A narrow steel walkway, bolted to a cliff face above the Amadorio reservoir, has become known as Alicante’s own “Caminito del Rey.” The Pasarela de Relleu hangs over a deep gorge inland from Villajoyosa, ending at a glass-floor viewpoint directly above the water. The full outing — walking from the village, crossing the walkway, and back — takes most of a morning.
The Pasarela de Relleu at a Glance
Walkway length: around 200–250 m (sources vary)
Height above the water: roughly 15–60 m (sources give different figures — treat it as a genuinely high walkway rather than relying on one exact number)
Starting point: Relleu town hall
Distance from the village to the walkway: about 4–5 km, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes on foot
Total time: about 3 hours for the full walk and crossing
Difficulty: graded low to low-medium, though the exposure may be demanding for anyone with vertigo
Booking: required, by phone, with limited numbers per time slot
Walking to the Walkway
The route starts behind the Ayuntamiento in Relleu, runs alongside the road toward Aigües, then follows an old mule path down to the Amadorio riverbed before reaching the walkway itself, roughly halfway along the overall route. Sturdy hiking footwear is required — heels, flip-flops and sandals aren’t allowed on the walkway — and dogs and trekking poles aren’t permitted on it either.
Crossing the Walkway
The steel walkway is bolted directly to the gorge wall, carrying walkers out over the Amadorio reservoir to a viewpoint with a glass floor section looking straight down at the water below. Access is strictly managed: entry runs in 15-minute slots of around 15 people each, and a phone reservation is recommended, since without one visitors enter in queue order when space allows. Children must hold an adult’s hand and stay on the wall side of the walkway.
Opening hours (check before visiting, as they shift seasonally):
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00–17:30 (last entry 17:15)
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 9:30–18:30 (last entry 18:15)
Tickets: around €2.50 for adults, €1.50 for pensioners and children up to 11, free for Relleu residents; cash and card accepted at the entrance, not sold online. Reservations are made by phone during the morning.
The Reservoir’s History
The Amadorio reservoir behind the walkway has an unusually obscure history for a structure of its size. Its origins were only recently clarified, and for a long time it was thought to date from a 17th-century design and late-18th-century construction, built by irrigators from Villajoyosa working through Orxeta. Before the walkway existed, reaching the base of the dam meant ropes and ladders, and maintaining it was slow, dangerous work in a narrow gorge where water constantly dripped from leaks in the rock.
Getting There
Relleu is inland from Villajoyosa and Benidorm, in hill country reached by mountain roads — a destination for a car, not public transport. For other inland walking routes nearby, see the guides to Cabezón de Oro and Guadalest, both within reach of the same stretch of mountains, and for the coast itself, the complete guide to Villajoyosa and its beaches and coves.