Montgó Natural Park

Montgó Natural Park protects the 753-metre limestone massif between Dénia and Jávea, the landmark mountain of the Marina Alta. Trails lead to caves, viewpoints and the summit, from which you can see Ibiza on clear days.

Montgó Natural Park covers a limestone massif rising to 753 metres above Dénia, Jávea (Xàbia) and Ondara. The park was created in 1987, covers about 2,100 hectares and also includes the Cabo de San Antonio headland and the Les Planes plain. The mountain has high rock walls and canyons, and karst caves and chasms have formed in the limestone. Seen from Jávea, its outline resembles a lying elephant. Several hundred plant species grow here (sources give figures from over 650 to over 800), including endemics such as Carduncellus dianius, endemic to the Dénia area and the Pityusic Islands, which grows on the cliffs of Cabo de San Antonio. Birds include Bonelli's eagle, the eagle owl, the kestrel and the peregrine falcon, as well as Audouin's gull and the European shag. The massif has long been inhabited: traces of Upper Palaeolithic settlement about 30,000 years old were found in the Cova del Montgó. Popular trails start on the Dénia side near the Pare Pere hermitage, where there is a small parking area: to the Cova de l'Aigua (about 1.6 km), to Racó del Bou (about 2.6 km) and to the Cova del Gamell (about 5 km). The summit route (about 7 km, with some 650 metres of ascent) is rated difficult and takes 3.5–4 hours. On the Jávea side, from the Les Planes plain, home to 11 windmills from the 18th and 19th centuries and the Mare de Déu dels Àngels sanctuary, a path of about 3 km leads to the Cova Ampla cave. The longest route to the summit starts at the port of Jávea. The park's visitor centre is on the Dénia side. From the summit you can see Ibiza on clear days, and according to reviews the easier routes also offer views over the town and the sea without climbing all the way up. One visitor advises wearing sturdy shoes, as the stones are sharp, and another recommends taking at least 1.5 litres of water per person, a cap and sun cream. According to the same review, going up to the summit and back takes 4 to 5 hours in total depending on fitness, so do not set off too late in the afternoon, and one visitor who also wanted to see the caves spent 7 hours on the walk. Another reviewer warns that the final stretch to the summit is rough in places and runs close to the edge. According to reviews, the trails are usually not crowded, and one visitor writes that the easier route has a wide path with room for a break.