Meet a marsh full of life
Cultural landscapeof the Xúquer river
Appreciate the mark left by the Júcar River in Sueca
The Xúquer River is the backbone of this new tour, on which you’ll see the imprint that it has left our town: the floods that led to the creation of farmland; its use for channels and Els Canos; the appearance of the first industries along its banks; mils; metal bridges; etc. This itinerary also sets out to show how the river is an economic, social and cultural driving force of Sueca. All these footprints have been reflected in this cultural landscape without forgetting the river’s role as a natural space.
The importance of the flora and fauna of the Xúquer river was underlined when the middle and lower sections of the river were declared a “Lloc d’Interés Comunitari”.
Characteristics and Recommendations
Before startingg the route check the weather forecast.
3-4 hours
The route has an approximate duration of 3 - 4 hours.
How to get there?
It is an itinerary suitable for hiking and also an itinerary suitable by bike with an itinerary signalized.
7,8 km
You will have to walk approximately 7,8 Km to complete it.
Respect the environment
Respect the environment so we can continue enjoying nature.
What to see during this route?
Els Canos
Heritage site formed by hydraulic constructions that collect and divert the waters of the Xúqer River by means of three channels or canos: the Séquia Major de Sueca, the Séquia de Múzquiz and the Sequieta Nova.
Each of the three channels has a metal gate to regulate the flow of water. Without question, they’re one of the key elements of the cultural landscape of the Xúqer River unn Sueca, as the channels and the diverted waters were used to irrigated crops (rice, oranges and other trees) and as a power source for the seven mils that existed in Sueca in the eighteenth , nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
L'Assut de Sueca
This huge infrastructure dates back to the fifteenth century. It’s a diversion dam, as the flow of the river is simply redirected and used to generate three channels, known as Els Canos, which are located about eight hundred meters upstream. These three channels are: the Séquia Major de Sueca, the Séquia de Múzquiz and the Sequieta Nova.
The stone construction uses hydraulic lime mortar coated today in concrete. An interesting landmark is the former cabin-residence next to the dam, which used to be home of the dam manager in charge of its surveillance.
Brigde of Riola
On 25 May 1898, Higinio Chofre Calpe and Bernardo Aliño Alcaraz, a doctor and a surgeon from Sueca, created the Chofreand Aliño company in order to build this bridge, although it wasn’t officially opened until 1918.
The structure uses the bowstring system of metal arches. It features a lower deck and is designed to withstand the heavy surges of the Xúquer River. There are two elliptical arches located parallel to the two sides of the bridge with straight ties that support the deck. The two ends rest on pillars of stone ashlars, while the bottom features pipes to channel water.
The oranges
The Cordó del Xúquer is a construction made to prevent the waters of the river from entering the town centre and was transformed in the nineteenth century into a space for orange groves.
The introduction of orange trees to Sueca wasn’t as notable as in other towns along the Xúqer, but they did have a major impact on the cultural landscape of Sueca. The high demand for this type of fruit from the most industrialised countries in Europe increased the production and distribution of oranges, favouring the creation of small companies to export this citrus fruit.
Alfons XIII's bridge
The bridge of Alfonso XIII was designed in 1906 and built between 1910 and 1916. It’s one of the six iron bridges built over the Xúquer River between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (the others beng Gavarda, Alzira, Albalat de la Ribera, Sueca and Cullera) in order to withstand the periodic surges of the river.
It was inaugurated on 7 May 1916. It is 232 meters long and divided into eleven sections, the main one being the bowstring beam (arch and tie) with a span of almost 71 mertes. The other ten metal sections are latticework in the form of a St. Andrew’s Cross; seven in Sueca and three in Fortaleny. Traffic no longer crosses the bridge.
L'Assut de Cullera
This is a diversion dam, as the flow of the river is divided into channels. It’s the starting point of the Séquia Major de Cullera, which supplies and distributes water in the neighboring town with a slope of 1.5 metres.
The structure is made from mortar with a metal gate that controls the flow of water to the channel. Like the Sueca dam, the former cabin-residence is a landmark.
The input of water from the Xúqer River to the Albufera lagoon is essential for the existence of this nature park that’s home to the most important freshwater lake in the Valencian region. By means of channels, and exceptionally in the event of floods, the river water nourishes the nature park, as our town borders the southern part of the park.
The marsh surrounds the Albufera lagoon and is where you can best admire its cultural and natural landscape. The cultivation of rice is by far the most important land use in this area. THe annual cycle of this grain runs from the flooding of the fields in November up to the harvest in September.
The marsh surrounds the Albufera lagoon and is where you can best admire its cultural and natural landscape.
Do you need a guided tour?
You can do the route on your own, but if you need it, we can offer you a guided tour.
