Pozas del Ral

From Cortes de Pallás the only option is to go by car or on foot.

How to get to the village of Cortes de Pallás

From Valencia city take the A-3 and then the CV-425 followed by the CV-428. You’ll arrive in the village of Cortes de Pallás in approximately 1 h 17 min.

How to get to Pozas del Ral?

From Cortes de Pallás, take the CV-428 and cross the reservoir of Cortes de Pallás passing the viewpoint ‘Tierra Colorá’ which is on top of a mountain. From here, you’ll need to drive 9.5 km. First on road CV-428. After about 4 km there is a detour to the left at this point indicating the Castle of Chirel.
Take this unnamed road and after about 5 km park the car on the roadside here. There used to be a sign for Charcos del Ral, but it has disappeared.

This is the start of the PR-CV 249 hiking trail. Take it and descend for 20 minutes to reach Pozas del Ral.

Not so easy: both finding the exact spot and going down the hill.

The descent to the swimming holes is steep. Moreover, the walls of most natural pools are almost vertical, so once in the water you might not be able to come out.

Avoid carrying coolers (and chairs, hammocks, tables) and playing loud music.

Remember that soap and detergents should not be used in rivers and pools. Also, most sun creams contaminate the water, try to apply them well before taking a dip.

(Scientists have found that sunscreen releases significant amounts of titanium dioxide, which damages aquatic life. Soaps have phosphates, are also non-biodegradable and harm the environment). 

Ayuntamiento de Cortes de Pallás – 96 251 7001/ administracion@cortesdepallas.es

Things to do near Pozas del Ral

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

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 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’ is the Cortes de Pallás river. It 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.

The Cortes de Pallás Reservoir is a couple of hundred meters from the village. It has blue turquoise water and a lovely yeti and beach.

You can enjoy a Cruise on the Júcar River, 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, in Barranco Otonel ravine, 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.

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 the other amazing natural pools in the province of VALENCIA!

You can have a picnic in the jetty area of the Cortes de Pallás reservoir or at the ‘Tierra Colorá’ viewpoint. Both places are about 9 km from Pozas del Ral and have tables with magnificent views of the reservoir.

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

In the neighbouring village, Venta Gaeta is the Restaurant Venta Gaeta. It’s frequented by locals, bikers, hikers and cyclists.

A fool put graffiti on a very visible rock. Apart from that, the place is impeccable.