🌄 Wednesday Walk – Climbing Cullera: Sea, Mountains & A Very Hot Afternoon
This week I wanted to share something a bit different for my Wednesday Walk. Normally I show small places around Valencia or some street photography, but this time I finally convinced a friend to join me for a proper hike in Cullera. I’ve been living in Valencia for years and I had gone to Cullera many times just for the beach… but never to walk the mountain route. And honestly, now I’m asking myself why I waited so long. The views were absolutely insane.
We did a 13 km circular route, mixing sea and mountain, which is literally the perfect combination if you ask me. Warm sun, a bit of wind, the Mediterranean shining, and then these rocky paths going up and down like crazy. I love this type of walk because you feel like you are far from everything, even if the city is just below. It gives you this sensation of disconnecting your mind for a few hours.
So yeah, this Wednesday Walk is a bit special because it’s long, it’s full of photos, and it was one of the best hikes I’ve done recently.
So we took the car, arrived at the starting point, and from the first moment the adventure began with something I wasn’t expecting: a massive climb of stairs.
The stairs feel like they never end. They go up and up like you are entering some ancient fortress. Honestly, I didn’t mind the stairs at all, but my friend started suffering instantly. She was already behind me after the first hundred steps, breathing like she was running a marathon uphill. I kept turning around every few minutes to ask if she was alive, and she kept telling me “Dios mĂo, Âżpero cuánto queda?” and I had to laugh because the real climb didn’t even start yet.
Once we reached the top of the stairs, the walk opened into a mountain path. The sun was already strong but the wind was helping a lot, so the heat wasn’t too bad. The terrain changed completely. From stable stone steps to a more natural, rocky path. I love this transition because it feels like you are leaving the town behind and entering something completely different.
My friend kept going at her slow pace, but to be fair, she was trying. Every time she reached me she said she wanted to go back home, but then she’d see some new curve of the path and say “vale, solo un poquito más”, and that became the phrase of the entire morning.
As we climbed higher, Cullera started transforming beneath us. First you see the houses from above, then the river drawing curves in the middle of the green fields, then the huge rice fields stretching far into the horizon. The higher we went, the more the landscape expanded. That is the magic of Cullera: mountains and sea mixed like two layers of the same painting.
There was a moment when we stopped at a viewpoint that really impressed me. The rice fields looked gigantic, like an open beige desert, perfectly flat, full of geometrical shapes. You can’t see this when you’re driving through the area. But from above, everything becomes more dramatic, more cinematic. Mountains behind, clouds moving very slow, and the fields looking like some giant chessboard.
We continued walking along the top of the mountain and soon the scenery changed again. On one side, the inland areas of Cullera. On the other side, the Mediterranean Sea starting to appear piece by piece, first like a thin blue line and then suddenly opening wide in front of us. I always feel something special when I see the sea from high places. It’s like a huge calm mirror showing you how small you are.
At this point my friend was almost ten minutes behind. I didn’t even need to check anymore. I could hear her complaining from the distance, her voice echoing up the mountain path. She wasn’t suffering quietly, let’s say. But she kept walking, and honestly she did great.
Finally we reached a spot where the sea was fully visible, and everything looked absolutely incredible. The cliffs, the turquoise water, the coastline full of buildings that suddenly look tiny from above. It felt like a reward after the climb. We stopped for a while just to breathe and take it all in.
The descent was easier but required attention because the rocks are uneven and can make you slip. My friend suddenly stopped complaining because gravity was helping her, so she went a bit faster. I had to be careful because I was taking photos constantly, but I didn’t want to fall like an idiot. The path is beautiful though, with small trees, bushes, and long shadows giving us a bit of protection from the sun.
When we finally reached sea level again, everything changed. The temperature felt cooler thanks to the sea breeze and the sound of the waves made the walk super relaxing. The water was incredibly clear, with that intense Mediterranean turquoise that looks almost fake in photos. I had the temptation to jump in with all my clothes on, but we still had a few kilometres ahead, so I behaved like a responsible adult.
Walking along the coastline is one of the best parts of this route. The sea on one side, the mountains behind you, and the whole city stretching along the beach. You can see people walking, sunbathing, swimming… normal summer life happening while you’re finishing a long mountain hike. This contrast is what makes Cullera special.
As we kept going, we arrived at the sculpture of the hands, which is honestly one of my favourite things out there. Two enormous hands pointing to the sky, perfectly framed by trees around them. I had seen them in photos before, but seeing them in person feels different. They look powerful and artistic at the same time. The path that leads to the sculpture is beautiful, with shadows from the trees and the sound of the wind moving between the branches.
We stopped there for a while because it felt like a natural break point. My friend sat on a bench like she had just survived an apocalypse and told me she needed five minutes. I took more photos, checked Strava, and drank almost all my water. That part of the mountain was quiet, peaceful, and honestly the perfect place to rest a bit.
After leaving the hands sculpture behind, we continued the last part of the route, which takes you slowly back to the starting point. The path becomes easier and smoother there, perfect for cooling down. When we finally reached the place where the walk had begun, we looked at each other and started laughing. I think the combination of exhaustion, heat, and satisfaction made everything funny.
In total we walked thirteen kilometres, climbed three hundred seventy-four metres, and spent almost three hours moving continuously. It didn’t feel long though. Maybe because every part of the route is different. Stairs, mountains, viewpoints, descents, coastline, sculptures… it’s impossible to get bored. And doing it with a friend, even one who complains every two minutes, makes it even more memorable.
For me, this Wednesday Walk wasn’t just a hike. It was a mix of good company, challenging moments, incredible views and the simple reminder that nature and beauty are literally next to us if we decide to explore a bit. I felt amazing at the end, tired but happy. My friend felt like she needed a two-hour nap, which she actually took in the car on the way home.
I think I will come back to this route again one day. Maybe alone, maybe with someone else, maybe even running parts of it. The important thing is that it reminded me how good it feels to disconnect from everything and connect with the landscape around you.
Thanks for reading my Wednesday Walk. If you ever visit Valencia, seriously, do this route. You won’t regret it.
| EN | ES |
|---|---|
| Images | Imágenes |
| All photos taken, shot with my mobile phone, and edited by me | Todas las fotos tomadas con mi mĂłvil y editadas por mĂ |
| Cover designed with Canva | Portada diseñada con Canva |
| Translation made with ChatGPT | TraducciĂłn realizada con ChatGPT |
| Location: Cullera, Spain | Ubicación: Cullera, España |
| EN | ES |
|---|---|
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