Relleu Footbridge – a spectacular hike near Alicante, Spain
La Pasarela De La Presa De Relleu
Just outside the small town of Relleu, about 40 minutes by car from Altea, a massive dam was built on the Amadorio River in the 18th century. The river continues below the dam, where it has carved its way through a deep gorge/ravine.
And this is exactly where the Spanish have created a slightly different kind of hike: a 425-meter (850 m round trip) wooden footbridge, suspended along the cliff side. We, two adults and a teenager, wanted to test it, of course!
After parking the car, we walked about 1 km on a path before arriving at the start of the footbridge. There we paid 2.5 Euros per person and were given helmets, as well as access to the footbridge.
The footbridge is bolted onto the cliff face
The hike starts on a platform looking into the gorge, a mandatory photo spot. Then we just had to strap on our helmets and set off on the wooden walkway. The walking surface itself is made of planks bolted onto the cliff face, and there is a sturdy railing along the entire route. However, the path is relatively narrow and definitely not suitable for those with a fear of heights... For a couple of us, it was a walk of mixed fear and delight, yet at the same time a fun experience!
Lots of nice nooks and crannies to take pictures along the way. Kodak moments.
Butterflies in the stomach
About halfway through the walk, you will find a glass-bottomed viewing platform that really sends butterflies to your stomach. There is something unnatural about standing on glass with about 60 meters straight down below the platform... But fun to have done it!
The path onwards from the glass platform goes down into the gorge, so that means stairs. They are narrow and actually get narrower and narrower, so it is important to communicate with those coming from the opposite direction.
After walking about 435 meters into the gorge, we reached the 'end station'. There you have to turn around on a small 'balcony'. And then you walk back the same way. In return, you get to see the gorge from the opposite direction, which is also fun!
And, the tourist authorities in the Alicante province have already allocated funds for a third stage. This will cross the gorge and lead back to the start of the walk. Thus making it a loop. This will make it a bit more exciting, the hike will take slightly longer, and you won't have to walk back and forth.
There are several other great hiking options by the ravine, but we did not test them this time.
How to get there / parking
From the village of Relleu, there are hiking trails all the way to the dam, starting right by the town hall (see attached map) and extending about 5 km. However, we chose to drive to a 'parking lot' closer to the destination (see attached map). It is a poorly marked 'parking lot', but with the help of Google Maps, we found a couple of spots where several cars were parked and joined them. There were also quite a few cars parked along the roadside.
The hike begins along the roadside, where you can see a kind of map of the area. Just follow the path behind the map. About 1 kilometer along a well-trodden path.
Price
There is no entrance fee, but at the little cabin at the start of the footbridge, you still pay 2.5 Euros per person (1.5 Euros for children under 11 / pensioners). This goes towards helmet rental, as well as the maintenance of the footbridge/path.
NB! We visited out of season and could therefore go at whatever time we wished. However, in high season, it might be wise to book a slot in advance, which is easiest to do at this link.
Opening hours
The opening hours for the footbridge/path are as follows:
From Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:30). This schedule may change depending on the season or holidays.
'Facilities'
There are no toilets in the area, but we saw several people disappearing behind a bush here and there :-)
In the cabin where you get your helmets / pay 2.5 Euros, there was also a modest sale of drinks.
Summary
All in all, it was a perfectly fine hike. Exciting to walk on such artificial walkways bolted to the cliff face. But it is a short walk, and it is done in about half an hour. We were in the area anyway and think it was great to experience this tourist attraction too.