Estrechos del Mijares – Presa de Cirat

The Estrechos del Mijares form a high-walled canyon in Cirat municipality, in the Alto Mijares. At the mouth of the gorge stands the Cirat dam, closing the riverbed and marking the end of the wild stretch coming down from Montanejos.

The dam

According to the Júcar river authority, the Cirat reservoir diverts its water to the power plant of the same name, also called Collado Blanco. It is a small dam on the Mijares, shortly before Montanejos, with a marked path leaving from the nearby bathing area, just over 1 km away. The reservoir is not a bathing area: the stored water and the works mean look, not get in.

The route

The canyon is walked on a 12.88 km loop with 626 m of ascent linking Montanejos, the Chillapájaros straits, El Chorro and Cueva Negra, of moderate difficulty and about 3 and a half hours of walking. It is the same gorge system that runs down to the dam, so the visit combines canyon above and waterworks below. In the area, swimming belongs to the Chillapájaros straits and resting to the Arenós reservoir, upstream.

Tips for your visit

• Wear mountain footwear: the canyon path crosses rock and loose gravel.
• Carry water for 4 hours, there are no springs on the route.
• Do not swim at the dam: use Cirat's Playa Molino, an official bathing area.
• You can only get there by car, on the CV-20 from Onda or via Montanejos.