Planes, charming mountain village in the Alicante province - what to see in Planes?

Planes is a small mountain village in the northern part of the Alicante region, surrounded by mountains, valleys and the Serpis River. The houses are located along the sides of a cliff with a medieval castle on top. The streets run in a ring around the cliff and are connected to each other by stairs and steep cross streets. Here you get an unvarnished picture of daily life in old Spain. Some of the buildings are painted brick houses, while others are unworked stone houses from the Middle Ages. This article describes what you can see in Planes and the surrounding areas.

In recent years, Planes has become a bit more touristy, but the village still has an authentic feel. It has just over 700 inhabitants (705 in 2025), and the houses are concentrated in a small area. So you can see a lot just by walking around the streets and looking around. But here is a list of the most important things you can see:

• Before you get to the village

• Attractions

• Ermita de Santo Cristo

• Cruces de Término

• Barranco de La Encantada

• Albufera de Gaianes

Before you get to the village

The people of Planes have traditionally lived from agriculture, with cherries, olive oil and almonds as the main products. Before driving into Planes, you should take a look at some of the cherry fields, which during the flowering season (February/March) give the landscape a beautiful pink color. At the entrance you will also find a peculiar construction with a cross in the middle, called El Término.

Planes is located in the middle of what is known as the Vall de Gallinera in the El Comtat area, one of the most important cherry districts in the province of Alicante. Only farmers from this district can sell their berries under the name "Cerezas de la Montaña de Alicante", and Planes has been given the informal title of the cherry capital.

El Término means the border, in this case the city border. The structure in the picture that you will find at the entrance to Planes has been renovated in modern times, but originally dates back to the Middle Ages. Its purpose was to show where the municipal border was. It also showed that Planes was an administrative unit that had self-government and the right to collect taxes. The cross on top was supposed to provide spiritual protection over the area.

Attractions

Despite its modest size, Planes has three restaurants, one bar and two hotels. The most important buildings are the Iglesia de Santa María, the town hall (ayuntamiento) with the Reloj de Sol sculpture and the Castillo de Planes. You should also visit El Parque de Porxet and the Font Nova spring with its aqueduct and medieval bridge.

It is difficult to find parking inside the village, so it is worth parking outside. Take the first road to the right after the intersection with El Término and park in the marked spaces along the road. When you go down the stairs, you will reach this pedestrian crossing. From there, there is a sidewalk down to the old town center.

The Iglesia de Santa María and Castell de Planes are clearly visible at the top of the village.

City street with mural in the mountain village of Planes in the province of Alicante

Narrow city street in the mountain village of Planes in the Alicante province

Casa Tia Teresa is a small hotel right next to the church.

One of the three restaurants is Centre Social. It is recommended by locals because it has cheap and good food. Here you can get dinner with a drink for 10 Euros (in 2026). The food was simple but tasty.

Ayuntamiento de Planes (Town Hall) at Plaza Dalt Vila. Here you can get brochures and maps. By the stairs is the sculpture El Reloj

The sculpture Reloj de Sol - Sundial

The streets that run in a circle around the cliff are relatively flat, but the cross streets that connect them are steep.

The village has both painted brick houses and untreated stone buildings. The brick buildings in Planes are not as well maintained as those seen in the tourist towns along the coast. This perhaps helps to give the village a more authentic feel.

The Iglesia de la Virgen de la Asunción (or simply Iglesia de Santa María) in the Plaza de Santa María. The oldest part dates from the 14th century. The newest parts and the church door date from the 17th century.

Parque del Porxet has decorations on both trees and railings

Artwork in Parque de Porxet

The Castillo de Planes castle is best seen from the back. It is currently undergoing renovations (March 2026), but is scheduled to open to the public within a year. In the meantime, you can enjoy wandering around the areas behind the castle, where there are some beautiful stone buildings from the Middle Ages.

The area behind the castle has several levels.

The natural spring of Font Nova is located down in the valley on the east side of the town. Walk past the small bakery and down a steep hill to the old Lavadero where women washed clothes in running spring water.

Medieval wall (13th century) with preserved and restored aqueduct

Ermita de Santo Cristo

The clifftop on which the Ermita de Santo Cristo is located is called Sierra de Sant Cristòfol. It is located right next to the village on the northeast side. To get there, you walk past the Font Nova spring and across the river. The path to the chapel turns off the road after a few hundred meters. This is also the path you should follow if you want to go to Barranco de la Encantada. The route up to the chapel is 1 km long and has a difference in altitude of 80 meters. It takes 20-30 minutes with breaks to admire the view.

The hiking trail up to the Ermita de Santo Cristo zigzags up the side of the Sierra de Sant Cristòfol cliff. You can see it from the east side of the city.

The hiking trail turns off the road a few hundred meters from the valley floor.

The trail to the Ermita de Santo Cristo is also the start of the hike to the Barranco de la Encantada ravine

Along the way to the chapel there are 13 stations with a small tower with pictures of the various events during the Vía Crusis - Jesus' way to the crucifixion

Example of one of the images in the small towers

Ermita de Santo Cristo is located 588 meters above sea level. It was built in the 16th century and was originally dedicated to Sant Cristofòl and Santa Bàrbara. In 1749 this was changed to Santo Cristo.

Behind the chapel there is a recreation area with benches and playground equipment.

From the chapel there is a panoramic view of both the village and the surrounding areas. Do you see the mountain goat on the left in the picture?

From the chapel you can see that the roof of the castle is covered with grass.

Cultivated areas to the south and west as seen from the chapel

The Embalse de Benierrés dam is clearly visible from the chapel. It is possible to drive to the dam, where there is a picnic area and hiking trails.

Barranco de La Encantada

Barranco de la Encantada means the enchanted or bewitched ravine. According to folklore, there is a bewitched young Moorish woman there who appears on Midsummer Eve near water. The river Serpis flows at the bottom of the ravine. Barranco de la Encantada is located near Planes, and it is possible to walk to it from the village. You start at Font Nova, go up to the Ermita de Santo Cristo and continue on the road that goes down to the left of the chapel. The route is 3.5 km each way, and it is estimated that you will spend 3-4 hours on the walk in total. It is also possible to drive there, and that is the route described below. The most famous place in the ravine is Gorg del Salt. There is a small waterfall with a pool below.

Gorg del Salt. The water flow in the small waterfall varies greatly throughout the year. After heavy rain, the water flow is so great that it is dangerous to stay there. The picture above is from a dry period.

To get to Barranc del Salt, take the CV-700 out of town on the east side towards Vall de Gallinera. After 10 km - an 8-minute drive - you will come to an exit on the left with a sign for Barranco de la Encantada. Previously, it was possible to drive all the way down to Gorg del Salt, but now you have to park just off the exit in a parking lot on the right side of the road. It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk from the parking lot to Gorg del Salt.

If you type Barranc de l'Endantada into Google Maps when you are in Planes, you will arrive at this parking lot. From there, walk 1.2 km and 73 meters of elevation gain down the paved road to the bottom of the ravine. There you will see the Serpis River on your right.

The river río Serpis at the bottom of the Barranco de la Encantada

At Gorg del Salt, a brick staircase has been made down to two plateaus and further down to the pool below the waterfall.

The waterfall has little water flow during dry periods as in the picture below, but can have significant water flow after periods of heavy rain.

Gorg del Salt seen from the bottom in Barranco de la Encantada near the mountain village of Planes in Alicante province

Map of the hike from Planes to Barranco de la Encantada with Gorg del Salt. You start at Font Nova, go up to the Ermita de Santo Cristo and continue along the road from the chapel. It is 3.5 km from Planes to Barranco de la Encantada, but it should take about 3-4 hours to walk the entire hike as shown on the map.

Albufera de Gaianes

Albufera de Gaianes is located 15-20 minutes drive from Planes and is one of the recommended excursion destinations in the area. It is a small freshwater lagoon and a nature reserve that, during periods of good water flow, is an idyllic place with a rich birdlife. However, due to a long drought and a lot of water withdrawal for agriculture in the area, the lagoon is now completely dry in 2026. There is therefore also little bird and animal life there, but the lagoon could become wetland again if there were to be longer periods of heavy rain.

To get to Albufera de Gaianes, you drive to Gaianes and continue along a narrow asphalt road for a few kilometers until you reach a small airport for model aircraft on the right. The nature reserve is on the left side of the road next to this. It is only a couple of hundred meters from the road to a viewpoint, and you start at a sign that shows the way to Mirador de la Mota. There is no marked parking lot, but an area along the road on the left side close to the airport can be used. Enter Albufera de Gaianes in Google Maps and you will go directly to the place where the trail begins.

View point at Albufera de Gaianes

The freshwater lagoon of Albufare de Gaianes is now dry in 2026 after several years of drought and high water withdrawal. If there is a prolonged period of rain, the lagoon tends to recover quickly.

More excursions: www.turideer.com

This week's excursion: Exploring what to see in Planes, a small mountain village in the northwest of the Alicante province.

Getting there: Take the A7 from Alicante to Alcoy. Continue a few kilometres past Alcoy, then take the exit for Muro de Alcoy onto the CV-700. Continue straight ahead on the CV-700 through Benimarfull and on until you reach Planes. Alternatively: Type Planes into Google Maps. Park on the outskirts of the village, preferably at the first exit on the right after the junction with El Término on Carrer Metge Rodrigo. From there, there are steps down to the village. It is very difficult to find a free parking space inside the village.

#Spain #English #Planes #Barranc #Ermita