22 September 2025 – Alcalali to Parcent

 

The weather forecast for the previous week had been for heavy rain

So I postponed a decision on the walk until Sunday

Fortunately it had changed to sunny but cool by then.

Dramatic drop in temperatures, it was almost chilly when we met at 0900

Jan brought a jacket, Maureen was actually wearing one

It is ten months since we last did this walk in November last year

This is because we have to cross a river and it is not suitable after heavy rain

And we had to cancel it twice because of this

We did have some heavy rain earlier this week

But fortunately it only lasted half an hour

So I was confident that the river would not be a problem

The weather this morning was ideal for walking

It was sunny, but with a cool breeze, similar to a nice sunny summer day in the UK

What a pleasant change after such a hot summer

This is one of the less well known walks from Alcalali to Parcent

We had walked the valley for about ten years before being shown the route by one of our group in February 2017.

On that first walk there had been heavy rain, we could not cross the river, and had to take an alternative route.

We have walked it many times since then, but I have always considered crossing the river.

Our banana stop today was at the font in Parcent.

This is a favourite because there is suitable seating whether we need sun or shade

Today it was the shade, because it was quite warm by the time we reached the font

Despite the lower temperatures we had a water break every half hour

And the last one was at the Hermitage of San Juan

This is another much used banana stop, again because it is suitable whether we require sun or shade

It is a short walk from here back to Alcalali

And the nearer we get the faster the pace

Possibly inspired by anticipation of a cold drink in the square

There are two bars in the square

Both were closed for almost a year when the square was tiled

Fortunately that job is complete and the new look square is a vast improvement

The bars are unchanged, and as welcoming as always

Today it was Bar Toni, as Bar Porche was closed

A pleasant way to finish a very enjoyable walk

Temperature – 22 to 24c

Time Taken – 3 hours

Distance – 9 km