Ruta de Cabo de las Huertas - hiking along the rocky beach in Alicante north

The Ruta de Cabo de las Huertas is a hiking trail that goes from Playa de San Juan in the east to Playa de Albufereta in the west, past the Faro de Cabo de las Huertas lighthouse. Here you will see one of the most distinctive natural areas of the Alicante coast with cliffs and rock formations in yellow sandstone formed 8 million years ago and later shaped by weather, wind and waves over thousands of years. You will also see beautiful sandy beaches and fishing facilities from Roman times.

From El Campello to San Juan there is a six-kilometer continuous wide sandy beach (Muchavista - San Juan) that many people know. At the southern end of Playa de San Juan, the long sandy beach gradually changes into the more hilly and rocky coast at Cabo de las Huertas. The four-kilometer long Cala de Cabo de las Huertas consists of several small bays and coves with a mixture of sand, gravel and rocky rocks. This area is more spectacular, but still less visited and known. It is this route that is described in this article.

The beaches of Playa de Muchavista and Playa de San Juan are a continuous, wide sandy beach of over 6 km. In the distance you can see El Campello and the mountains behind.

When you get to Playa de las Huertas, the beach becomes narrower and rocky.

We start at the end of Playa de San Juan where the sandy beach gradually narrows and eventually turns into a narrow pebble beach with rocky cliffs and distinctive, hollowed-out rock formations. In the distance you can see the lighthouse Faro de Cabo de las Huertas. It is unfortunately fenced off and inaccessible to the public, but is a nice landmark. On the other side of the headland you first come to Cala de la Palmera, then to a series of small coves and beaches called Cala de Cantalares, then to Cala de los Judíos, Playa de Almadraba and finally to Playa de Albufereta. You can also walk the route in the opposite direction.

The Ruta de Cabo de las Huertas is 4.3 km long and runs from Playa de Albuferete in the Bay of Alicante in the southwest to Playa de San Juan in the northeast. This article focuses most of its attention on the Calas de Cabo de las Huertas. In the past, the land within this coastline was green, fertile agricultural areas that were watered by the río Monnegre (rìu Montnegro). This is the origin of its current name. The Spanish word huerta means fruit or vegetable garden or plantation.

It is possible to walk along the water the entire way, but it is rough in some places, and if you are unsteady or unsure of your skills, you can walk on a path a little inside the shoreline. In the most demanding area from Cala de la Palmera to Cala Cantalares, it may also make sense to walk a short distance by car to get past safely.

Cabo de las Huertas is not only a beautiful coastal landscape, but also an area of ​​significant natural value. It is therefore protected. On land, there is a botanical micro-reserve at Cala Cantalares, created to protect a distinctive coastal vegetation with several interesting and indigenous plant species.

The sea area outside the cape is part of the European nature conservation area Natura 2000. In 2025, this was granted the status of a Special Conservation Area (Zona Especial de Conservación). Here, the valuable underwater beds of the seagrass species Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa are particularly to be protected.

The cape itself is also of geological and biological interest, with ancient fossil beach deposits, characteristic sandstone formations and vegetation that is specially adapted to the dry and salty coastal environment.

Eight million years ago, a shallow, flat marine plateau of yellow sandstone was formed. Much of the plateau still exists, but over the years it has been shaped and transformed by wind and waves into the exciting terrain we see today.

The marine area off Cabo de las Huertas is protected as part of the European Red Natura 2000 network. The marine conservation area stretches along the coast from Cala d'Or in El Campello to Cala de los Judíos near Alicante.

The Faro de Cabo de las Huertas is built on the foundations of a 16th-century watchtower that was used to warn of North African pirates.

On land at Cala Cantalares there is a small botanical nature reserve (Microrreserva de Flora de Cala Cantalares) where the purpose is to protect the special flora that has adapted to the dry and windy climate here.

For most of the route, there is an easy-to-walk path inside the dramatic shoreline.

If you've been annoyed by the fact that many of the beaches on the Costa Blanca are filled with long, flat strands of seaweed, it might help to know that this is a sure sign that the water is clean, and that the blankets of grass that accumulate on the beaches in the autumn are important because they protect the coastline from erosion. They are therefore not removed until just before the next bathing season. Just off the beaches are underwater meadows of long seaweed from which waves and strong currents tear strands loose. They would not have survived if the water had been polluted.

When you get to this beach, you should consider walking onto the roads inside if you are not confident in your skills. From here, there is a section where the shoreline is more challenging to walk on.

Enter this road and continue along the coast until you reach the descent to Cala Cantalar.

A walkway with railings and benches has been created on the stretch from Cap de l'Horta to Cala Kingi.

The last two beaches are ordinary sandy beaches. At the last one, Playa Albufereta, there are remains of buildings from Roman times in the form of a fishing complex where there were pools where fish were kept and fed.

Playa Albufereta

Remains of a Roman fishing facility

The fish farm had channels that ensured that fresh seawater was constantly coming in while also being able to prevent the fish from escaping.

More excursions: www.turideer.com

Excursion of the week: Ruta de Cabo de las Huertas in Alicante

Suitable for: Anyone with normal mobility and physical fitness. Parts of the route are uneven, so it may be wise to wear good sneakers with stiff soles.

How to get there: Round trip: Type El Cabo Aparcamiento into Google Maps. This will take you to a free car park suitable for a 6 km round trip. From the car park, walk northeast to the beach where Playa de San Juan and Playa de Cabo de las Huertas meet. It takes about 20 minutes. From there, walk along the shoreline until you reach Cala de los Judios. From there, walk along the road back to the car park, about 5 minutes.

If you want to walk the entire distance, it is best to use public transport. The La Isleta stop is right next to Playa de Albufereta (lines 1, 3, 4, 5). The Holanda or Cabo Huertas stops (lines 4 and 5) are right next to where Cabo de las Huerta begins at the other end. Alternatively, you can park at one end and walk back and forth, but it will be a very long walk. If you have two cars, you can park one at each end. However, it is difficult to find parking at Playa de Albufereta.

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