- The work has consisted of rearranging the layout of the existing routes with the objective of improving connectivity and making it possible to create circular routes.
Not so long ago, when La Marina Alta was an eminently agricultural region and scarcity was the daily bread, there were brave farmers at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, Xàbia or Teulada Moraira who, to supplement their always meagre wages, risked their lives hanging from the cliffs. At night they would go to the ‘Pesqueres’, a structure of rods suspended from the cliffs, to catch rockfish and sell it the following morning.
At El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, these fishermen, known as ‘encesers’ because of the carbide light with which they illuminated the immensity of the sea, always made the same route: they would leave from the old part of the municipality, climb up to the Puig Llorença and each one of them would go to their ‘pesquera’.
Not only did they risk their lives hanging from a cliff, but they also had to walk more than 15 kilometres every fishing night. This route that these daring men once walked has been recovered by the Council thanks to the adaptation of a new section that has been named, as it could not be otherwise to pay tribute to them, Camí de les Pesqueres.
The Camí de les Pesqueres connects the path that climbs to the top of Puig Llorença with the route of the Cliffs, creating a circular route of 15.6 km. This new route simulates the route formerly taken by the ‘encesers’ to go from the town to the ‘Pesqueres de cingle’, located on the cliffs of the municipality.
Improvement of the municipal network of paths
The creation of this new path is part of the project to adapt and improve the municipal network of paths in town, an action included in the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations (PSTD) with a budget of 39,977.43 euros.
The action has consisted of carrying out work on the seven routes available in the municipality, which together have more than 28 kilometres: Route of the Cliffs (SL-CV 50), Camí de la Serp-Puig de la Llorença-Cala Llebeig, Camí de la Serp-Calistros, Camí de les Pesqueres (Puig de la Llorença link with the Cliffs), Route of the Moraig Fault, Route of the Testos and Bio-healthy Route (Pous de l’Abiar).
The works have consisted, firstly, in a rearrangement of the layout of the routes with the objective of improving the connectivity of the current paths, allowing the creation of circular routes where you return to the starting point. This makes it possible to enjoy longer distance routes and a full day of hiking at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell.
The entire network of paths has also been improved and the routes have been adapted by clearing and pruning the vegetation on the edges to facilitate user movement, and the creation and adaptation of the platform of the paths by redistributing the land, building and maintaining stone steps and delimiting the route with stones.
Another of the actions undertaken has been the installation of interpretative panels and information stands where the patrimonial elements of interest have been signposted, highlighting the historical, ethnological, natural and landscape values located along the network of paths.
Finally, the horizontal and vertical signposting of all the routes of the network of paths has also been improved, with new signposting and the replacement of damaged signs. In addition, it should be noted that an identifying logo has been designed for each route, so that hikers will find it easy to follow the route. All these works have been carried out following the system approved by the Spanish Federation of Mountain and Climbing Sports.
