Benagéber
Benagéber is one of the tourist towns in the province of Valencia that conserves a rich and attractive natural and environmental heritage. It is located in the administrative region of La Serranía. Its municipality extends on along a series of mountains and ravines on both sides of the River Turia, and is host to many beautiful landscapes. The majority of the area is covered with pine.
The village of Benagéber, which lies next to the old hamlet of Nieva, was built around 1950 with straight streets and whitewashed houses around a square, which houses the Town Hall, the Public School and the Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception, the latter an austere temple that was opened in 1954, very near the municipal swimming pool and sports centre.
Gastronomy:
Benagéber’s local cuisine is highly varied. The village’s climate is favourable to the curing of hams, sausages and other pork products. Local dishes include stews, meat and mushroom gazpacho, lamb stew and roasted potatoes.
The most typical sweets are rose nougat and sweet “migas”.
Places of interest:
Benagéber Reservoir
It lies some 7 kilometres from the village centre and has capacity to store some 228 million cubic metres of water. The dam measures 110 metres from its foundations and 90 metres from the river. It measures 10.5 m wide at its top. The tunnel measures 492 metres in length, and the surface area of the basin is 4200 kilometres square. Since its inauguration in 1955 it has played a very important role in ensuring the water supply to Valencia and its metropolitan area, as well as enabling the irrigation of extensive areas of Camp de Turia and L’Horta.
The Valencia Regional Government’s Ministry of Environment has created a camping zone, “Fuente Muñoz”, in the area near to Benagéber Reservoir. Permission can be requested from PROP (Valencia). Application forms are available from:
http://turia.gva.es/prop/reportes/expdc.asp?id=697
For more information on the activities on offer, please consult our section on Accommodation and Recreation Centres.
Trekking
Benagéber’s lands are crossed by a number of trails of great interest, including the GR-7 European long distance footpath, which runs near to the Benagéber reservoir.
The PR.V.41, which is dedicated to the botanist Simón de Rojas Clemente, unites Benagéber with the source of the Juncanilla, after passing through very beautiful natural sites, where there are several recreational areas: “Fuente Muñoz”, “Pardala”, “El Charco Negro”, “las Olmedillas y Azagra”, all of which are located in the surroundings of the River Turia. The route is 31 km long and has an estimated duration of 8 h 15 minutes.
The PR-V.114 is dedicated to the great Valencia scholar Nicolau Primitiu, and its 18-km route unites Benagéber with El Sequer, passing through El Collado de la Atalaya and next to the Sabina spring. It takes some 4 hours and 45 minutes to cover the route.
Festivities:
On 16th January in the evening, bonfires are lit in honour of Saint Anthony the Abbott, attended by the villagers en-masse and followed by an open-air dinner of lamb stew. On the weekend after Saint Joseph, “las Fallas” are celebrated with parades, fireworks and paellas. On 15th May, festivities are held in honour of Saint Isidore, the patron saint of the municipality. Events include a pilgrimage from the Hermitage to the Parish Church, followed by an open-air meal and a dance. The main festivities are held around 15th of August in honour of the Assumption of Our Lady, Saints Abdon and Sennen, and Saint Roche. Events include processions, fireworks, dinners and street dances.
