This proposal to travel the section from Elche to Valencia on the Eurovelo 8 cycling route will not leave you indifferent.
It is a beautiful section that, starting in the arid landscape of Elche, the cyclist can see how the environment is changing. As you pedal through mountains and typical natural parks of the Mediterranean, little by little the vegetation increases. Fields of varied fruit plantations appear until reaching the so colorful orange trees before submerging in a sea of rice fields in Albufera.
The towns through which the Eurovelo 8 route passes in this part of the Mediterranean are full of life and history. Elche, Alicante, Gandía, Cullera or Valencia have a lot to offer.
Go ahead and come and ride the Eurovelo 8 from Elche to Valencia.
With several monuments declared world heritage sites, the city of Elche is a good place to start your bike trip. The day before you start pedaling, you can see its fantastic palm grove (the largest in Europe) and stroll along the Vinalopó River.
After a good breakfast, the first stage will take us to Alicante through a gentle route ideal to warm up. It is worth paying attention to the landscape, since it is a very arid area where you will rarely have pedaled. Once in Alicante, it is highly recommended to stroll through the port and Postiguet beach under the gaze of the Castillo de Santa Bárbara.
Today will be the most demanding day of the route, as we leave the coast to enter the peninsula. We will do it through the Vía Verde del Maigmó, built to connect Alcoy with Alicante. The landscape will definitely change to give way to pine trees as we pedal through beautiful engineering works such as the Forn del Vidre viaducts (140 m) or the impressive Palomaret (200 m).
After a good breakfast, today we will regain strength in a gentle stage to Alcoy. We will have the opportunity to pedal along the Carrascal de la Fuente Roja Natural Park with its beautiful Mediterranean landscape.
Today we will again look out to sea. On this occasion, we will do it in Gandía, where we will arrive after pedaling along the Serpis river in a pleasant winding between the valleys through which it passes to Villalonga. In Gandía, it is recommended to try their famous Fideuá.
After having breakfast in Gandía, today we will make a beautiful route between wetlands, orange plantations and other fruit trees until we reach the first rice fields of the Albufera Natural Park. We will be welcomed by a huge stone mass in Cullera, with its castle on top and its long and wonderful beach.
Today is the last day of pedaling and you will be surprised to do it through wetlands and rice fields next to the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, you will do it next to the best beaches in the south of Valencia, in the middle of a natural park and with dunes that still keep those fantastic beaches. We will enter Valencia in a big way, in the heart of the City of Arts and Sciences as a first contact with the city.
After breakfast, the journey will be over.