Montanejos Hot Springs – A Stunning Day Trip From Valencia

Valencia is a bustling hub of paella, sandy beaches, thriving nightlife and majestic architecture (trust me – I lived there for a year, and I’d move back in a heartbeat!).

However, few people visiting Valencia are aware of Montanejos Hot Springs, an easy day trip from Valencia and a serene paradise where you can find hot springs, waterfalls, and mountains.

A haven of tranquillity with stunning views to boot, Montanejos is one of those hidden gems that, once experienced, will stay with you forever.

I was eager to discover Valencia’s thermal springs, and so when Valtournative (my favourite tour company in Valencia, and one I’ve experienced numerous tours with) invited me on a full-day Montanejos hot springs tour, I couldn’t say no.

In this post, I’ll provide a detailed review of my experience on the tour, including everything you need to know if you’re considering visiting Montanejos on a tour while you’re in Valencia!

Exploring Montanejos Hot Springs – A Full Day Tour From Valencia

First Stop: Navajas Village and Bridal Veil Waterfall

First stop on our tour was the beautiful village of Navajas, about 40 minutes from Valencia, in the Alto Palancia region.

During the drive, our tour guide Daniel (who is also the owner of the company) regaled us with tales about everything from the old walls that used to surround the city of Valencia, to various customs, traditions and legends unique to the surrounding villages.

For example, we learnt that if you’ve been very bad in Spain, one way to be forgiven by God is to crawl up a hill with a cross on your back at Easter time.

If you’ve only been a little bit bad then you’re permitted to walk up the hill, but you’ve still got to carry something heavy!

For every single thing we drove past, Daniel had something interesting to tell us.

Each village seemed to have a unique legend or tradition, and we learned all about everything from how to make the olive oil to the inside scoop behind the most famous Spanish festivals, including the La Tomatina tomato festival and the controversial Running of the Bulls (please don’t partake in this one!).

Before we knew it, we’d reached the village of Navajas home to one of the most famous waterfalls in Spain – the Salto de la Novia waterfall, which literally translates to ‘Jump of the Bride’ (although most people simply know it as ‘Bridal Veil Waterfall Valencia’).

With a population of just 851 in 2023 (source), Navajas is a tiny village, but it has a few claims to fame – as well as Bridal Veil waterfall, the village is also full of fountains spouting medicinal mineral water, as well as an Elm tree that was planted in 1636 and appears in the Guinness World Records!

However, we weren’t there to see an old tree.

We were there to visit Bridal Veil waterfall Valencia and learn the sad legend behind its name…

The legend of the Bridal Veil Waterfall

Bridal Veil waterfall is a 30 metre sharp drop down into the Palancia River and is easily reached via a short walk through the forest, close to the parking lot.

Daniel told us that according to local legend, couples that were engaged to be married in years gone by had to undergo a bizarre ritual.

In the ritual, the bride-to-be should jump across the Palancia River from the rock face at the top of the waterfall.

It was said that this would prove their love and commitment to their future groom, and a successful jump was said to ensure a long, happy and fertile marriage.

Unfortunately, for one couple, their story did not have a happy ending.

The unfortunate bride-to-be lost her footing and plunged down into the river, getting caught in a whirlpool and disappearing behind the crashing waterfall.

Without hesitation, her fiancé jumped in try and save her, but he sadly became a victim of the waterfall too, and their bodies were swept away, never to be seen again.

However, it is said that sometimes, in the light of the moon, the river glows as white as a wedding dress and the couple’s laughter and giggles can be heard from behind the waterfall, which is said to be shedding tears for their loss.

Something that is a little strange is that Navajas and the Bridal Veils Waterfall has since become a really popular spot for wedding photoshoots!

While the photographs must undeniably look fantastic, it seems like a bad omen to take your wedding photos at a sight supposedly haunted by a couple that drowned!

Montanejos Hot Springs

Next stop on our Valencia tour was the Fuente de los Baños, or the Montanejos Hot Springs.

The Montanejos Hot Springs, or thermal baths, are in the province of Castellon, a mountainous area with an abundance of waterfalls and canyons at an altitude of 418m.

Montanejos itself has been inhabited since the Neolithic times, and around the 13th century, it was an Islamic settlement.

It was during this time that King Zayd Abu-Zayd, the last Almohad governor of Valencia, ordered the Montanejos Hot Springs to be built, as he believed that the secret to eternal beauty and health was in the medicinal properties of the water.

The thermal baths were originally for him and the women of his harem to enjoy.

In other words, he wanted his favourite women to stay beautiful forever – typical!

Although Abu-Zayd was around in the 13th century, he was right about the water in the thermal springs.

Rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, and iron, the water is believed to promote overall well-being. As well as being good for the hair and skin, it is even said to help aid digestion, and treat cardiovascular and liver disease!

The well-documented healing properties of the mineral water are a big draw for tourists and locals alike, causing thousands of people to flock to Montanejos every year to reap its benefits.

However, I should warn you that if you plan on visiting Montanejos Hot Springs, you shouldn’t expect them to be – well – hot.

The water temperature is usually around 25 degrees, but unfortunately there had been a torrential downpour the day before we visited, and the rain water had lowered the temperature to around 22 degrees.

This doesn’t sound too cold, but it really was, and we were all especially grateful that Daniel had provided us with wet suits to help keep the warmth in!

With that being said, even 25 degree water is not super hot, and while you won’t freeze to death, you certainly won’t feel as though you’re relaxing in a nice warm bath!

After adjusting to the cold, we spent quite a while in the water, swimming and skimming stones, and some of the boys in the group even had a go at cliff-jumping, which Daniel captured on his GoPro.

This was one of the aspects of the tour that I really liked – Daniel was constantly snapping candid pictures of us, which he later sent us a link to for us to download!

Sampling some traditional Valencian food

After we’d tired of the hot springs, it was time for lunch, and I was excited – I’d been dying to sample some traditional Valencian cuisine, and what a better introduction than a tiny, no frills restaurant in a mountain village in Montanejos?

After we got comfortable, Daniel proceeded to order an absolutely fantastic meal for us.

We ate the Spanish way, ordering multiple dishes and sharing them. When everything arrived, we had quite the banquet!

The food itself differed slightly from typical Valencian cuisine, which has lots of grilled seafood and paella, and was real mountain food, hearty and rich.

We feasted on pork cheeks, bull’s tail (which was divine), creamy goat’s cheese, juicy steak, calamari with lemon, spicy patatas bravas, thick crusty bread, and a hearty soup full of beans and meat and blood sausage called Fabada Asturiana. 

We ate until we were stuffed, washing down our meals with jugs of Sangria, and I didn’t want the meal to end!

Lunch was not included in the price of the tour, but the bill only came to 13 EUR per person.

I only wish I had a picture to present you with, but I was too busy stuffing my face!

Continuing our Montanejos hot springs tour – Pantano de Arenoso

With our trousers bursting at the seams, we piled back onto the minibus and listened to more of Daniel’s stories about ‘millennial trees’ (olive trees which are over 2000 years old!), bull racing, and Valencian oranges as we made our way to the next stop on our Montanejos tour – a reservoir called Pantano de Arenoso.

Also known as the Montanejos Dam, its purpose is to retain the floodwaters of the River Mijares, but regardless of its function, it is a beautiful place to visit.

It seemed as though each stop just got more and more beautiful, and the water was so still and peaceful, I could have stayed here for hours enjoying the stunning views and tranquil atmosphere.

It is also said that the old town of Campos de Arenoso lies underneath its waters!

El Chorro Waterspout

Our last and final stop on our Montanejos tour was El Chorro Waterspout, an overflow channel of the Arenós Reservoir that shoots out water at lightning speed.

I honestly can’t think of what else to say about El Chorro other than that it was very strange but very cool.

The way that I later described it to my mum was that it was ‘a tiny crack in a cliff face where water just poofs out,’ and, well, it’s not inaccurate.

Who are Valtournative?

The company I visited Montanejos hot springs with was called Valtournative.

Valtournative are a small, family-owned company who are passionate about enabling people to connect with the ‘real Valencia.’

The guides at Valtournative take travellers off the beaten path around Valencia to craggy mountains and medieval villages, Moorish caves and family wineries like Chozas Carrascal.

They have various Valencia tours (I’ve been on most of them!), all of which are designed to give travellers the best day trips from Valencia and provide them with an authentic Spanish experience.

If, after reading this post, you decide to book an organised tour to Montanejos hot springs, I highly recommend doing so with Valtournative.

I will not receive a single cent in commission if you do. I just really love this company.

I’ve been on dozens of tours during my time as a travel blogger, including hot springs tours, and this one really stands out.

What’s included in the price?

As I mentioned, the cost of the tour is 79 EUR.

For this, you’ll get:

• Transport by air-conditioned coach or car
• Swimming shoes, goggles, wetsuit (during winter)
• Entrance fees, local taxes
• Tour guide

The cost of lunch is not included, and you will need to bring your own swim suit and towel.

My Montanejos Hot Springs Tour | Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the wonders of Montanejos hot springs and surrounding areas with Daniel.

Daniel is an experienced tour guide who genuinely cares about his guests and has an incredible amount of information to offer about Valencia and the surrounding areas.

The tour really wouldn’t have been the same without him there to tell us all about the places we were seeing and the legends behind them, and even when we were in the car for 45 minute stretches, Daniel kept us all upbeat and engaged.

When he wasn’t sharing fascinating facts with us, he was asking us questions about ourselves and ensuring that the conversation was always flowing between everyone.

We saw and learnt so much on our Montanejos tour, and I came away awestruck and inspired by the sights that I saw.

I think that this tour is probably one of the best day trips from Valencia that there is, and I can confidently recommend it to anyone who wants to experience the ‘real’ Spain, and see things that most tourists will never get the chance to.

One criticism…

My only criticism of this tour is that it ran late – super late.

We were supposed to arrive back in Valencia at 5pm, but we actually got back to the city at 7:40pm.

On the one hand, this is great – almost 3 hours of bonus time!

However, I was supposed to attend a food tour that evening which I had to cancel due to our late arrival.

All in all though, I really enjoyed my experience with Valtournative, and I definitely recommend them if you’re interested in exploring Montanejos and the Valencian countryside.

You can visit Valtournative’s website here.

More Valencia Day Trips

Teruel, Spain – The Forgotten Kingdom of Aragon

Albarracin, the Prettiest Village in Spain

Peniscola, the City in the Sea

Port Saplaya, the Little Venice of Valencia

El Palmar, Home of Paella

El Pou Clar and the Moorish Caves of Bocairent

Utiel-Requena Wine Region

Oliva, a Charming Pueblo

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Disclaimer: I attended the tour as a guest of Valtournative. All opinions are, of course, my own, and I was not obliged to write a positive review of the tour. This article also includes affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase on a recommended site then I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will not make any money if you book a tour with Valtournative.