The best traffic-free bike rides around Requena

Villargordo del Cabriel is a municipality in the Requena-Utiel region, in the province of Valencia. The town is located on the banks of the Cabriel River and is on the border between Castilla-La Mancha and the Valencia region. One of the biggest tourist attractions is the beautiful nature, which is remarkably well preserved.

Small village in a beautiful setting, with a central square, a small shop and a huge church.

At this point, depending on the direction of your hike, you'll leave the river and head into the hillside, where the trail leads you through a wide pine forest and typical Mediterranean vegetation characteristic of these mountain landscapes. As you ascend, the views open up, revealing breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding area, which can be the perfect excuse to stop for a few moments to rest and savor the scenery before continuing.

The route is marked with beacons, posts, and other standardized signs with arrows and markings. At this point, there are also signs indicating directions and distances to towns or key locations.

Parish Church of Siete Aguas, erected in the 18th century and dedicated to San Juan Bautista. Inside, the highly popular images of the Holy Christ of the Afflicted and Saint John the Baptist stand out. The patron saint festivities are celebrated on June 24 in honor of its patron saint, San Juan Bautista.

It's a street decorated with charming Super Mario motifs, as if the video game had come to life. A truly delightful place to behold.

The cycling trip continues along the rural path of the Ruta de la Lana and passes through El Rebollar, an old inn on the Camino Real in Valencia. The slides follow one another among holm oak forests, Aleppo pine groves and vineyard plantations until the final climb towards Siete Aguas begins, on the A-3 service road. The Nature Trail passes through an uncomfortable little tunnel under the highway, then crosses the high-speed train bridge and continues along a path with a lot of stones that can put in trouble those who carry long distances on their bike. The descent to the town is also delicate due to the loose surface. The “Turia sector” of the Natural Trail ends in Siete Aguas. The route to Pedralba, in the Turia valley, has several non-cyclable sections for gravel bikes and we turn around in this beautiful town of Hoya de Buñol-Chiva, famous for the springs that flow in the municipality, such as the fountains of the Papan, of the Gota, of the Apetito, of the Tejería or the great symbol of the town, the popular Fuente de los Siete Caños, in the center of the urban area. The return from Siete Aguas to the highway is recommended along the road to avoid the stone path. And then to Requena along the same route, following the red milestones of the Turia-Cabriel Natural Trail through El Rebollar and the Magro River valley.

Stage 2. Villargordo del Cabriel/Requena 86 kilometers. 1,090 positive meters. The milestones of the Natural Trail leave the urban complex of Villargordo del Cabriel, cross the passes of the N-III and the A-3 highway, travel through the rural hills of La Erilla and pass through Jaraguas, a village belonging to the municipality of Venta del Moro , with sites of Iberian and Roman settlements. The route goes through the hamlet and on the outskirts it passes through the Rambla de la Albosa, a very pleasant corner with a cozy walkway of giant poplar trees, the communal laundry and a historic fountain. The signal posts pass near the salt flats of Mina Lolita, a spring of saline waters exploited since Roman times. The route connects with the Camino Real from Castilla to Valencia and follows the same path as the previous day to the flood-prone Magro river boulevard and its disturbing river jungle. The stage could end in half a day in Requena, about 40 kilometers from Villargordo del Cabriel, but it is worth ignoring this option and continuing through the Magro river valley towards El Rebollar and Siete Aguas, in the section we call “Turia sector”. After Requena, the Magro River canyon is spectacular, a forest gallery of poplars, poplars, ash, willows and walnut trees between stone walls that keep the riverbed isolated from agricultural fields, dedicated mainly to the cultivation of vineyards, olive and almond trees. The path passes through the curious hermitage of San Blas, in the neighborhood of Las Ollerías, built in the 18th century in the premises of an old agricultural farm on the bank of the Magro River. In the ravine lane there are also marks of the Camino de Santiago of the Wool Route, used for centuries by walkers, pilgrims and merchants between the Mediterranean coast and the city of Burgos. The posts of the Natural Trail leave the gorge of the Magro River and go up the Fuente Cuca plain to the Requena Aerodrome. At the entrance to the airport, the Herrada del Gallego road leaves on the right, an outstanding forest area in the environmental surroundings of Requena.