El Bacarot: Landscape, Trails and Cultural Heritage

El Bacarot is shaped by its rural agricultural landscape. For hiking enthusiasts, the Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares trail is a specific point of interest; at the same time, the Ermita Parroquia Santos Juanes de Bacarot and archaeological traces tell of different historical periods. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in El Bacarot, you can first consider whether route planning or the historical and cultural context is your priority.

Hiking the Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares

The Sendero Sierra de los Colmenares is 4,900 meters long. As a circular route, it runs independently of three signposted walking trails and can be combined with them. This gives you two different planning options: a standalone circular hike or a route combined with marked trails. Its length provides a specific reference point for planning your hike, without treating the two options as equivalent.

The route can be hiked year-round; however, the summer season is less recommended because of the high temperatures. Check the current trail conditions before setting out. Bus 27 is an option for reaching the Sendero. Alternative stops in Agua Amarga are 1,200 meters from the trailhead; this option depends on the timetable. So check the current service in advance.

Landscape and farmland

The Sierra de los Colmenares is a coastal mountain range. It stretches from the El Porquet landscape near the San Gabriel neighborhood to the El Fondet dels Pinyols landscape near Elche. From Mirador El Bacarot, you can see the “El Plantío” golf course and the surrounding countryside. Along the Sendero, you may spot traces of foxes (Vulpes vulpes); these indicate the presence of the animals but do not guarantee a sighting.

The area’s agricultural character is also part of its context: in the 2026 municipal plan, Bacarot is one of the major agricultural landscapes within a protected agricultural zone of Alicante. The landscape and circular route therefore offer different perspectives on the surroundings: the planning description concerns the farmland, while the information about the Sendero concerns a specific hiking option.

Chapel and historical traces

The Ermita Parroquia Santos Juanes de Bacarot stands in Plaza Mare Selva and is a partially protected cultural heritage site. Its history spans several upheavals: the chapel was completely destroyed during the period from 1936 to 1939, but rebuilt in the early 1940s. It was also known as the Ermita de San Pedro. This building history gives the chapel its own historical significance within a stay that takes in local history as well as the landscape.

The Colmenares archaeological excavations concern a rural settlement from the Middle Iberian period, dating from the 4th to the 3rd century BC. Finds and ceramics point to significant agricultural production; the specific activity involved remains unclear. Alongside the history of the chapel, this offers a much older history of settlement and agriculture.

Another historical point of interest is the livestock trail between El Portichol and the watering place at Barranco de Aguas Amargas. In 1955, it was referred to as the “Cañada Real del Portichol.” The named endpoints and the historic name add a distinct historical dimension to the story of the routes.

Discover more destinations: Torrevieja, La Vall De Laguar, Bolulla, Margarida, Granja De Rocamora, Canyades d'en Cirus, El Chaparral, L'Alguenya.

For the broader travel overview: Alicante.