Markus and I still laugh when we think about how we ended up here in Denia. Back in the early 2010s, Markus was running a software company that helped big retail businesses manage their supply chains in Denmark. It was the perfect industry to be in at the time, and by 2015, the company was bought out. Suddenly, Markus found himself retired at 42.
You’d think that meant long holidays and lazy weekends, but the truth was, we were wiped out. (I’d had 10 years as a team assistant in the corporate world by this stage.) We realized we hadn’t taken a holiday longer than two days in over four years. No “us” time ever. We’d been working through weekends or were just too exhausted to plan anything.
We had two choices: jump into something new or make a change. With our kids (15 and 17 then) close to flying the nest, we decided it was now or never. So, we packed up and moved to Denia, where we’d visited twice with the kids and loved its sandy beaches and slower pace of life.
Of course, slowing down didn’t last for long! We started a new business (because apparently, we don’t learn!) with me handling admin while Markus did the legwork. Seven years in, we found ourselves right back where we started: working all the time.
We were talking about it the other day and realised that trail running “saved” us from ourselves. It helped us get outside, explore, and finally appreciate where we live. Now, we look forward to every run and feel so lucky to call this beautiful part of Spain home.
But enough rambling!
Let me tell you about the trail we tackled last September in the stunning Hoces de Cabriel…
About the Hoces de Cabriel
It’s almost embarrassing to admit that after nearly 10 years in Spain, we’d never visited the Hoces de Cabriel. It’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the largest nature park in the Valencian region—just two hours from our home!
When we finally went, we couldn’t believe what we’d been missing…
This wasn’t a trail we loved for its difficulty or sense of accomplishment. Instead, every twist in the path revealed something new—majestic views, dramatic cliffs, and the thrill of spotting golden eagles soaring overhead. It felt like the park was showing off at every turn, making it one of our absolute favourites!
The must-see attraction are the razor-like ridges of stone called cuchillos or “knives” in Spanish. You can see them in the image above.
The Trail Running Route
If there’s one thing to know about marrying a Dane…it’s that everything must be planned. To perfection. So anyway before heading out we actually found a trail on Wikiloc from an energetic Spanish trail runner. The account is called Trail running together and here you can find the Hoces de Cabriel trail running route we took.
There’s a YouTube video as well.
We’re glad we followed it. Like I said above, this route wasn’t particularly dangerous or challenging (though there are some steep drops into the Cabriel valley!). But the route is well maintained with wooden barriers. What we loved about this route was that it took us to the major sites: a stunning view of the “cuchillos”, views over the natural park, and a stop by the (freezing-cold) Cabriel river.
It was 10km in total. It took us just over an hour to complete.
There are so many other routes you can take through this natural park. We’ll be back again for sure…but I just thought this route is something like a “highlights” for any new time visitors—or anyone looking for a short hike, or coming with kids.
Be back soon!
