Sagunto/Sagunt

October 21, 2023

First, a word about names. Today, we have Sagunto/Sagunt; and yesterday we had Jérica / Xèrica. Why? Because when we entered the province of Valencia we came to yet another part of Spain with its own native language, like exists in Catalonia and Galicia and the Basque Country. Here it’s Valencian, and the town names in Valencian are Segunt and Xèrica. It doesn’t look like the language is being maintained to the same degree here as those other regions, in that you don’t generally see bilingual signs. It’s still evident in spots though if you’re looking for it - for example, street names here are written as Caller rather than Calle.

The ride

When we changed our plan and added a stay in Rubielos last night, we gave something up - a second night in Jérica. I was fine with that yesterday, because Rubielos ended up being such a surprisingly rewarding stop. This morning though I have some regrets over leaving Jérica so soon, after having seen nothing of the town that we couldn’t observe without leaving the grounds of our hotel.

First, I really like the hotel we’re staying at here, Hotel de Jérica. It’s not just a pretty place to watch the sunset from. It’s a very welcoming facility, comfortable, offers an excellent breakfast, a bar where we shared a passable pizza last night, and it caters to bikers. I was surprised to be led into a large bike room last night, with bike hangers lining the walls. There were four other bikers at breakfast this morning (including an expatriate Kentuckian couple living in Lisbon now that we chatted with over breakfast); and when our host let us into the bike room this morning she said they had forty bikes in here last weekend.

And then, as we left our hotel and biked through town it looked obviously worth more than a passing look. And when I looked in my mirror and saw the town receding behind me a mile later, I was really sorry to be leaving and felt like we’d made a mistake. Maybe we should have canceled Sagunto, a town that for some reason I don’t feel any particular enthusiasm for visiting? It would have worked, too. The C-5 Cercanías line runs this far, so we could easily have stayed over a second day here and then caught the train into Valencia to end the tour.

But we didn’t do that. We’re biking to Segunto.

Today’s ride

We’ve got a generally very easy ride today as we’ll be losing another thousand feet dropping to the coast only 25 miles away. Our ride is a little longer than that though, because we’re staying in the historical center of Sagunto, about three miles inland from the port; and we’re biking to the port first before doubling back because we have the time and it looks like a good spot to shop for lunch.

Leaving Jérica, a town worth a longer look than we gave it.

Like many small towns, Jérica makes its best impression if you give it a bit of space.

Not long after leaving town we join an old friend, the Ojos Negros Via Verde that we briefly rode on our way into Teruel ten days ago (has it really been that long?). It’s not too rough and quite attractive in this section as we ride through a former train route lined with conglomerate road cuts.

We’re happy enough to find our way back onto pavement though, and to stay there for the rest of the ride. And we have plenty of company as we encounter dozens of day riders out enjoying a pleasantly sunny Sunday, many of them sporting UPV-branded attire for their college: Universitat Politechnica de Valencia, Spain’s premier technical college.

Trying but failing to hang on with the UPV team.

About a third of the way to Sagunto we pass through Segorbe, a town I’ve not heard of before but that looks worth a look - especially if we were lucky enough to come through in mid-September for the Bull and Horse Drive, a fascinating sounding festival I’ve never heard of before either.

Remains of the aquaduct in Segorbe, built during the Arab occupation in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Definitely looks worth seeing if you’re here at the right time.

There’s not much remaining drama in the ride as we generally drop for another fifteen miles, making good time the whole way. It takes us longer than expected though when we change our routes to avoid some unexpectedly crap riding surface as we end up joining rhe N-234 again and adding another three miles.

Descending toward Sagunto. suddenly it feels like we’re at the Mediterranean coast again.

In Geldo. Have you ever seen a large mural like this covering two separated buildings?

Nearing the coast, we bike past miles of crop land - mostly oranges and artichokes, but there’s this too.

Finally we’re at the coast in Amarda and stop at the first reasonable restaurant we come to, a large open place just above the beach with a view of the sea. We’re practically the only diners, but they seat us at the back and away from the view because nearly all the other tables are reserved for diners that will trickle in over the next hour. It’s lucky that we arrived early, and we enjoyed our mixed salad and grilled sea bass mains.

Afterwards we walk the bikes out to the end of the nearby pier and just sit and gaze at the calm blue sea, amazed to see it again after spending the last six weeks in the interior. It’s getting warm though, and before long we turn inland to bike the few miles to old Segunto.

Video sound track: Besame Mucho, by Dave Brubeck

In Sagunto

We receive a very confusing welcome by our peculiar hostess when we arrive at our B&B. She speaks no English at all, or claims not to at least, and she instructs us about what to do with the bikes by pulling her cell phone out and then pointing at different places around its edge. What the hell is this supposed to mean?

I’m about to bring out my own phone and type out a question for translation when brilliant Rocky cracks the code. The phone represents the city block we’re standing next to, and she’s pointing to different sides of it to indicate that the garage door is on the opposite side of the block, around two corners. So obvious!

I can’t say I’m totally sold on either our B&B or our host, but I am grateful to her for pulling out a map, saying ‘muy importante’ twice for emphasis and then indicating the two must-see places we should visit while we’re here. And she’s right, as well find out ninety minutes later when we both go out to explore. Rachael takes the lone key we have, with the plan that I’ll call her when I return so she can let me in.

Castle Hill

Sagunto, this place I wasn’t really particularly interested in seeing, has a surprisingly deep and rich past. The most obvious signs of its history are to be seen on the hill at the center of the town, with its top completely covered by the sprawling ruins of a huge castle. Most of the remaining walls are Islamic and erected a thousand years ago, but Sagunto and its prominent hill at the mouth of the river is a strategic spot that’s been occupied and contested over for two thousand years. The Iberians established the place, but then Hannibal sacked it at the onset of the second Punic War and the Romans left behind some of the most important Roman ruins to be found in Spain. More recently, fortifications were established to fight off Franco’s forces in the civil war.

So there’s plenty to see up here, even without the spacious views.

The view of old Sagunto from Castle Hill.

A wing of the huge Islamic fortress rises above the ruins of the Roman theater.

A view across the town and toward the sea.

A view northeast up the coast. Barcelona is about 200 miles away in that direction.

As so often happens, I hear my name called, look up, and see Rachael waving down at me from above. She eventually makes it down my way, we compare notes, and then she’s gone gain.

This and the next several photos are Rachael’s, from a higher perspective I didn’t see.

She’s in a pretty precarious spot, causing her to wonder why she left the room without either her glasses or her Garmin.

La Juderia

Along with all of its other significant history, Segunto includes one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in Spain, dating back to the second century. It stands right on the edge of the hill just below the Roman forum, and much of it has been preserved with its original layout with steep, narrow streets and dead ends. A very easy place to get lost.

Dropping down from the Roman Forum into the Juderia.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 39 miles, 1,200’; for the tour: 1,304 miles, 52,500’

Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 1,304 miles (2,099 km)

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Rich FrasierScott, I just love how you fall in love with every place you visit. It’s an endearing trait!
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6 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierSounds like you’re trying to find a nice way of saying I’m undiscriminating. I do have some standards though. I’m not really keen on Seaside or Redmond, for example.
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6 months ago

Rich FrasierActually I was being serious! Your ability to fall in love with these little towns resonates with the romantic in me.

Agree about Seaside and Redmond, though...and maybe La Jonquera near Figueras. :)
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6 months ago