Relleu is a small mountain village a couple of miles inside Benidorm on the Costa Blanca coast in Spain. It is known for its streets paved with stone mosaics.
The name Relleu comes from the word relief, which refers to the topography of the area. The city stands out as it is surrounded by high mountains.
The town was originally Muslim, and the castle (Castillo de Relleu) on the hill nearby was built in the 13th century. The castle had an area of 1,720 square meters. The walls were 1.20 meters thick.
The ruins show how large and impressive this building was in its time. The ruins are now protected.
The 70 families who lived in the town in 1609 when the decree that all Muslims were to be expelled from Spain came, had to flee to the surrounding mountains. The houses were taken over by Christians.
The dirt road up from the town to the castle has stone walls and stairs. The entrance is marked with an arch.
A little before the top you will find the Ermita San Alberto chapel.
At the back of the hill on which the castle was built, a stone has been preserved - La "Patada de San Jaime" which, according to myth, should be a preserved trail after the apostle James crossed the river in the valley below.
It is located by a path/road that goes around the castle at the foot of the hill. If you follow it, you will also find the town's washing place (Lavadora de Relleu) with water from a natural source.
The church named after the apostle James - La Iglesia de San Jaime Apóstol - is located right in the center of the village.
The building connected to the church on the left side of the picture is the chapel "La capilla de la Mare de Deu del Miracle". Unfortunately, the church and chapel are only open to the public in connection with masses and other religious celebrations.
I den gamle delen av byen er det trange, pittoreske gater. Mye av den opprinnelige bebyggelse er bevart.
A few kilometers south of Relleu you can see the remains of a dam that was built in the 17th century.
Here, this year (2022) a footbridge (Pasarela de Relleu) was made along the rock wall above the gorge where the river - Río Amadorio - was dammed in its time.
There is a marked route from the center of Relleu to the dam and footbridge. More information click here.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: The mountain village of Relleu
Fits everyone
Length: The walk from the center of Relleu to the ruins of the castle at the top is only a few hundred meters long. The path/road around the hill where the castle was built is approx. 1 km.
Get there: Drive from Alicante towards Benidorm or from Altea towards Alicante. Take off from the N-332 towards the center of Villajoyosa, or from the AP-7 at the exit to Villajoyosa. Drive the CV-770 towards Orxeta and Sella. A few kilometers after you have passed Orxeta - and before you reach Sella - you turn left at the sign for Relleu on the CV-775. Follow CV-775 to Relleu. There are narrow streets in the center and few or no parking spaces. Park therefore in marked places along the road before you get to Relleu, or drive round to the other side of the town on the downhill side via the road that turns left from the CV-775 called Circumvalación a few hundred meters before Relleu.