Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
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The Embalse Escalona is located in the municipality of Escalona, which is situated in the valley of the Buñol River.
This is just North of Sumacárcer town, and provides the water to enjoy the thrilling White Water Rafting on the Río Júcar.
The water comes from the Buñol River, and has been managed by the Escalona Dam since the 1950s.
The Embalse Escalona can hold about 6 million cubic meters of water, which is used to regulate river water, and for local agricultural irrigation.
This is quite small compared to some other reservoirs in the region.
However, this is great for paddleboarders and kayakers, because it means that we can explore it all!
Every year, a slowly increasing number of people visit the Embalse Escalona to enjoy paddling activities, such as paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, or playing on inflatables closer to the shore.
You can take your own equipment, or paddleboard and kayak rental is now available there.
If you take your own watercraft, you might need a licence from the Confederacion Hidrografica el Jucar.
There is even talk of a campsite being built nearby in the future.
The area surrounding the Embalse Escalona is hilly with cliffs, woodland, and lush foliage.
While paddling on the Embalse Escalona, you are immersed in nature, with fauna such as European Pond Turtles, Iberian ibex, wild boar, kestrels, and grey herons to be seen.
At night, away from the beaches/parking area (where some people frequent) it is incredibly peaceful.
All you can hear is the sound of fish splashing around, and you might notice a few lights on the water, from fishermen floating in their 1-person dinghies.
This route takes you around the whole reservoir!
It begins near the Embarcadero Embalse Escalona parking area, and follows the edge of the Embalse Escalona reservoir in a clockwise direction.
Embalse Escalona Paddleboarding Route details:
You can follow my route here.
If you like visiting reservoirs, then you will also like the:
Paddleboard and kayak rental is available from Nava Esports.
They usually take the equipment down to the Embarcadero Embalse Escalona pier at the weekends in the mornings, but if you want to guarantee paddleboard/kayak rental, it is best to contact them directly (616 753 516) and reserve in advance. The longer, the better!
They also do guided tours, if you prefer to go with a guide.
To visit the Embalse Escalona, you can park at the Embarcadero Embalse Escalona.
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There are various places where you can enter the water…
If you are going on a long paddling route, like my route, then these access points are suitable.
However, if you prefer to set up on the shore for a beach day, take a look at these beach day locations.
Ruin and cave house
You can park your paddleboard/kayak either to the left of the ruin, or by paddling under the first archway and leaving it there. Ascend the steps and jump off!
If you want to jump into crystal-clear icy mountain water, check out Cliff Jumping in Anna.
Barranco del Barcal
You could take a break here, but parking for paddleboards/kayak is limited!
You could also wild camp here.
Barranco del Barcal. This is the creek on the left, after the rest area.
It is quite short, but beautiful.
There are turtles, but they are very shy! I saw three turtles here.
Warning! Take care when paddling in the Barranco del Barcal because there are quite a few fallen trees in the water, but they can be clearly seen if you are paying attention.
Stalactites. As you leave the Barranco del Barcal, you will see a long wall of Stalactites on the left.
Southwest Inlet
This is a lovely place to stop, with lots of grass to sit on, and much needed after such a long paddle.
There is an exit point to leave the Embalse Escalona just to the right-hand side of the bridge.
Go and explore! There could be some turtles, or something else interesting, in there.
Or have a rest here before heading back…you might need it!
Warning! The route back was difficult. The current was strong, and it took fast, strong strokes to be able to manoeuvre and move forward!
The exact same thing happened on my previous visit…but I like a challenge.
If you prefer a more casual paddling route, see my route recommendations here.
It appears to be very close to the shore, with a hiking path leading down to it. There are quite a few trees in the area, so the cave may be hiding.
However, I didn’t notice at the time, because I was busy fighting against the wind!
If you are passing, take a look!
Very small creek. On the left is a very small creek, which provided a welcome break from the wind!
There is a very small beach at the end, and I also saw a turtle there.
“Rambla Seca” (northern inlet)
First there are some towering rock formations to the left.
One rock actually has straps attached, which you can tie your paddleboard/kayak to
This was the only section where I saw a turtle in open water.
Turtle spotting
Turtle creek. The small creek that is opposite the Embarcadero Embalse Escalona is the best place to spot turtles!
Last time I saw 8 turtles, but this time only 3 because a noisy group arrived soon after I did.
You can learn more about the freshwater turtles present in the Valencia region here, as well as 20 tips on how to find them…
Embalse Escalona Dam
Park here and take a short hike to view the Embalse Escalona from up high!
The general rule is that paddling can only take place 100 metres away from reservoir dams (unless stated otherwise), and “It is forbidden to paddle in the restricted area, signalled by the line of buoys”.
However, there may be some buoys missing, because there are none near the left-side of the Embalse Escalona!
So, I crossed in front of the dam by heading towards the yellow buoys on the far side.
If you want to have a beach day. For example, setting up furniture by the water´s edge and doing short routes on the paddleboard/kayak, then I recommended the locations below.
However, they are in high demand (by those who know about them), so you have to get there first!…
You can park one vehicle here and have your own private areas facing the dam.
You could even set up a tent and do some fishing.
This is a rectangular concrete area.
You can enter the water by climbing in/out of a paddleboard/kayak, and there is a hooped strap in the concrete that you could attach it to.
However, you cannot walk in from here.
There is enough space here for a group of people to set up tables/chairs/gazebo.
This is a great spot to enjoy some natural shade. You could also set up a hammock between the trees, or a tent at night, since it is big, flat, and grassy.
Then you can enter the water via the slope, or there is also a short, narrow path leading directly to the water, almost opposite this area.
If you want a short walk, you can walk on the path from the woodland area to see a ruin up on the cliff-top (which is directly above the cliff jumping ruin).
If you want a longer hike, you can do the SL-CV 137, which is a 3-hour, 10.30km route, taking you through the Los Chorradores Waterfalls, as well as Navarrés town.
If you love paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking, kitesurfing, hot air balloon rides, mountain biking, sailing, beach volleyball, and skateboarding…Barcelona has it all!
Check out Braving Barcelona: Adventures, Activities, and Ideal Vacation Spots
Plenty of people wild camp in the car park, near the beaches.
I know this because I can hear them from my top-secret spot further uphill!
If you want to wild camp away from the crowds, there is a nice grassy area right by the water, which you will pass on my paddleboarding route.
It is a circular-shaped area approximately 3.25 metres wide, which could accommodate two small tents or a few more bivvy bags.
You can park here and follow the path to the left, down to the corner of the land.
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Very close to the Embalse Escalona is the La Canal area, which includes hidden gems that are all perfect places to visit in summer, such as the:
.
If you are looking for a funky new way to explore Alicante´s hidden corners, then I recommend this outdoor adventure challenge: “Adventure Hunt”.
Or you browse the hidden gems of the Costa Blanca on an interactive map…
Wild Child Costa Blanca
