The Guadalest lake is a turquoise jewel set in the mountains above the Costa Blanca. Created by the building of the Guadalest dam back in the 1960s, it supplies all those thirsty tourist towns down on the coast, so it’s not just there for ornamental purposes. But it is a beautiful walk too!
Especially in the calm of an autumn morning, a hint of crispness in the air and the surface of the lake reflecting the mountains of the Sierra de Serella like a mirror.
Even better, the stroll along the lake shoreline is nice and easy. Most of it is flat and good for buggies – you can’t say that about most of the walks in this part of the world.
If you look up from the dam, you see Guadalest itself, a picture-postcard village which attracts a barely credible two million visitors a year. But I bet not many of them take the trail down to the dam, just a few hundred metres below.
Drive or walk down to the dam
It’s only a five minute drive down the valley from Guadalest itself. You can walk down too, via the piscina municipal. It’ll take you about 20 minutes or so, but beware – the path back up again is steep!
There’s a parking area right next to the dam which can take a couple of dozen cars. It does get crowded at weekends, so get there early.
Incidentally, you can drive across the dam itself and follow the tarmac road all the way around the lake to Beniardà in your car. It’s single track with the occasional passing space, so go carefully. You could do this route on foot too.
But we’ll be walking along the shore on the Guadalest side of the lake. It’s shorter and flatter, the path doesn’t twist and turn so much – and you get a continuous view of the lake. Which is why we’re here!
Head for the big green gates at the side of the dam. There’s then a nice, flat gravelled path along the shoreline that takes you most of the way to Beniardà at the other end of the lake (see map at the end of this post, or jump to it by tapping here).
It’s really peaceful if you get there early. You can hear the neighbours talking from the houses on the other side of the lake. Or a donkey letting the world know – at maximum volume – just how he feels about life.
When I was there last, in November 2023, the dam lake was just over half full, which left a white tide mark all around the lake shore where the level had dropped. Water shortages are a growing worry in this dry part of the world, so unsurprisingly, people tend to keep a watchful eye on levels in the dams.
Head for the beach!
Towards the far end of the lake, the low water leaves a gently-shelving white silt beach where people come for picnics, to go swimming and fishing. You can also hire kayaks on the other side of the lake – link here.
About two-thirds of the way along, there’s a fork in the trail which takes you up the hill to the village of Benimantell. But we’ll be continuing along the lake shore, right to the end at Beniardà.
The lakeside trail gets more uneven and stony after this point, especially as you near the village of Beniardà. But it’s worth the scramble down to the point where the Riu Beniardà enters the lake.
There is a rough parking area here, accessible from the little pueblo of Beniardà itself. Climb up the steep twisting road to the narrow village streets for a drink and a tapa. Then it’s time for the return trip, the same way you came.
Total time from the dam, including the climb up to Beniardà and allowing for photo stops, is a bit under an hour and a half.
Map here
More walks nearby
- The spectacular castle of Guadalest
- El Forat de Bernia – a tunnel through a mountain top
- El Faro de L’Albir – a beautiful lighthouse walk
Try walking these dams too!
With a dam hike on the Costa Blanca, you get a combination of spectacular mountain scenery and beautiful lakeside views. And these dams are all within easy reach of the coast.
- El Pantano de Tibi – one of the oldest in Europe
- The Elche dam
- The Amadorio dam near Villajoyosa
- The Relleu dam and its spectacular walkway
Try also the climb to Confrides castle, just up the valley from Guadalest. It’s the highest castle in Alicante province,
Try this drive too: Altea to up to Coll de Rates for some of the best mountain views on the Costa Blanca
© Guy Pelham
We thoroughly enjoyed visiting this Reservoir.
The walk along the gravel track at the side of the reservoir was pleasant and most enjoyable. I then walked the rest of a complete loop around the reservoir, but I hadn’t realised the rest was all a tarmac road. Admittedly it was a quiet road and relatively pleasant, but not as nice as the gravel track.
Hi Barry – thanks for reading. I admire your stamina! You’re right – the tarmac road isn’t quite as nice for walking, as you don’t get to see so much of the lake. Glad you enjoyed it though.