Today we want to move with the kids to the Valencian town of Chulilla, a picturesque town from which to start a beautiful Tour of the Turia canyons through two curious suspension bridges over the river. An excursion that you will definitely enjoy.
If Chulilla is a town with the recognition of "Family tourist municipality", it is among other things because it has among its attractions with this hiking route suitable for the whole family. Next to the small town we take the path that leads us to peek over a cliff over the river.
The river Turia, when entering Chulilla, has created over the centuries a deep throat of vertical walls that crosses the calcareous rock and constitutes a spectacular canyon. This excursion is known as the Route of the Pantaneros and Loriguilla Reservoir and is done by the SL-77 trail.
The cuts carved by the force of the river on the ground leave breathless, it is a beautiful landscape and we will enjoy it throughout the walk. Shortly after starting the route, from above 200 meters we look at the viewpoint of the Carrucha on the river, and we see below the Blue Puddle and people enjoying fishing, when not bathing, in the river.
If we go in summer, it should be taken into account that Chulilla has several areas suitable for swimming, natural backwaters in the Turia basin, such as the aforementioned Charco Azul, the Peña la Judía, the Channels, the backwater Las Mulas ...
But let's go back to the top of the ravine. At the beginning of this route is the part where we will have more careful with young children, since there is some very narrow short section near the fall. But in general the route is very affordable, easy and even made by school groups, you just have to stand in line or take the child by these narrower sections, which as I say are few.
The hanging bridges of Chulilla
Immediately the road widens and we approach the place that I liked the most, there where the throat of the river is crossed by the hanging bridges of Chulilla. These are two bridges that allow us to cross from one side of the river to the other to the narrow ravine.
These bridges were recently inaugurated within the work to adapt the environment of the Municipal Natural Area "Los Calderones". It is part of this impressive area that we cross, formed by the Sickles of the Turia River and adjacent mountains, from the foot of the dam of the Loriguilla Swamp and the Vallfiguera sweeping.
We reach the first of the suspension bridges, the closest to the population, after going down a good flight of stairs, and read the sign that warns us not to make sudden movements on it. However, the bridges are very safe to pass with children, with the sides protected, and they will love your swing.
This bridge measures 25 meters in length and serves to cross the Turia river from the left bank to the right at a height of about 20-25 meters above the water level (it is a slope bridge). Right here was the old suspension bridge that was built for the villagers of Chulilla who worked on the construction of the Loriguilla swamp dam.
Once on the other side of the river we move along this one, for the first time we can touch its waters, but attention if it goes down grown up ... Then we cross the other bridge, this less impressive because it is not at such a height, it is located in the lower part of the Canyon. We continue along the river bank this time dazzling us from the depths of the gorge with impressive walls at the top.
Walls that by the way use the climbers to practice their favorite sport, and is that Chulilla is also a known destination for sport climbing. The cave paintings of the area, the history of the trade of the loggers that explain us in different panels or the caves are other incentives in the surroundings.
If we continue our way around here, we reach the Loriguilla swamp. The route can be done in the opposite direction, in fact many families start the walk in the swamp and end it in the suspension bridges, in a practically flat and simple way. It is a magnificent option that saves us the most "complicated" section of the beginning from Chulilla.
Do it as you do, you will enjoy this route with the children through the Turia canyons and the hanging bridges of Chulilla, and remember that around this town there are a total of 60 kilometers of paths to enjoy these landscapes of the interior of the province of Valencia.
Photos | Eva Paris More information | Chulilla, Valencia terra i mar In Babies and more | Walking with the children on the Tagus in Toledo, Tips for little hikers
