La Cabrentà

La Cabrentà is a small but remarkable municipal natural site in the town of Estubeny, in the province of Valencia. It sits on the right bank of the river Sellent, right at the foot of the village itself, and was granted protected status in 2004. The area covers just 1.41 hectares, yet packs in an outsized concentration of natural rarities — it is one of the very few examples of Mediterranean rainforest found anywhere in the Valencian Community, which is why locals call it "La Selva d'Estubeny" (the Estubeny Jungle).

How did a Mediterranean jungle end up here?

Over thousands of years, the river Sellent carved a narrow, winding gorge into the limestone hillsides. Groundwater flowing down from the Caroig massif keeps the ravine unusually humid, feeding numerous springs, waterfalls and crystal-clear pools. Those conditions, combined with an absence of human activity since the Spanish Civil War, allowed vegetation typical of much wetter climates to survive in a landscape that is otherwise dry and thoroughly Mediterranean.

What grows and lives in La Cabrentà?

Inside the gorge, natural groves of laurel and Mediterranean hackberry grow to heights of up to twelve metres — nowhere else in the Valencia region do these two species coexist at this scale. Alongside them grow pomegranate, carob, fig and dwarf palm, plus small endemic pockets thick with thyme and marjoram. Up to ten plant species here are formally protected for their rarity or endangered status.

The wildlife is just as varied: 66 animal species have been recorded in total, including 4 amphibian species, 32 bird species, 23 mammal species and 7 reptile species. Among them are the European turtle dove, the ocellated lizard, and the false smooth snake, alongside protected amphibians such as the common toad and common frog.

What does the walking route look like?

Access to the heart of the site is through a narrow gorge and a small cave, and an ecological trail has been laid out to guide visitors through this leafy labyrinth of broken limestone rock, caves lined with stalactites and stalagmites, and curtain-shaped rock formations. For longer hikes, the site connects to the GR332, a long-distance trail linking all the protected natural areas of the La Canal Territorio Turístico municipalities.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is La Cabrentà located? In the municipality of Estubeny, in the province of Valencia, on the right bank of the river Sellent, right by the village.

What does "La Selva d'Estubeny" mean? It's the local nickname for the site, referring to its unusually humid, densely vegetated character reminiscent of a jungle — a rarity in Valencia's otherwise dry Mediterranean landscape.

Is there anything else worth seeing nearby? Yes, the Albufera de Anna lake lies about 5 km away.

Since when has the area been protected? La Cabrentà was declared a municipal natural site in 2004.

Can you do longer hikes from here? Yes, the site is a stop along the GR332 trail, which runs through all the protected natural areas of the La Canal region.