Las Tres Cascadas de Anna – the Ultimate Beauty & the Beast Master!

October can be a bit rainy in Valencia and this meant that we had to spend a few days indoors hiding from some increment weather. This ended up getting us hooked on the Netflix series of ‘Ultimate Beast Master’…a kind of international obstacle competition on steroids that has Lyssa shouting very loudly at the tv to cheer on the competitors.

So when the sun appeared again, we were ready to get outside and expend some energy…luckily for us we are surrounded by hiking routes that after a bit of rain become an outdoor obstacle course in their own right! Plus this time of year means that you are going to see the autumnal colours that make it so beautiful to be out.

To the town of Anna, where you can find a nice little hiking route that goes into the undergrowth to visit 3 waterfalls – park up on the eastern side of town and follow the crowds (if it is weekend) down into the canyon. The route is a little deceptive, as it is one of the best signed routes we have found locally (usually signage on Spanish hiking routes is left to divine guidance), this means that on a Sunday you’ll find whole families, from grandma to grandkids scrambling through the mud and rocks at a sedate pace.

A circular route of around 4 km it needs some good shoes and a hiking stick (or two) to help clamber down the mud and up the rocks (or vice versa).

Clambering or leaping across boardwalks and tightrope planks

and hacking through the undergrowth

The jewels of the route are its waterfalls, first the waterfall of Gorgo Gaspar is set in a nice picnic location, then the torrid Cascada de los Vikingos, that tries to blow you to Valhalla with the force of the water cascading down

and finally culminating in the Cascada de Salto that makes for a panoramique finish to this part of the waterfall route.

But that’s not the end of the route, continuing the circuit you will then make your way up and around, through orange and Kaki fruit groves

above the Salto to the impressive Gorgo de la Escalera. Tropical coloured waters that have the Spanish stripping off and diving in (even at the end of October!)

Descend down into the gorge and follow the river and you’ll come to the summit of the Cascada de Salto, for some bum clenching drops to scale along and get those selfies!