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Photo: No machine-readable author provided. JFCSvalencia assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
The mountain park offers good opportunities for hiking, with trail difficulty ranging from easy to difficult. The park can be accessed from Cocentaina as well as Alcoy, and has several sights of historic and natural interest. Many trail heads are located right on the outskirts of Alcoy, and trails range in difficulty from easy short hikes to challenging 8 hour treks. The tourist office has a handy map with basic trail descriptions available for download. To explore further reaches of the mountain range, the park administration maintains an online list of nine hiking trails with maps and trail descriptions (in Spanish).
The Serra Mariola Natural Park is a mountain range in the Valencian Community, Spain, one of the most peripheral offsprings of the Baetic System. Most of its territory is included in a natural park founded in 2002, covering an area of 17,257 ha. The park is surrounded by the towns of Cocentaina and Bocairent and the cities of Ontinyent and Alcoi.
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Centro de Información / Information Centre
Organizes guided nature walks, bird-watching workshops, and guided hikes to archaeological sites.
Castillo de Barchell / Barchell Castle
A 12th-century castle of likely Muslim origin. It has a rectangular keep and a court with rainwater tank.
Centro de Información / Information Centre
Located in a former religious complex, the centre has brochures about natural and historic sights in the park, a small botanical garden, and displays. Other facilities include toilets and a café, as well a nearby campground with 20 campsites. To camp prior approval is required at least two days in advance; details (in Spanish) are available here.
Parque Natural de la Fuente Roja / Font Roja Natural Park
This smaller, heavily-forested mountain park has some good hiking trails, ranging in difficulty from easy three-hour to challenging eight-hour hikes. The park administration has an online list of five hiking trails with maps and trail descriptions (in Spanish).
Refugio-Museo de Cervantes / Cervantes Air Raid Shelter
One of more than 25 air raid shelters used by Alcoy residents during the Spanish Civil War, it is more than 100 m long and has on display a number of photographs as well as audiovisual presentations.
The 13th-century Gothic tower was once part of Alcoy's defensive network, and fully restored in 2002. Today it offers some excellent views of the city.