Globalization, social media, and, in general, the lifestyle of the digital age have led us to believe that major tourist destinations and hidden gems are thousands of kilometers away. Nothing could be further from the truth: in the Valencian Community, we have hundreds of places worth discovering without even having to board a plane.
Towns that ring a bell because we know someone from there, have been in the news at some point, or we’ve simply read their name on a highway sign. But as the saying goes: “The best way to hide something is to keep it in plain sight.”
That’s exactly how it is: hidden in plain sight in the Ayora Valley and behind a directional sign on National Route 330 lies Cofrentes, a small town with just over 1,000 residents, featuring a river beach, a navigable river, a 12th-century castle, a hot spring, and even a volcano with a summit you can hike to.
The town is located right at the confluence of the Júcar and Cabriel rivers, which gives it a river beach at the foot of the town center. A privilege and, at the same time, a lifesaver for these summer days when cooling off and escaping the heat is more of a necessity than a whim.
An idyllic setting, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Sierra de Ayora and the Sierra del Martés, just an hour and a half by car from Valencia. A strategic location that, thanks to its rich landscape and agricultural resources, has been inhabited since the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
However, its heyday was likely during the Islamic period, when Cofrentes Castle was built—a fortress that towers over the town center with more than 850 years of history. Admission to the castle costs €3 and includes a tour of the museum, which houses the oldest clock in the Valencian Community, dating back to the 17th century and still in working order today.
Less than a 10-minute drive away, another of its main tourist attractions awaits us: the river cruise along the Júcar River. A scenic cruise that covers a 30-kilometer route over an hour and a half, ideal for observing the biodiversity of La Muela de Cortés and the breathtaking landscapes offered by the Júcar Canyons. The price ranges from €20 to €22 per person, depending on whether it’s high or low season.
The Valencian volcano with therapeutic hot springs
Cofrentes also boasts two very rare and, to say the least, striking natural treasures: the only volcano in the entire province of Valencia and a volcanic hot spring.
The Cofrentes Volcano, also known as the Cerro de Agras, has been extinct for 2 million years; it’s fully accessible to visitors and poses no risk of eruption. You can explore it freely, and there are numerous very easy hiking trails that lead to its summit, at an elevation of about 530 meters.
Although it’s not the only way to visit, guided tours and trips up to the crater on the “Trenet del Volcán” are also organized. This tourist train accompanies the visit with an explanation of the history and geology of the volcanic formation, and the price per person is 15 €.
Closely linked to the volcano is the Hervideros de Cofrentes Spring, a well where filtered water is stored and which appears to be boiling due to the bubbles rising from within. This geological phenomenon isn’t caused by the water literally boiling, but rather by the CO₂ and dissolved minerals released from the volcano’s magma chamber.
Visiting the spring is completely free, but to enjoy a swim at the spa, you’ll need to pay the entrance fee or purchase one of their packages. The complex makes use of the spring’s waters, which are certified as mineral-medicinal; thanks to their rich mineral composition, they are therapeutic and beneficial for rheumatic, muscular, respiratory, circulatory, and even digestive and liver conditions.
