Chorros de Barchel

The Chorros de Barchel are a protected ensemble of small caves and rain-fed cascades on a gorge slope above the Turia, in Benagéber. The flow depends on recent rain and can run thin or dry outside wet periods, but after storms the rock pours water into a cool, quiet corner prized by walking groups. Access runs on the GR-7 long-distance path or on the entry track from the Benagéber reservoir dam.

The route

The usual visit is a circular hiking loop of 11 km, of medium-low difficulty, starting at the dam wall. Below the falls the path passes a hanging bridge over the Turia, the natural finish of the walk. The geocaching guides mark the site as suited to children, a 1 to 10 km hike with parking nearby and no hard climbing, but they also flag cliffs and falling rocks close by, so the path, not the rock, is the route.

Tips

• Go after wet periods: in dry months you may find caves and damp rock but little falling water.
• Stay on the marked loop and keep children close: cliffs and loose rock edge the slope.
• Respect the protected site: carry out all litter and leave the caves untouched.
• Pair it with the Charco Azul or the Chulilla hanging bridges, further down the same Turia gorge.