A 17 km route through the Sierra de Irta, ideal to do by 4x4, mountain bike (MTB) or on foot. It has about 170 m of elevation gain and can be completed in around 45 minutes by 4x4, 1:30 hours by bike and 4 hours on foot. The whole route runs along a track except for the first kilometre, as far as the exit from Las Fuentes by the water treatment plant.
View Sierra de Irta Route on a larger map
Technical details
| Distance | 17 km |
| Elevation gain | 170 m |
| Terrain | All on track, except the first kilometre |
| By 4x4 | about 45 minutes |
| By mountain bike (MTB) | about 1.5 hours |
| On foot | about 4 hours |
This is the route that best sums up why it's worth coming to Alcossebre beyond the beach. With 17 km and only 170 m of elevation gain, it is manageable, and the terrain helps: it runs entirely along a track except for the first kilometre, as far as the exit from Las Fuentes by the water treatment plant. It works equally well by 4x4, by mountain bike or on foot.
What you'll see
The route enters the Sierra de Irta Natural Park, one of the last stretches of unspoilt Mediterranean coastline, with 15 kilometres of coastline free of buildings. Along the way you'll pass coves such as Cala Mundina, Cala Blanca and Cala Ribamar, and the coastal watchtowers. The beaches and coves, one by one, in the beaches guide.
How to get to the start and where to park
Alcossebre's blue zone (paid parking) only regulates streets in the town centre, and only during Easter week and from 15 June to 30 September, from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 22:00. Outside those streets and those dates, parking is free, so leaving the car near the start of the routes is usually not a problem. Details in the parking guide.
Since 2026 there is also a circular urban bus line connecting the town centre with the beaches and residential areas during the busiest periods; seasonal timetables at alcossebre.org and in the mobility guide.
When to do it
The best time to walk here is from October to May, and especially in autumn: in September you can still combine a swim with the trail, and from October onwards the heat stops being a factor. In July and August, if you do it, go early in the morning and never during the central hours of the day. Check the forecast beforehand on Weather in Alcossebre, which gathers AEMET data.
We go into more detail in the Alcossebre off-season guide, which explains why autumn is the best time of year for the sierra.
More routes and where to stay
All the routes in the municipality are on the routes and nature page, and the background on the natural park is in the nature guide. If you are looking for full-day plans, including trips to Peñíscola or Morella, check out day trips from Alcossebre.
To sleep close to the sierra, the Tres Playas area and the surroundings of the park are the quietest parts of the municipality and the ones that leave the trails within easy reach: comparison of apartments in the quiet areas and area guide with the real distances for each one.