Font de la Coveta (Nacimiento del Vinalopó)

TL;DR: Font de la Coveta is the source of the Vinalopó at 790 metres in the Serra de Mariola between Banyeres de Mariola and Biar; a cold, perennial spring with a stone basin and poplars, free and unserviced, perfect for a 30-minute cool stop or as a trailhead.

Why does almost nobody know this place?

Because Alicante's rivers are not famous and the Vinalopó is associated with a dry riverbed in Elx and Novelda, not a mountain spring. La Coveta sits at the province's northern edge, outside the Alacant-Benidorm-Xàbia tourist triangle, and the Serra de Mariola Natural Park is promoted via Font Roja and Alcoi, not river sources. It is listed in the national government's official catalogue of hydrological reserves (MITECO) and has several routes and write-ups online, so it is not a well-kept secret either, though it draws far fewer visitors than Fonts de l'Algar. That lower footfall preserves it: no bar, no large car park and a final forest track means only those who search with a map arrive, keeping water clear and the site litter-free.

What Font de la Coveta actually is. It is the mapped source of the Vinalopó River, the longest in Alicante province at 81.2 kilometres to its mouth at Santa Pola, and a karstic spring where the Serra de Mariola aquifer discharges at 790 metres after filtering through Upper Jurassic limestone. The spring is fitted with a small circular stone basin, a spout and the little cave that gives it its name, surrounded by poplars and ash trees that keep a humid microclimate even in August. It is not a thermal spring or natural swimming pool, but a historic water catchment protected inside the Serra de Mariola Natural Park; water stays around 14 degrees year-round and flow depends on rainfall in the previous six months, with visible low water at summer's end. Seasonal flow variations and occasional frost shape the basin and surrounding vegetation, yet the aquifer recharge keeps the spring alive through dry summers without pumping or diversion works affecting its natural regime.

What does the spring look like each season?

In spring the spout flows strongly after rains and the basin overflows into the Vinalopó's first brook among reeds; in summer the flow thins to a thread but never dries in normal years, and the thermal contrast with 30-degree air makes dipping your hands a relief. In autumn poplars turn gold and carpet the ground, and in winter the pool can freeze on -5-degree nights typical of Biar and Villena, both between 500 and 700 metres. Water emerges at a constant ~14 degrees from a deep aquifer, high quality due to karst filtering, though not certified as bottled drinking water. According to the Júcar River Authority (CHJ Yearbook 2022), the Vinalopó runs 81.2 km with an average headwater flow of just 0.5 m³/s, which explains why this initial thread is hydrologically so valued.

Can you drink or swim?

Direct drinking is not advised without treatment, though many visitors fill bottles seeing the crystalline water; the Park does not certify potability and the spout is not daily tested. Swimming is not appropriate: the basin is 4 metres across and 60 centimetres deep, a heritage catchment, and wading clouds the visible aquifer. The point is different: splash your face, listen to dripping in the cave, photograph moss and keep walking. If you want swimming holes, switch to Fonts de l'Algar or Guadalest reservoir; if you want a silent source where the river literally starts under your feet, this is it. Bring an empty bottle and fill responsibly, but do not stand inside the stone basin.

How to get there without getting lost?

From Biar take the CV-804 toward Banyeres de Mariola and follow signs to El Pantanet, the trailhead for the spring; from Alcoi approach via the CV-795 to the Serra de Mariola Natural Park interpretation centre at Mas d'Ull de Canals. Motorised access on the forest track is restricted to residents and authorised staff, so the final stretch is on foot: about 5.6 km round trip with 135 m of ascent, roughly ninety minutes following the riverbed. No bus or tram reaches the spring: the nearest stop is Banyeres, with a bus from Alacant via Alcoi. Pair with Biar castle, the Font Roja sanctuary or Ibi and its toy museum if travelling with children.

	By car to Banyeres	On foot from Banyeres (round trip)
Distance	15.6 km from Biar via CV-804	5.6 km along the Vinalopó riverbed
Elevation	—	135 m cumulative
Surface	Paved road	Riverside path, waymarked
Cost	Free	Free

When to go and what to bring?

Best on spring and autumn mid-mornings when light falls vertically through poplars. Avoid mushroom weekends if you seek silence, as the park fills up. Bring hiking shoes, windbreaker (there is always a breeze in the sierra), reserve water and a litter bag: no bins or extra fountains. In winter add gloves: the shady hollow freezes. If staying overnight, Pego is far; Biar, Confrides or Guadalest work better as inland bases. The spring itself needs no more than 30 minutes, but the circular route via Fábrica de Blanes and the Toll Blau extends to 2-3 hours and rewards walkers.

What to do nearby once you are there?

Serra de Mariola fills a full day. Climb the Almohad Biar castle with its rammed-earth tower, cross to Alcoi for the Cervantes shelter and Pont de Sant Jordi, or head toward the coast. Closer, Sella and its castle offer climbing and viewpoints, and Xixona the castle and turrón heritage. The whole inland Alicante shares the same logic: small villages, hilltop castles and scarce water celebrated at every spring.

Tip: Motor access to the final track is restricted — park at the Pantanet and plan on a 5.6 km round trip on foot.