On the trunk of El Montgo (the elephant mountain) overlooking Xàbia (Jávea) there are 11 old windmills preserved. You can get there by car from Xàbia, but it is more pleasant to walk from the coastal town of Dénia. It is a nice hike in beautiful nature where you can see a watchtower, a ghost town and the majestic El Montgo. At the top of the trunk it is like being on a mountain plateau.
El Montgo is part of a nature reserve in Dénia. It is called the Elephant Mountain because it resembles a lying elephant with its trunk facing the coast. The route to the windmills runs over this trunk from Les Rotes in Dénia to Xàbia.
Park your car at the end of Les Rotes. There are few spaces there, so it pays to be there early. Walk back 50-100 meters. Turn left and follow the sign for Cova Tallada on Carrer de Lactea. From here the road goes steeply uphill in hairpin bends up to an old watchtower called Torre de Gerre. On the way you pass a shop at the start of the route that goes to Cova Tallada.
Once you reach the tower, the path continues on a flat plain with views of the top of the mountain El Montgo on one side and the Mediterranean on the other. Along the way, you pass a group of abandoned houses called Pueblo Fantasma Dénia - the ghost village. Follow the path until you reach a crossroads where you meet a paved road.
At the intersection by the paved road, go straight across and continue down the road on the other side. This will take you directly to the Les Molins windmills. There are signs to the windmills on the left as well, but it is best to go straight ahead.
As you approach the windmills you will have a view of the bay where the coastal town of Xàbia (Jávea) is located. The long row of windmills is located on the edge of the hill where the wind gets a good grip, and where it almost always blows. Xàbia has preserved 11 of the original mills. Some of them are privately owned and have been converted into homes, but most are just the shell. The wings, roof and furnishings are gone.
The windmills were built from the 13th to the 18th century. They are cylindrical with a diameter of over 6 meters and a height of about 7 meters. They originally had two or three floors. The first floor was used for storage. On the top floor there was a millstone that was driven around by the power of the blades of the mill via a solid wooden mechanism. The miller lived on the middle floor. It was mainly wheat grains that were ground, but also some other types of grain. The windmills were in use until the beginning of the 19th century.
It might be a good idea to take a break here while admiring the view of Xàbia before heading back the same way.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Hike along the coast from Dénia to the windmills at Xàbia.
Suitable for: Anyone in normal fitness. The climb from Dénia can be strenuous, but the road is laid out in hairpin bends, so the climb doesn't feel so steep.
Duration: The hike is 4.5 km one way, a total of 9 km there and back. It usually takes 2.5 - 3 hours to walk.
Getting there: Type Villa Les Rotes into Google Maps. This will take you to the end of Les Rotes in Dénia where there is a small car park. There is also a car park along the road a little further back. Alternatively: Find Les Rotes on the map and drive to the end of the road. From the car park at the end of Les Rotes, walk back 50-100 metres and take Carrer del Lactea to the left where there are signs for Cova Tallada.
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