kayaking or paddle surfing with the owners.

Mountain sports (climbing, canyoning, rappelling, etc)

Hiking

Picnic

Boating is allowed. Yet to try to stop the expansion of the zebra mussel (a non-native species), any boat that enters the reservoir is controlled. Fines can be up to €3000.

It’s forbidden to make fire, litter, camp and park in non-authorized areas.

Remember not to use soaps and detergents in the reservoir.
In addition, most sun creams pollute the water, so apply them well before swimming.

You won’t be short of things to do here!

The small village of Cortes de Pallás has a medieval Islamic layout. Its narrow, winding streets, with steep stairs and slopes, offer beautiful views. The Church of ‘Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles’ stands out. Mosaics scattered around the village explain the history of this town.

The stream ‘Arroyo de Cortes’, runs through ‘Barranco de la Barbulla’ ravine. It crosses the village before flowing into the reservoir. 1 km from Cortes de Pallás is ‘Fuente Corbinet‘, a waterfall with a turquoise blue natural pool. There are several picnic tables, some of which are tucked into a half cave. To the left of the waterfall, there is a sidetrack that takes you to a trail parallel to ‘Arroyo de Cortes’. This leads you through crystal clear natural pools to the amazing waterfalls of San Andreu and Manantial de San Vicente.

You can enjoy a river cruise on the Júcar, along the stretch between Cofrentes and Cortes de Pallás. Many say it’s the most beautiful river cruise in Spain. A boat with a capacity for 50 passengers travels 14 km on the reservoir in 1 hour. It stops at the Júcar Cofrentes jetty and Cortes de Pallás jetty. If interested, contact ‘Su Aventura‘.

‘Chorrador de Otonel‘ is a long waterfall with a deep swimming hole at its feet. It’s located next to the Cávera bridge. It can be reached by taking the old road bordering the impressive Jucar Canyon.

‘Pozas del Ral‘ swimming holes are located in ‘Barranco del Real’ ravine, 13 km away from the village. These beautiful emerald-green natural pools amidst nature.

One of the best views of this natural environment is from Chirel Castle (partly in ruins), located next to the reservoir, at an altitude of 654 m. To get to Chirel Castle by car you have to go from Cofrentes.

‘Cueva Hermosa‘ is the deepest underground cave in Cortes de Pallás. It’s near Chirel Castle. You enter through a narrow mouth leading to a galley with stalactites, stalagmites and columns. It’s advisable to use caving equipment.

The National Hunting Reserve (36,000 hectares) extends over Bicorp, Millares, Jalance, Jarafuel, Teresa de Cofrentes and Cofrentes. Of these, 13,160 hectares correspond to Cortes de Pallás. It was created to protect mountain goats, mouflon, wild boar, wild rabbits, red-legged partridges and golden eagles. It’s common to see wildlife in this area.

Check out other amazing natural pools in the province of VALENCIA!

Where to eat in Cortes de Pallás?

When we went to the village Cortes de Pallás, there was only one restaurant open (Bar Emiliano at the village square). You can eat well, at a good price and it has a good atmosphere.

You can picnic in the jetty area of the reservoir of Cortes de Pallás or at the viewpoint ‘Tierra Colorá’. There are several wooden tables here with magnificent views of the reservoir.

In the neighbouring village Venta Gaeta, is the ‘Venta Gaeta Restaurant’. It’s very popular with locals, motorcyclists, hikers and cyclists.

The gastronomy of the place includes gazpachos, ‘ajo arriero’ and ‘tortas’. Typical products are honey, sausages and meats.

Where to sleep near Cortes de Pallás Reservoir?

In the village of Cortes de Pallás, there is only one hostel and one rural house.
There are rural houses in the surrounding villages (El Oro, Castilblanques, Venta Gaeta). It’s also an option to sleep in Cofrentes, Buñol or Valencia.