At Plaza Mare Selva stands the Ermita Parroquia Santos Juanes de Bacarot, a partially protected cultural heritage site. For hiking, the Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares is a named option; the Sierra and Bacarot’s agricultural landscape offer further perspectives on the area. When planning a trip, local history, route choices and landscape character are therefore distinct considerations.
Hiking Trails and Time of Year
The Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares is 4,900 metres long. It is a circular route, independent of three signposted footpaths, and can be combined with them. The length refers to the circular route; including additional paths means choosing a different route combination. Check current trail conditions and signage before setting out.
The Sendero is accessible by bus 27. Alternative stops in Agua Amarga are 1,200 metres from the start of the trail. Which connection is suitable depends on the timetable; check the latest timetable information before travelling. This allows you to plan your journey without treating the stop information as a statement about the current timetable.
The trail can be walked year-round, although it is less recommended in summer because of the high temperatures. This gives you a clear trade-off when choosing when to travel: the trail is not limited to a particular season, but the summer heat makes this season less advisable.
Landscape and Wildlife Observation
The Sierra de los Colmenares is a coastal mountain range stretching from the El Porquet landscape near the San Gabriel neighbourhood to the El Fondet dels Pinyols landscape near Elche. From the Mirador El Bacarot, you can see the “El PlantĂo” golf course and the surrounding countryside. Together, these offer two distinct perspectives: the extent of the coastal mountain range and the specific view of the golf course and its rural surroundings.
Traces of foxes (Vulpes vulpes) can be spotted along the Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares. This makes animal tracks a possible nature-related feature of the walk; whether you actually see foxes remains uncertain.
Cultural Heritage and Historic Routes
The Ermita Parroquia Santos Juanes de Bacarot at Plaza Mare Selva is a partially protected cultural heritage site. After being completely destroyed between 1936 and 1939, it was rebuilt in the early 1940s. It was also known as the Ermita de San Pedro. The sequence of destruction and reconstruction gives the chapel a history that extends beyond its current name.
The Colmenares excavations relate to a rural settlement from the Middle Iberian period, dating from the 4th to the 3rd century BC. This archaeological reference reaches far back beyond the chapel’s history, to centuries before its destruction and reconstruction. The historical context therefore spans very different periods.
The area’s route names also include a historic livestock track: it ran between El Portichol and the watering place at the Barranco de Aguas Amargas and was called “Cañada Real del Portichol” in 1955. Its endpoints and recorded name give this historic route a distinct point of reference, independent of the circular Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares.
Agricultural Landscape and Local Character
According to the 2026 municipal planning description, Bacarot is one of the significant agricultural landscapes within an agricultural protection zone in Alicante. Planning designations can change. This classification adds a planning perspective on the agricultural landscape to the view from the Mirador El Bacarot: alongside what can be seen from the viewpoint, the area’s agricultural character is also brought into focus.
Discover more destinations: Altea, Mutxamel, L'AtzĂşbia, BenijĂłfar, El Tossal, Albatera, Barbarroja, Cocentaina.
For the broader travel overview: Alicante.
