Benialí is home to historic buildings and the Pinturas de Benialí site, with its rock art; the PRCV147 hiking trail crosses a dry agricultural landscape dominated by olive and cherry trees. When planning, it is worth treating historic sites, hikes and festival dates as different priorities. This will help you decide whether your trip should focus more on local history, rock art or trails through the landscape.

Arriving and planning

The Vall de Gallinera tourist office is in Benialí, at Carrer de la Font, 03787. The Vectalia bus runs through the municipality of Vall de Gallinera on the Alcoi–Pego–Dénia route; there is no service on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. Check the timetable for your travel day, as service patterns may change. This distinction is especially important when planning a weekend stay.

Churches, squares and village history

The Església de Sant Roc de Benialí is a Neo-Gothic church in the oldest part of the village. It became an independent parish in 1961. Inside is an anonymous medieval image of Cristo de la Providencia. The building thus brings together a more recent development in the church’s history and a much older body of artwork.

Benialí’s church stands on the square where the carta de población was signed in 1611. The Casa de la Senyoria once stood on the same square. During the Second Republic, it served as the PCE headquarters and housed a party radio station. These episodes connect the square with different chapters of local history, though they do not stem from the same historical event.

Water and agriculture are also visible themes in the area’s history. The Font de la Concepció is in Benialí and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The complex includes a washhouse and a water system that runs via a livestock trough to a basin beside the Les Hortes path. The El Molinet aqueduct now serves as a bridge over the ravine; the El Molinet de Benialí watermill was already in existence in the 16th century.

The Almazara de San Roque adds a communal dimension to this building history: it was built under a traditional rotation system shared among the village’s heads of household, and construction began before 1954. Along with the washhouse, aqueduct and mill, it also draws attention to the technical and communal aspects of local heritage.

Trails and rock art

The Pels Carrers de la Memòria route in Benialí uses QR codes to share the stories of marked streets, squares and houses. The PRCV147 Benialí–Alpatró hiking trail has a different focus: it is officially approved by the Mountain and Climbing Sports Federation of the Valencian Community, follows a stretch of the Gallinera River and crosses a dry agricultural landscape dominated by olive and cherry trees. Rain can affect access along the river section; check conditions before setting out.

The Les Llomes del Xap Plant Micro-Reserve, covering an area of 4,456 hectares, lies between Benirrama, Benialí and Benitaia. Another route, the Ruta d'Art Rupestre – Jaciment de Benialí, starts in Benialí and leads to a rock-art shelter. This makes it possible to consider the local stories along the QR-code route, the landscape of the PRCV147 and the dedicated trail to a rock-art site as different travel interests.

The Pinturas de Benialí site comprises five rock shelters with macro-schematic, schematic and Levantine rock art, as well as engravings. Rock shelter IV is accessible; check local access conditions before visiting. A 2023 description locates the Vall de la Gallinera Rock Art Interpretation Centre in Benialí town hall. A route of about ten kilometres starts there and connects two rock-art ensembles.

Festival dates

The Festes de Benialí take place on the second weekend of August in honour of Saint Michael and the Mare de Déu dels Desemparats; they include Moros i Cristians celebrations. Check that year’s programme before setting your travel dates. This will help you decide whether the festivities should be the focus of your stay or whether you would rather visit Benialí at another time, with more room for exploring local history and hiking trails.

Discover more destinations: Tabarca, La Vall De Laguar, Puerto Marino, Relleu, Arneva, Teulada, Catral, Gaianes.

See the broader travel overview: Alicante.