🟠 Difficulty: Medium

🔄 Round Trip Route

📏 Distance: 6.5 km

⬆️ Elevation gain: +330 meters

⏳ Approximate time: 2-3 hours

🌄 El Forat is a hidden gem in the Bèrnia mountain range, offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean coastline in Alicante, Spain. This natural tunnel serves as a window to the sea, where hikers can crawl through and emerge onto a balcony with panoramic vistas of Altea and the Puig Campana peak. It's like stepping into an adventure movie scene, with cave paintings adding to the excitement. A must-visit spot for anyone looking to experience the beauty of nature in a unique way.

🚶‍♂️ We start from Casas de Bèrnia, where we find the information panel of the PR-CV 7 trail, which is the one we are going to follow. At the beginning, we have to head towards the Font de Bèrnia -to the left looking towards the mountain range-.

🌿 Up to the fountain, we follow a wide and practically flat path. From the fountain, we start the ascent by path to El Forat, overcoming an unevenness of about 300 meters and some rocky areas where we will have to help us with our hands, as the terrain is steep.

⚠️ It is not an excessively difficult route but it does present terrain with some difficulty and requires adequate material and a certain habit of walking in the mountains.

🔄 RECOMMENDATION: it is well worth doing the complete Bèrnia circular, to pass by the Renaissance fort and enjoy the varied landscapes offered by the mountain range. It is a bit longer and more demanding.

🏘️ Cases de Bèrnia, starting point of the hike

The simplest and shortest route to reach the Forat de Bèrnia begins in Casas de Bèrnia, a tiny hamlet belonging to the town of Xaló / Jalón.

🚶‍♀️ This hike is very popular, so my advice is to avoid weekends and holidays, as on those days there are usually many people doing this route and you may have to “save time” to be able to pass El Forat. In addition to not enjoying it as much, it can be harmful to the environment.

🌳 The Sierra de Bèrnia, together with the Sierra del Ferrer, give rise to a Protected Landscape (similar to a Natural Park) declared by the Generalitat Valenciana for its high environmental and heritage values.

🌲 North face of the Bèrnia mountain range

As a curiosity, we started the route on the north side of the mountain range, much greener and wetter, and after crossing the Forat we went to the south side, drier and with views of Altea, Benidorm, and Puig Campana. In both cases, the route is very spectacular as we walk at the foot of the great limestone ridge that crowns the Sierra de Bèrnia.

Another curiosity is that the route begins in the municipality of Xaló and then crosses over to the municipality of Benissa and finally to the municipality of Altea when crossing El Forat. The Fort of Bèrnia, on the other hand, is located in the municipality of Callosa d’En Sarrià.

🔄 Narrow part of Forat de Bèrnia

As for the Forat, it is located about 800 meters above sea level and has a length of about 15 meters. Years ago it was somewhat more difficult to cross, but the incessant passage of hikers has made the narrow opening, which faces the north face, has been widening slightly by erosion, especially on rainy days.

At the beginning, you will have to pass on your knees and little by little you will see how it widens until it ends in a large cave or natural shelter overlooking Altea.