The picturesque village of Navajas, with less than 1000 inhabitants, is home to a stunning countryside area called The Bride’s Jump or Salto de la Novia.
The place is beautifully wild and makes a wonderful day excursion. However, the legend behind its origins is not as lovely as the place…
Legend says, many years ago, before getting married, couples from the Navajas area must go through a ceremony to prove to everyone their love was true.
Couples would be taken to the nearby river under the watchful eyes of all the inhabitants from the local village. To prove her love, the bride would have to jump from one side to the other. Any mishap would be considered a bad omen for the marriage.
There was once a bride, radiant, happy, and very excited to convince everyone of her feelings for her husband-to-be.
Unfortunately, regardless of her good intentions, when she was about to jump, she tripped and fell to the river. A swirl in the river took her away.
Her husband-to-be, desperate to help her, jumped into the river in an attempt to save her.
Sadly, both perished in the water.
The horrified villagers cancelled the ceremony for good and now their story is the legend behind the waterfall that is now in the place where the ceremony used to happen.
Luckily for us, nowadays, there are no swirls on the river, only calm waters and a lovely landscape.
Salto de la Novia is a beautiful countryside area right by Navajas.
The most famous feature of the place is a spectacular 60-meter waterfall, which waters flow into the river right were brides had to jump, back in the day.
You will also find some charming hiking routes, picnic areas, natural river swimming pools and nice areas of shade to nap by the river.
If you decide to go for a swim we recommend you get river shoes like the ones below to get in the water as the bottom is a bit rocky.
You might even make a friend or two as there are many mountain goats around!
Where to stay if you visit Salto de la Novia
Accommodation in Navajas is very limited. If you are in the area we recommend to stay in this spa hotel with epic views in Montanejos. Montanejos is a nearby village (30 min drive) with some epic hot springs. You can read all about Montanejos here.
Useful information if you visit Salto de la Novia
You can get to The Bride’s Jump from Navajas as it is just a short walk from the village. While small, Navajas has a lovely square full of bars to stop in for a drink or a nibble.
- The entrance to the area costs 2€ and they accept card.
- You can take a train from Valencia – Estación del Norte – to Navajas, it takes less than 1h 30min. You can purchase the tickets or check the times here
- Alternatively, you can drive from Valencia and get to Navajas in less than 45 minutes.
Enjoy Salto de la Novia, and do not forget to tell us all about i1!
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