Estivella () is a small town in the Camp de Morvedre, about 40 minutes' drive north of Valencia, and its hamlet of Beselga () is the start of one of the most rewarding half-day walks in the Serra Calderona. In nine kilometres you pass a medieval castle, climb to the red sandstone balcony of the Garbí () and, on a clear day, look out over the coastal plain to the Mediterranean.
Our roundup of hikes near Valencia lists the Garbí as an 8 km (about 5 mi) out-and-back. This is a different route: a loop that starts lower, at the castle, climbs by one waymarked path and comes down by another, so you never walk the same ground twice.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
The Beselga to Garbí loop at a glance
- Distance
- About 9.2 km, circular
- Ascent
- About 500 m
- High point
- The Mirador del Garbí, just under 600 m
- Walking time
- 3 to 3.5 hours, plus stops
- Difficulty
- Moderate, no scrambling
- Waymarks
- Red and white (GR 10 branch), then green and white (SL-CV 24)
Distance, ascent and high point come from GPS tracks of the loop, which agree to within a few tens of metres. The Generalitat's tourism board gives the Garbí summit itself as 601 m (about 1,972 ft). The walking time is our estimate, built from the federation's own timings for the two waymarked sections.
The Beselga to Garbí route, step by step
From Beselga past the castle to the Font de Barraix
Start in the hamlet of Beselga, by the small ermita de Sant Roc (). A path beside the chapel climbs in a few minutes to the castle, which deserves a proper stop (see the castle section below). Every August the image of Sant Roc is carried down from this chapel to the church of the Sants Joans in Estivella a week before his feast, and back up to Beselga on 16 August.
From the village, follow the red and white waymarks of the GR 10 branch towards the Font de Barraix (). The GR-10 signpost in Beselga gives 3.6 km (about 2.2 mi) and 1 h 05 min to the fountain, and the post at the fountain gives 2.73 km (about 1.7 mi) and 55 min back down, so allow about an hour for this leg. FEMECV describes it as the old Beselga drove road, and it gains height steadily through pine woods on a comfortable path.
The Font de Barraix is a stone fountain where the path reaches the houses of Barraix and meets the PR-CV 369 and the SL-CV 23. Treat it as a landmark rather than a water stop, for the reasons in the practical section below.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
The climb from the Font de Barraix to the Pla del Garbí
Beyond the fountain the route leaves the GR and climbs towards the Garbí. GPS tracks of this loop go up the barranc del Garbí, where the climb steepens. The official trail panel at Beselga gives another link: the PR-CV 369 from the Font de Barraix to an electricity transformer on the Senda Vella, 1.13 km (about 0.7 mi) below the summit.
Near the top the path comes out in the area of the Pla del Garbí, the flat ground below the viewpoint. The Generalitat's panel at the trailhead near the top describes the view from there: the Mola de Segart straight ahead, the gulf of Valencia beyond it, and to the right the Puntal de l'Abella, a flora microreserve. On clear days, the panel says, you can make out the Albufera natural park and even the Montgó.
The Mirador del Garbí and the ermita de la Santa Creu
Bear left from the Pla and you reach the Mirador del Garbí, a railed balcony on the edge of the sandstone cliffs, with a recreation and rest area and the small ermita de la Santa Creu beside it.
According to the same panel, the view runs over the Palancia valley, the Mediterranean and the city of Valencia, from the Serra d'Irta to the Cap de Sant Antoni, and on some days as far as the Columbretes Islands.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
The history of the ermita de la Santa Creu on the Garbí
The chapel has its own story, as the Ajuntament tells it. A local man, Francesc Galbis, raised a cross on the Garbí on 19 March 1787 after hearing fra Diego José de Cádiz preach in Valencia, and the cross held a relic of the True Cross.
The village built the chapel around the cross in 1804. In 1887 the cross was carried down to the parish church, where it still is, and the empty chapel fell into ruin until its restoration in 1993 with help from the Generalitat. A pilgrimage still climbs to it on the fourth Sunday of October, with a mass.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
Down the Senda Vella (SL-CV 24) back to Beselga
The way down is the Senda Vella (), the old path to the Garbí, waymarked as SL-CV 24 in green and white from the ermita de la Santa Creu. The official trail panel at Beselga gives it as 2.63 km (about 1.6 mi) with 385 m (about 1,263 ft) of height difference, so it is steep and stony in places: take your time and use poles if you have them.
The panel times the climb, in the other direction, at 1 h 15 min in three stages: Beselga to the pista del Garbí (0.8 km (about 0.5 mi), 23 min), on to the junction with the PR-CV 369 at the electricity transformer (0.7 km (about 0.4 mi), 21 min), and the last 1.13 km (about 0.7 mi) to the Garbí (31 min). Coming down you pass the same points in reverse and come out on the Beselga road, a short walk from where you started.
Beselga castle: the Almohad tower and the palace beside it
The history of Beselga castle, from Almohad watchtower to palace
Beselga castle is two buildings in one. The older is a square watchtower that the Diputació de València's tourism service dates to the 12th century, under Almohad rule. It stood on the line of lookout towers that watched the Palancia valley road from Sagunto to Jérica, and it is built of rammed earth, which is why its walls are dotted with rows of small square holes.
The Ajuntament says Estivella may be of Muslim origin and is believed to have stood first at Beselga. The Llibre del Repartiment (), the register of land granted after Jaume I's conquest, already alludes to the castle as the castrum of Buselcam, next to the castrum of Segart given to Adam de Paterna. The first settlement charter for Estivella, Beselga and Arenes was issued on 16 June 1382.
The second building is a palace added beside the tower in the late 15th century for the baron Gracià de Monsoriu. The Ajuntament d'Estivella describes it as more a lordly residence than a fortress, with Gothic twin windows on its upper floor. It was destroyed in the first third of the 16th century.
Its north wall collapsed on 7 July 2004. The restoration that followed rebuilt the tower and consolidated what survives of the palace, and the castle has been listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural, Spain's highest heritage protection, on the Ministry of Culture's register since 2002.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
Beselga after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609
The expulsion of the Moriscos, the Muslims converted to Christianity, in 1609 left the place almost deserted, the Ajuntament records. In 1610 Jeroni de Monsoriu granted a new settlement charter.
The lordship later passed by marriage to the counts of l'Alcúdia, then to the marquisate of Nules and to the Saavedra family. At the end of the 19th century the hamlet beside the castle was finally abandoned.
Visiting Beselga castle today
Stairs and railings let you climb inside the tower, and information panels explain the site. A 2023 visit report found corroded steps and litter. When we photographed the castle in October 2026, visitors were using the stairs, but go carefully and keep children close.
Just below the castle, on the village street, stands a stone house with Gothic-style windows and dragon ironwork. It is a private home, so admire it from the street.
Photo: Falconaumanni, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting to Beselga by car or by Cercanías train
Getting to Beselga by Cercanías train and on foot
By train, Cercanías line C5 (València Nord to Caudiel) stops at Estivella-Albalat dels Tarongers. The station is about 2.3 km (about 1.4 mi) from Beselga by road, so add roughly half an hour's walk each way. C5 trains are infrequent, so check the timetable on the Renfe website or app for both directions before you set off. In October 2026 Renfe's Valencia Cercanías page listed no disruption on the line.
The GR-10 signpost in Beselga gives 2.1 km (about 1.3 mi) and 32 min to Estivella, so you can also walk in on the waymarked path rather than along the road.
Photo: Michael Bastin, ValenciaMove
Driving to Beselga from Valencia
By car, Beselga is about 37 km (about 23 mi) from the centre of Valencia, roughly 40 minutes without heavy traffic on the V-21, the V-23 and the A-23 towards Sagunto and Teruel. We know of no signposted car park for walkers, so leave the car on the streets around the Plaça de l'Ermita without blocking garages or the narrow lanes.
Practical tips for the Beselga to Garbí hike
Best season, water and footwear for the Garbí hike
Go between October and May. Summer days in the Calderona are hot, and the upper half of the route is exposed rock with little shade, so in warm months start at first light.
Carry all the water you need, at least a litre and a half each. Mountain springs can run low after dry spells, and we could not confirm that the Font de Barraix flows all year. Wear boots or trail shoes with a good grip, because the Senda Vella descent is steep and loose in places.
Photo: Paolo, ValenciaMove
Fire risk and park rules in the Serra Calderona
The Mirador sits in the Generalitat's Àrea Recreativa El Garbí, a recreation and rest area inside the natural park, and the same fire rules apply there as on the paths.
Check the fire risk before you go. The Serra Calderona has been a natural park since 2002, and in periods of high wildfire risk the Generalitat can close its tracks and paths to walkers, as it did in July 2026. Our guide to wildfire rules in the Valencia region explains the preemergency levels. Never light a fire or a stove on the mountain.
The park's own good-practices panel on the path adds the rest: dogs on a lead, bikes only on forest tracks at up to 30 km/h (about 19 mph) with priority for walkers, organised groups must tell the park in advance, fires only in authorised places, camping only in authorised areas with a PROP permit (012), and take your rubbish home. The panel gives the park's contact details as 963 18 98 65, 679 19 52 38 and serra_calderona@gva.es.
Photos from the Beselga to Garbí loop
More of Michael Bastin's photographs from the walk, in route order, from Beselga's streets to the official trail panel at the end.
The steel bracing added after the 2004 collapse (2014).
Photo: Falconaumanni, CC BY-SA 3.0
More day trips from Valencia
If you liked this walk, these are the next ones to try, each an easy drive or train ride from the city.
- Chulilla hanging bridges hike
- Sagunto: Roman theatre and castle
- Jérica: Mudéjar tower and castle
- Hiking near Valencia: 8 day hikes
About the author
Michael Bastin
Founder, ValenciaMove - Valencia since 2016
Michael moved to Valencia in 2016 and has helped dozens of families relocate since. He writes every guide on this site personally and verifies every fact against Spanish government sources before publishing.
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