Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
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There are some stunning waterfalls in the Alicante region. Some are more famous and more frequented, but others are hidden treasures nestled away in the natural environment.
The places I have chosen are all part of “La Canal” municipality, which has the River Cañyoles running through it. As a result, there are so many opportunities to see water which is lacking in other parts of Spain, such as waterfalls, rivers, natural pools, fountains and more in this part of Alicante.
Looking for ESSENTIAL OUTDOOR GEAR for your mountain adventures?
Prefer to FLOAT DOWN A RIVER of crystal-clear river on a raft?
The three waterfalls (or areas with waterfalls) I recommend that you visit are…
I have chosen these waterfalls in Alicante because they are all located quite close together (so you can visit them all in one day if you want to), but also because each of them held a surprise for me.
Want to go on a guided tour of the Anna waterfalls including the Cascada de Salto?
Salto de Chella
This route is also not suitable for elderly people or people with mobility issues. This is due to the large rocks that you must scramble over in order to access the waterfall area right at the end of the route.
However, there is an option to avoid hiking altogether, and just look at the waterfall from the viewpoints.
Anna waterfalls Alicante
The route leading the Anna waterfalls is the most difficult. Do not be fooled by the concrete path at the start!
Los Chorradores waterfalls Alicante
This route is the easiest, and the steps can be completely avoided if you use the secret parking, making it a flat route suitable for more accessible.
However (despite the wheelchair logo on the cabin) a wheelchair would not be able to access the full route, because there are a few (large) stepping stones to cross a stream, and a few wooden foot bridges to pass over.
Want to visit a RESERVOIR with WHEELCHAIR/ “ACCESSIBLE” routes?
The town of Anna is located inland and is 1 hour and 15 minutes from Alicante city.
Chella is a 10-minute drive from Anna, and Los Chorradores is another 15 minutes north in the car, just after the town on Navarrés.
“La ruta de las 3 cascadas” (The route of the 3 waterfalls).
As the name states, this is actually a short hiking route encompassing three waterfalls beginning in the town of Anna. The 3 waterfalls in Anna are…
Here at the Anna waterfalls Alicante, I found the most beautiful crystal-clear water, and it is definitely worth the hiking route.
If you prefer to go on a guided tour of the Anna waterfalls with transport included from Denia or Javea I definately recommend this trip.
I know it´s good because I helped the guide create it!
First of all, make sure you don´t accidentally walk past this waterfall! As you walk down the main route from the car park, you need to take a smaller path to the right which goes up, in order to get there. is a good place to relax if you need to escape the sun on a hot day. There are a couple of picnic benches in the shade of the trees right next to the waterfall. It is quite close to the road so you could carry a picnic there, and it is situated quite high up so you can enjoy the view of the mountains, and forest landscape below.
However, this was the least impressive of the Anna waterfalls Alicante to see in August there wasn´t enough water to be seen. There was water because I could hear it, but it was hidden by the hanging plants. However, I have seen videos of this waterfall from September 2023 and it looked amazing, so it just needs some good rainfall (which has just happened) in order to flourish.
Would you like to visit the ICONIC BEAUTY SPOT with WATWRFALL near Planes?
There is a wooden footbridge over the water, from where you can view the waterfall, but unfortunately this was damaged and had plastic tape on it so didn´t look pretty in a photo.
TIP TIP: You can also climb down from the picnic area (under/over the fence) to get closer to the waterfall.
This waterfall is not really suitable or appealing to swim due to the small size, colour of the water and lack of easy access, but you should definitely go and take a look.
This waterfall was a lovely surprise and I was lucky enough to see a rainbow.
TOP TIP: Make sure that you look at it from all angles in order to see a rainbow during the morning while the sun is shining on it.
I also liked that you have to pass through the waterfall area. Initially, I was a little confused, as I didn´t realise that this was the actual route due to the exit point is a little hidden by overhanging branches.
There are rocks, wooden ´bridges´ and stepping stones to walk on. However, some of the stepping stones have sunk under the water so your feet and lower legs will get wet!
TOP TIP: This is a great place to cool off in the water, although it isn´t deep enough to swim or jump.
You can also climb up the rocks and get in a little pool behind the waterfall.
This is the grand finale, the biggest and the most famous of the Anna waterfalls Alicante.
The waterfall is 20 metres high and the water is crystal-clear.
There is the main waterfall leading into the main pool, as well as some pretty cascades to the left, which lead from another smaller pool above.
I did this route three times in August and I was impressed the first time I visited this waterfall, but the second time I went (a day after it had rained nearby) the waterfall had grown in size and it was breathtaking.
There are some other things to see along the Anna waterfalls Alicante route…
However, if you squeeze past the fence and go inside of the building there is something interesting to see (just don´t let kids enter unaccompanied because it could be dangerous!)
Also, if you climb up just to the left of the building, you get a better view of it, and will find the secret picnic area
There is small hidden pool at the last of the Anna waterfalls Alicante. It is just up to the left, and you can climb the rocks to access it – but the pressure from the waterfall leading into it is strong!! (EASY climb) No jumping though!
If you want to walk/swim up the river, there is a section which is walkable.
As you are walking alongside the stream, you will see a very obvious gap where you can access the stream, and you will see a cross painted on a rock indicating that this is not the official hiking route.
You can enter here, and walk all the way up to the wooden footbridge. There is one area where the ground underfoot becomes softer, but it is only a few steps. You could do this in either direction
If you like cliff jumping the “Cascada del Salto” (the third of the Anna waterfalls Alicante) is the place for you!
There are 3 jumps which you can make into the main pool…
Safety first! Make sure that you always jump out and away from the edge, since there are rocks in the pool that cannot be seen in the deeper water.
Wet Canyoning (“Barranquismo”)
Here you will see people abseiling down the waterfall. This activity is called Wet Canyoning (or “Barranquismo” in Spanish). If this looks interesting to you, I have done it and definitely recommend it!
It is a route which includes jumping, swimming and abseiling through the river and it´s canyons. I definately recommend Canyoning in Anna.
If you like scrambling/climbing up rocks, there is a top-secret route which allows you to access Gorgo de la Escalera that even the locals don´t know about!
It is a route used by the wet canyoning groups, to return back to the top of the abseiling point.
To reach this route, turn away from the waterfall and walk past the tree on the path on your left. Next, look left and you will see a row of rocks leading to the other side of the river.
Walk through the river to cross to the other side, and the path will begin on (up) the right-hand side.
This route is awesome. Enjoy climbing the Anna waterfalls Alicante!
To access the Anna waterfalls Alicante there are two gravel car parks as well as on-street parking on Avenida Diputación
If you walk right to the end of this street, towards the mountain opposite, you will find an information board that shows a hiking route.
I recommend that you follow the linear route passing points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 on the map.
This linear route is about 1km long and takes about 30 minutes to walk to the three Anna waterfalls Alicante..
If you are adventurous, you can also access location number 7 from the third waterfall in Anna.
This is the highest of the waterfalls Alicante at 25 metres high. There is no information board at the entry point, so it was a surprise to behold.
It is situated in a small microclimate area, which is part of the Sellent river.
This waterfall consists of a route (“Senda del salto de Chella”), which leads down to the water.
I visited this waterfall in August 2024 after a very dry year, and it consisted of a round-ish pool below the waterfall, with a rocky ´beach´ in front.
HOWEVER, I have seen pictures from July 2023 when there was more water, and the beach area didn´t exist. Instead, there were two pools, separated by a rocky area in-between.
There is a brand new multi-waterfall trip with transport from Valencia visiting the: Anna waterfalls, Salto de Chella, Bolbaite and Anna lake.
Four awesome places that I visited in summer – and definately recommend – all packed into one day!!
There are several things that you can explore on the way down to see the highest of the waterfalls Alicante…
Looking for accomodation in Chella?
Hiking
There is also an option to do a circular hike, which is 2km long.
From the waterfall you can follow the path leading directly away from it on the left-hand side of the rocky river bed. This path will then cross over and lead you back up to the town. You can then see the waterfall from the viewpoints above…
Viewpoints
It is also possible to walk between here and the waterfall parking area for a closer view, but the path is quite steep.
“Cuevas del Turco”
Just 5 minutes’ drive from the waterfall parking you could also visit the “Cuevas del Turco” (the caves of the Turk). These are 15-20. You cannot access them but they are interesting to see.
If you like wild camping/bivvying, then then the cave (“La cueva que llueve”) is a place where you enjoy a night outdoors while escaping the rain. Make sure you explore the area too!
If you like scrambling/climbing up rocks and cliff jumping, there are definitely opportunities here.
I haven´t seen or done any jumping (because I visited quite late in the day), but I have seen people climbing on the rocks at either side, particularly on the left where you can climb quite high.
You can also climb up to stand under the waterfall (it´s a great photo opportunity), and jump in from there.
Safety first!
The water is not clear here (it was a dark green colour in August 2024, and I this seems to be the norm). Therefore, you cannot easily see how deep the water is.
So, always do a check first; by seeing how low down you can go from a swimming position, and whether your feet touch the ground or any rocks below.
Parking is very limited, and there is no dedicated parking area.
However, in order of proximity to the waterfall, you can try these locations…
The route leading down to this waterfall is only about 250 metres long, and takes about 15 minutes to walk.
It is a windy hiking track, with at least one overhanging tree.
When you reach the flat part, you must pass the abandoned building on the left.
When you reach the rocky river bed, turn right. There are various short rocky routes you can take but they all lead to the same place.
Happy scrambling!
You can spend about an hour here, or longer if you decide to have a picnic.
It is a very pretty route which runs alongside the river, encompassing various pools, streams, waterfalls, fountains and a dam.
The big waterfall, which is well known, is 25 metres high. However, there is another fairly big waterfall quite close to the secret parking too.
As well as the Los Chorradores waterfalls, there are a few other water features to see on the route. These are listed in order of proximity to the main road…
There is also a hidden water tunnel, which you can only see if you go and explore.
Walk right up to the main waterfall and access the land to the left. Follow the wall left and you will see a small ´cave´. Go and take a look inside!
Alternative hiking routes
There are 2 options to make your Los Chorradores waterfalls Alicante route less linear…
Extended hiking route
From the picnic area, you can continue hiking to the reservoir “Embalse de Escalona”.
This is at least 1.6km each way and involves a big descent down to the reservoir, which you then need to ascend again to return. Therefore, I would not recommend this on a hot summer´ day.
To access this route, take a left at the picnic area and cross the stream.
In August 2024, the only place that was really suitable for swimming was below the main waterfall.
It might be possible to jump in here from a rock to the right. However, at that time there wasn´t enough water to do this.
However, I have seen photos of people climbing at the second largest waterfall, and bathing in the other pools, from summer 2023 when there was more water.
The official parking in on the road: Aparcamiento Los Chorradores (Navarrés)
If you park here, you can walk down a slope, then down some steps (with a rope to hold onto), and reach the main waterfall (“Chorradores”) in about 10-15 minutes, passing “Fuente Clara” on your way.
However, in July and August, you need to pay to park and enter here (How much does it cost?)
TOP TIP for parking:
There is another (better) parking option “Parking Merendero Chorradores”.
It consists of two areas:
So, this is great if you want to avoid the steps
It is also be a way to avoid paying to visit Los Chorradores waterfalls Alicante in summer (How much does it cost?)
I think that this is a better starting point because can it means that the main waterfall is the grand finale. Whereas visitors accessing via the main entrance may be less inclined to continue walking once they have seen it (which is what happened with my friend during our first visit). However, I returned alone to see the whole area and I´m glad that I did.
Accessing the secret parking
Your satnav/GPS may not recognise the route leading to the secret parking and will lead you down a different road, so don´t follow it!
To access this car park, turn off the main road here and drive straight ahead on the track.
The parking is located here
This a linear route leading from the main road entrance, to the picnic area.
It is about 1km long and takes about 30 minutes to walk.
However, you can veer from this to explore and make it more interesting.
Booking is not required for any of the waterfalls Alicante.
However, you may need to pay to enter Los Chorradores.
The only waterfalls Alicante that you need to pay for are Los Chorradores during July and August during the day (We visited at 6pm on a Friday in August and there were no staff there).
The cost is 3€ per car (the details are on an information board in the car park).
However, this can be avoided if you use the secret parking
I visited again at 10am on a Sunday in August, and the cabin was closed at this location.
Nope. Go and enjoy the waterfalls Alicante at your leisure!
THINGS TO PACK
Get ready to visit the waterfalls Alicante!
There are no facilities at any of the waterfalls Alicante.
If you want to swim in the waterfalls Alicante, then summer is a great time to visit.
If you want to see big waterfalls in their full glory, then I recommend that you go after it has rained. Waterfall season is generally from October to May.
I visited Los Chorradores twice in August. The first time (after a storm nearby) the waterfall was very impressive. However, two days later I returned and it was gone!
Therefore, if you want to swim and see lots of water falling, I recommend that you visit the waterfalls Alicante early in the summer, or as soon as the rain starts in Autumn.
Visiting Alicante city?
Wild Child Costa Blanca
