Chulilla
Chulilla is a very beautiful mountain village, located some 60 km from the city of Valencia. The original settlement dates from the first millennium BC. The Castle Hill is the original nucleus of the village. The walls of the ancient fortress, Chullila’s most characteristic and important monument, are still conserved. It was from this point that the village extended to the banks of the River Turia. With its typical white houses with Moorish tiles, located on a steep hill crowned by the castle, Chullila represents one of the most picturesque and beautiful images in La Serrania administrative region.
Gastronomy:
Chulilla’s gastronomy is rich and varied. Similar to the rest of the administrative region. These tasty dishes are typical:
- Meat stew. Its ingredients are beans, potatoes, thistles, bacon, blood and bread sausage, blood and onion sausage, “güeña”, “mediana” and bone.
- Cabbage stew. Its ingredients are beans, chards and potatoes, with the special touch of mint.
- “El Rin-Ran”. A dish derived from cabbage stew. Potatoes, chards and beans are mixed with cod, hard-boiled egg and a generous splash of olive oil.
- “Ajo arriero”. The ingredients are potato, cod and oil.
Local sweets include the typical Chulilla product, “El Reguiño”. It is similar in appearance to “panquemado”, although the ingredients and the taste are different (it is slightly sweeter). We cannot forget “los congretes”, “mantecado” and almond cakes. All accompanied by good local wines, such as “Vino Rancio” and “La Mistela”
Typical products:
Wines and olive oil Cooperativa Valenciana Agrícola” Santa Bárbara” c/ Maestro Amblar, 20 Traditional bakery service. Typical doughs. Butcher service. Home-reared meats. Traditional cured sausages from La Serranía.
Places of interest:
The old centre hosts the village’s most representative monuments, as well as the castle, which has been declared a Historic-Artistic Monument, and the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Angels, which was built atop a mosque during the 15th- and 16th-centuries. Other notable buildings include the 14th century Hermitage of Saint Barbara, where the effigy of the patron saint, Saint Barbara is kept. Chulilla stands out for its beautiful natural landscapes. The erosion provoked by the River Turia has created an impressive canyon known as “Las Hoces de Chulilla”, composed of walls up to 160 metres deep and 10 metres wide. Several beautiful natural sites are located near to the village, such as “El Charco Azul”, “Trascastillo” and “Los Calderones”, all of which are set in the River Túria canyon.
What to see?
Parish Church of Our Lady of the Angels (17th-century)
Hermitage of Saint Barbara (1364) and Hermitage of Saint Joseph (17th-century).
Significant remains of the Arabic castle (still visitable).
Mountain resort area: River Turia, “El Charco Azul” lake, the wall, the ruins of the Iberian settlement.
There are many areas of great scenic interest
What to do?
Trekking
PRV: 76 (Chulilla-Gestalgar)
PRV: 77 (Chulilla-Embalse de Loriguilla, Sot de Chera)
SL: Las Cuevas – La Peñeta.
SL: Fuente del Lebrillico – La Muela
SL: Pelma- Fuente de la Rinconá- La Bandera- Pelma.
Routes through the Old Town
Adventure sports: Climbing (36 scalable sectors)
Pelma Recreation Area: Picnic areas, open-air grills and camping area at Easter.
Suspension bridges on the River Turia.
More information:
Festivities:
The village’s main festivities are held during the second week in August in honour of Saint Barbara. The village’s most traditional and oldest festivity is “La Enramá”, during which traditional songs known as “Mayos” are sung. These songs are ironic and sung with a “jota” rhythm, recapitulating all the events that having taken place in the village during the previous year. This festivity takes place every year on the first weekend of May. Another traditional festivity is “Las Cruces”, held in honour of the Holy Christ of Forgiveness. During the weekend closest to the 15th of September, the streets of the entire village are decorated and monumental crosses created by the villagers are installed.
