Logbook · 3 places

What to see and do in Gaianes

What to see and do in Gaianes (El Comtat, Alicante): 3 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Nature · 1 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Gaianes

Albufera of Gaianes 1.1 km

Towns near Gaianes

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What to see in Benimarfull 4 km · 2 places
What to see in Beniatjar 4 km · 1 place
What to see in Muro de Alcoy 4.4 km · 15 places
What to see in Alqueria d'Asnar l' 4.7 km · 2 places
What to see in Salem 5.3 km · 2 places
What to see in Otos 5.6 km · 2 places

Spain › Valencian Community › Alicante › El Comtat › Gaianes

What to see and do in Gaianes

Gaianes
Village
Gaianes is a municipality in the Comtat comarca, in the north of the province of Alicante, located on the slope of the Sierra de Benicadell and crossed by the Serpis river. It has 577 inhabitants. Of Muslim origin, it was conquered by James I around 1244 and later belonged to Ximén Roiç de Corella, Count of Cocentaina; in 1611, after the expulsion of its 279 Moriscos, his successor Gastón granted a settlement charter to repopulate it. Next to its town centre lies the Albufera de Gaianes, an endorheic lagoon of about 11 hectares protected since 2007, home to birds and turtles. It had a halt on the Alcoy-Gandía line, opened in 1893 and closed in 1969, today a greenway. It also preserves the castle, in ruins, and the church of San Jaime Apóstol, from 1526, built over the former mosque.
Albufera of Gaianes
Nature
Located southeast of Gaianes, in the Alicante comarca of El Comtat, this small endorheic lagoon of about 11 hectares, fed by underground inflows from the Sierra del Benicadell, drains into the river Serpis; its existence has been documented since the early 15th century. The old lagoon was drained during the Civil War to prevent disease, and was not restored until 2004, after heavy rains. In 2007 it was incorporated into the protected natural area of the Serpis river landscape, and today it is a stopover for migratory, nesting and wintering birds, as well as a site for the care and monitoring of native leprous turtles; it has observation points and is surrounded by rain-fed farmland.
The Serpis train
Historical milestone
The Alcoi-Gandia line, opened in 1893 with British capital, climbed the valley of the Serpis with tunnels and viaducts and had a halt in the district. It served the textile and paper industry of the mountains until its definitive closure in 1969.