The Sierra de Orihuela is a 15km stretch of mountains located north of the town of Orihuela in the Alicante province. It extends west to the municipal district of Santomera, which is situated in the adjacent autonomous community of Murcia. At its highest point, the Sierra de Orihuela reaches a height of 633m at the Leja de Millamón in the Peña de Orihuela section, and to the east the mountain peaks at the Cruz de la Muela with a height of 464m.
From the top of the Sierra de Orihuela, the views of the flat plains and “huertas” of the Vega Baja are absolutely stunning. The mountain range offers a drastic contrast to the area of the town below that spreads out at only 22m above sea level at the mountain’s feet. The Sierra de Orihuela is an area of natural beauty that is home to a huge variety of animal and plant wildlife. Due to its close proximity to the sea, the type of rock and orientation of the range, the sierra provides the perfect location for the great number of varied ecosystems that have flourished and thrived.
On the climb up to the peaks, expect to see dense areas of small trees, bushes, brushwood and grassland populated with herbs such as thyme, rosemary and fennel, as well as the occasional exotic looking plants and flowers. Due to the richness of the vegetation, many types of birds, reptiles and mammals also dwell in this area.
Higher up near the summits, in the lonely rocky regions, it is not uncommon find various birds of prey that have made the area their home. Several species of owl have been spotted as well as the Bonelli’s eagle, kestrels and the peregrine falcon. Smaller birds that nest in the zone are the great grey shrike, goldfinch, blue rock thrush and on the odd occasion the green woodpecker, hoopoe and the European bee-eater may even be seen. Signs for walkers have been put in place so that they can follow the most easy and accessible route to the two summits of the range, however other paths or tracks may be taken.
The route markings consist of two stripes, one yellow and the other white, that have been painted clearly on to the rocks and are situated fairly closely together. The signposted routes, that cover the whole of the range, were created in order to facilitate the repopulation of the sierra and also to detain soil erosion caused by heavy rains such as those in the floods of 1948. Construction of the walkways began in 1948 and was finished by 1950 and the pathways are now used by the many people that enjoy hiking up the mountain or just spending time in nature. This is an excellent area for aficionados of walking, trekking, painting, photography, writing or just studying and examining the natural area.
Walks in the Sierra de Orihuela can vary in length. It is possible to spend a few hours, half a day or even a whole weekend. The peak of Leja de Millamón can be accessed by several different routes. For a fairly strenuous 3-hour hike, where a moderate to good level of fitness is required, take the following directions to the starting point of the walk:
Take the old road to Murcia (N340) from the major roundabout on the outskirts of Orihuela town centre, near the Ociopia shopping centre. The road immediately narrows and climbs a steep hill.
After a few minutes, on descending the hill, you will see a restaurant on the left-hand side of the road called “El Piste”.
At this point, turn right immediately. You will turn into a very narrow pathway but there is a sign for the Leja de Millamón and the Sierra de Orihuela and it shows the location as N340 km 685.
Follow the road and at the fork take the left path.
Continue until you find a space to park your car. You should now be at the bottom of the Peña de Orihuela.There is a short walk through the tree and grassland area that very quickly leads to the foot of the mountain. From here onwards, the climb is quite steep and precarious in some parts. You will have to climb rocks for about 10 minutes of this section and you will have to pass through the curious “Paso del Gato”, a 2-metre hole in the mountain that must be navigated in order to continue the walk.
The journey to the Leja de Millamón consists of a steep climb upwards for around 45 minutes, at a fairly fast pace, which then leads to a fairly relaxing walk along the ridge before another hard-going climb to the summit. The descent can be hazardous, especially with the wrong type of footwear. Ensure that you take plenty of water – as you will need it – and wear the correct trainers with a strong grip or preferably walking boots, as well as sun protection, if the weather is sunny. Try to carry out the climb in the morning or late afternoon or evening, depending on the time of year.
