Templars, castle and archaeology
The most popular block: Xivert castle can be climbed on foot, toured as a costumed re-enactment and even turned into a treasure hunt for children.
- Ascenso al castillo de Xivert — 9,5 km · duration 5 h · difficulty medium · max. group 25 · 9:00 · meeting point: N-340, past the entrance to Alcalà de Xivert, by the car dealerships · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- Ruta teatralizada «Los templarios de Xivert» — 2,5 km · duration 2 h · difficulty easy · max. group 35 · 11:00 · meeting point: Xivert castle car park · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- En busca del Santo Grial (gymkana en familia) — 2,5 km · duration 2 h · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 18:30 · meeting point: Xivert castle car park · no dogs
- Los primeros pobladores de Alcalà de Xivert — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty medium · max. group 20 · 10:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · no dogs
- Castellnovo, Almedeixar y el castillo de Tauranza — 5 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty medium/hard · max. group 20 · 17:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · no dogs
The full story of the fortress — the Andalusi hisn, the 1234 surrender, the three enclosures — is in the history of Alcalà de Xivert and its castle.
Serra d’Irta: peaks, towers and springs
The four guided routes that go into the natural park. If you would rather go on your own, the waymarked trails are in the Serra d’Irta trails guide.
- El pico Campanilles — 10 km · duration 5 h · difficulty hard · max. group 20 · 9:00 · meeting point: Calvario hermitage, Alcalà de Xivert (car needed) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- La torre de Ebrí — 6 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty medium · max. group 30 · 17:30 · meeting point: car park of the El Pinar estate (not the restaurant’s) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- La Font de la Parra — 5 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty medium · max. group 25 · 17:00 · meeting point: Cala Blanca, Alcossebre · no dogs
- La torre de la luz — 7 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 17:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
Night, legends and astronomy
Here is the programme’s most original thread: the town lived through the total eclipse of 1905, when astronomers from half the world came to observe it from Alcalà, and in 2026 it is back in the path of totality. Two routes tell the story.
- Noche de brujas — 6 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy · max. group 35 · 18:00–19:00 · meeting point: Cala Blanca, Alcossebre · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- Senderismo terrorífico — 6 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy · max. group 35 · 18:00 · meeting point: Cala Blanca, Alcossebre · no dogs
- Las lágrimas de San Lorenzo «las Perseidas» — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 22:00 · meeting point: car park of the El Pinar estate (not the restaurant’s) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- 121 años del año del eclipse solar — 1 km · duration 2 h · difficulty easy · max. group 35 · 11:00 · meeting point: tourist information point on Plaça de l’Església, Alcalà de Xivert · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
- ¡Y el día se hizo noche! El eclipse solar total — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert health centre (Carrer de Vilanova, 1) · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
Everything about the 12 August eclipse is in the eclipse guide.
Flavour and farmland
Olive-oil tourism, oranges, muscat, Capicorb melon and the fishing origins of Alcossebre, several of them with a tasting included.
- Aceite y olivos milenarios — 4,5 km · duration 2 h 30 · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 11:00 · meeting point: obelisk on Plaza Juan Vilanova, Alcalà de Xivert · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
- Mi media naranja en Alcalà de Xivert — 4 km · duration 2 h 30 · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 11:00 · meeting point: Calvario hermitage, Alcalà de Xivert (car needed) · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
- Capicorb, sabor de moscatel y melón — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: opposite the Sant Antoni de Capicorb hermitage · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
- Alcossebre, orígenes marineros y agrícolas — 3,2 km · duration 2 h 30 · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: door of the Alcossebre Tourist Info · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
- Nuestra gastronomía y la herencia de Xivert — 3 km · duration 2 h 30 · difficulty easy · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: former Alcossebre train halt · dogs allowed (on a lead) · suitable for everyone
What to eat and where, in the food guide.
War tourism: the Civil War in the municipality
A little-known chapter: Alcalà de Xivert was a war front and the Sant Miquel river valley still holds trenches and resistance posts.
- Trincheras: la línea Maginot de Alcalà — 6 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- Balas y bombas en tierra de nadie — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 18:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
- ¡Soldados al frente! — 5 km · duration 3 h · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 20 · 18:00 · meeting point: Calvario hermitage, Alcalà de Xivert (car needed) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
By bike and among plants
Two routes unlike the rest: one flat cycling route and one botanical walk.
- Cicloturismo: todos los caminos llevan a Roma — 15 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty easy · max. group 10 · 18:00 · meeting point: obelisk on Plaza Juan Vilanova, Alcalà de Xivert · no dogs
- El jardín de Regalfarí (ruta botánica) — 6 km · duration 3 h 30 · difficulty easy/medium · max. group 30 · 10:00 · meeting point: Alcalà de Xivert railway station (a car is needed to reach the start) · dogs allowed (on a lead)
The programme also includes Xivert Monumental and the Tomata de Penjar route (Sundays in October, 11:00, from the tourist information point).
How to book and what to bring
Groups run from 10 to 35 people depending on the route and several need a minimum of 4 to go ahead, so you have to book: Tourist Info Alcossebre, Plaza Vista Alegre, phone 964 41 22 05, e-mail turismo@alcossebre.org. The municipal programme does not publish prices: ask when booking.
What nearly all of them ask for: hiking or comfortable shoes and water; the night ones, a torch and something warm; the spooky hike, a costume; several need a car to reach the start. Many are not suitable for reduced mobility and eight of the twenty-four do not allow dogs; the rest do, on a lead. The dates of each edition are in the events calendar and in the official PDF programme.
Frequently asked questions
- How many guided routes are there and when do they run?
- The 2026 municipal programme lists 24 themed routes, spread from March to November. Each one repeats on several dates: the calendar is in the events guide and in the official PDF.
- Do you need to book?
- Yes. Groups run from 10 to 35 people depending on the route and several need at least 4 people to go ahead. Book with Tourist Info Alcossebre: 964 41 22 05 or turismo@alcossebre.org.
- Which is the hardest route?
- Campanilles peak: 10 km, about 5 hours and graded hard, leaving at 9:00 from the Calvario hermitage. The climb to Xivert castle is the longest (9.5 km, 5 hours, medium).
- Are there easy routes, or ones for children?
- Yes: “121 años del año del eclipse solar” and “Aceite y olivos milenarios” are marked as suitable for everyone, and “En busca del Santo Grial” is a 2.5 km family treasure hunt at the castle.
- Can you bring a dog?
- On most of them yes, always on a lead. Dogs are not allowed on the Tauranza route, the first settlers route, the Font de la Parra, the Holy Grail hunt, the spooky hike and the cycling route.
- What is the 1905 eclipse route?
- In 1905 a total solar eclipse crossed Alcalà de Xivert and astronomers came from all over the world to observe it. The “121 años del año del eclipse solar” route re-enacts the places where they worked.
Fact sheets taken from the 2026 Activities Programme of the Alcalà de Xivert-Alcossebre town council. Dates, times and conditions may change: confirm them when booking with Tourist Info (964 41 22 05).
Content reviewed in August 2026.