Cruz de la Muela, Sierra de Orihuela

How to get:

The trail we took to the cross starts from the middle of the street Calle Alicante M Pinar, 14, 03316 Orihuela, Alicante. Don’t walk up the street, the route starts towards the lemon trees like you would continue the street Calle Orense M Pinar. After you get on the right path, it’s very well marked. If you are unsure where you should go, go during the weekend. I bet there’s loads of people walking towards the lemon trees. Just follow them. Soon you’ll see a sign like this.

It took us 2 ours 40 minutes from car to back to our car. We took few drinking brakes and took some photos. It was 60 minutes coming down. So in my opinion the 45 minutes is for the people who really want to sweat.

There’s the cross. That’s where you are aiming at!

This route is definitely worth taking and is quite easy most of the way. There were children on the route. Naturally they might need some help is some places.

I found some interesting facts about the cross form a blog post that I translated. Here is the main points:

“The cross is made of iron and weighs 1,200 kg.  Dimensions are 14,8 meters in height, almost 8 meters of arms, supported by a cement base of 1.60 meters.

The cross has been related to the Dominican Valencian saint Vicente Ferrer, who in a sermon, in his passage through Orihuela in 1411, could have said: “Devout Oriolans, my children, I am certain that on that high mountain dwell many demons, who with their infernal cunning will cause innumerable spiritual and temporal ruins among you.If you want to be free of them, place there the sovereign banner of the Most Holy Cross”.

It is not known if the cross was originally built on land and then taken on the top of the mountain or if it was carved from a leafy olive tree on the same top. However, we must wait until 1715 tohave a reference of the first wooden cross. 

Time and man has destroyed the symbol on more than one occasion. The Blessed Oriolino Inocencio Carretero proposed in 1910 the manufacture of a large iron cross, which disappeared during the years of the civil war. In 1942 it was placed again, (of iron) until the 2nd of January in 1985 it was mysteriously cut by uncontrolled barbarians and thrown from the top.

That same year it was rebuilt by popular fervor and placed there again by an army helicopter.”
Views are spectacular. Just remember to have enough water and some snacks to keep you going!