Hiking Meeting in Vall d'Ebo
MACMA and Pego y les Valls cordially invite the public to partake in a unique weekend aimed at raising awareness of the local surroundings and fostering an appreciation for this splendid region, which we ardently believe will be reborn in the near future.
Both public entities have received benefits from the Plan de Dinamización y Gobernanza Turística de Turismo Comunidad Valenciana. A weekend packed with activities such as talks, hiking, canyoning, a children's toy library, workshops, exhibitions, urban tours, musical performances, and communal dining has been arranged with the aid of a commendable subsidy.
Tragically, in the summer of 2022, one of the most severe blazes in recent years left 13,000 hectares of land in ruins, impacting 10 towns in Marina Alta and seven in the County. During those August days, the residents of Marina Alta and Condado were left grappling with the thought of what would remain of their environmental landscape after a sea of flames slowly spread throughout their paths and roads.
The evacuation of ten villages due to an impending fire posed an immense threat to our region's agricultural, architectural, and natural heritage.
The days were taxing and worrisome, but the community has since come together for a special meeting, entitled "From Those Ashes, These Stones," organised by the “Mancomunidad Comarcal de la Marina Alta” and the “Mancomunidad de Turismo de Pego y les Valls”, to address the fire that ravaged our municipality.
These two associations represent nine of the ten municipalities in Marina Alta affected by the fire. These include La Vall d'Ebo, La Vall d'Alcalà, Pego, L'Atzúbia, Vall de Gallinera, Sagra, Orba, La Vall de Laguar, and Castell de Castells.
The activities will commence with several hiking marches from varying geographical points within the region. The intention is to arrive at several retinues in La Vall d'Ebo, symbolising an act of reaching the village where the fire originated.
Success of the Hiking Meeting in Vall d'Ebo with more than 800 participants
Organised by MACMA and the Mancomunitat de Turisme de Pego i les Valls, this regional event marked the closing of a series of joint actions, as the culmination of plans to boost tourism and governance undertaken in recent months by both entities.
The weekend began with several hiking walks from 5 different points in the areas affected by the fire of 2022 in the Vall d'Ebo, all converging in the host municipality of the Aplec La Vall d'Ebo. The participation of 82 people in this activity showed the great interest generated by the special programme.
The afternoon was full of talks and presentations in the Multipurpose Space of the Old Schools, with the presentation of Sustainable Tourism Plans, the pilot project of resprouting gardens in several municipalities, the launch of the book 'From shepherd to shepherd' by Joan Besalduch and the screening of the award-winning film 'The 8 mountains'. The day ended with a popular dinner and a musical verbena by the Unió Musical de la Vall d'Ebo.
Sunday focused on active tourism activities: hiking trails, canyoning, ethnobotany, caving and a local craft market that filled the main street of the Aplec.
In addition, a popular sarao with dancers and dancers from different regions of the region livened up the afternoon in the Santa Margalida square and the Marina Alta avenue. The closing was the emotional reading of a manifesto by 5 children from Pego, la Vall d'Ebo, Sagra, l'Atzúbia and Orba, marking the end of a very special Aplec.
With a remarkable participation of 500 people registered in the various activities planned, not counting the visitors to the market, the two entities have praised the enthusiasm shown. Particularly notable was the contribution of the various collectives, such as the Vall d'Ebo associations, which were significantly involved, particularly in the organisation of the popular meal service.
The three leaders present - Sara Moll, mayoress of Vall d'Ebo; Enrique Moll, president of Pego y les Valls; and Sergi Ferrús, president of MACMA - shared brief words, highlighting the unity manifested during the Encuentro. All three agreed in underlining their hope that this event will mark the beginning of many more meetings aimed at reclaiming our territory and our municipalities.
