River Fraile and Benefetal area (Bicorp)

The course of the River Fraile and its surrounding area are considered one of the most appealing and popular areas of the Caroig Massif. This is an area of great environmental value, where water is undoubtedly the dominant feature.

The River Fraile rises in the district of Benefetal, as an extension of the Rambla Molinera, and runs for 7 km through the steep terrain of Bicorp, with its ridges and ravines, before flowing into the Escalona River near Quesa.

One of the main attractions of the area is descending the River Fraile from the Benefetal recreational area. It is possible to descend along a stretch of the river that lies between the Charco del Paso pool (source of the River Fraile) and the Charco de los Guetanos pool, where it is recommended to end the descent. There is also a signposted route along forest tracks which penetrates into the river gorge. It runs along overlooked by ridges and peaks such as Pico del Fraile, which jut out from the greenery which adorns an area of shaded land packed with Aleppo pines and cluster pines. During the descent of the river, there are pleasant and cooling pools and waterfalls, such as the Charco del Paso pool, those of La Tosca, El Purgatorio, El Estrecho de la Marina and the Charco de Guetanos pool. Also, quiet areas of the river have formed, such as Playeta Falsa, where it is also possible to swim.
The route along the river is not recommended for children or people with low fitness levels. In this case it is possible to follow the forest track that runs between all of the pools until the Guetanos pool. The areas of Benefetal and the River Fraile are also crossed by paths with different difficulty levels (PR-CV 236 and 237, and the GR-237), that will take you to the points of rich natural, ethnographical and archaeological heritage found in the area.

The Benefetal natural area, which marks the start of the Fraile River, is located 14 km from Bicorp, it can be accessed via a paved forest track, where the large areas of forest, mountain goats and the stunning views are prominent features. The Benefetal recreational area also has all the necessary services: parking, restaurant, toilets, picnic areas, children’s playground and a camping area.