We will start our route at the Font de la Barca where we can leave the car.

Once here we will go up a zizagging path to the Font del Runar.

Leaving the Font del Runar behind, we continue along the path until we find a bifurcation signposted with the different points of interest depending on the direction we want to take. In this case, the idea is to pass through the Fort of Bernia first and then return through the Forat, so we will take the path to the left. The path from here is quite well signposted and  easy to follow, and very often we will find the typical yellow and white srtipes painted on the rocks indicating the way ahead for the Small Route Path (PR).

The Fort of Bernia was built to prevent Berber attacks and there are only some remains of it such as arches of rooms, a cistern or the ditch that surrounded the fortress, which was built in 1562 by order of king Philip II. After the expulsion of  Moors, King Philip III ordered its demolition in 1612 in order to prevent it from being occupied by bandits.

From here, if you are in shape enough, you can climb to the top of Bernia mountain.

We take the small path that leades from the Fort towards the summit. The first slope along the hillside crosses a field of low spiky bushes that invites us to wear long pants. It is a small path surrounded by gorses, that leads to another terrain, a slippery sloping rocky slope with loose stones.

Some stone markers and red painted signs will be our guide to follow the right path, a solitary pine tree is a good reference. After this tree, the ascent route turns left, makes a short horizontal stretch, and then directly faces towards the ridge.

The descent we will do it by the same way which we have climbed up to the Fort.

We will continue our way to the Bernia houses on the other side of the sierra, where the path turns into a track. At the Bernia houses there is a small bar-restaurant which is sometimes opened.

At this point we continue along the track following the signs to the forat. The whole route is very well signposted. We will arrive at the Bernia fountain, where the track ends and some stair steps lead to the ascension to the Forat.

Once at the top we will reach the forat, in order to cross it we need to bend down a little at some point but is easy to through it. The use of a torch is not necessary.

At the exit of the Forat we will be again on the slope where we started with view to the bay of Altea.

We then follow our path to the right entering a beautiful forest of small palms and always following the signs marked in white and yellow, hiking up and down and crossing some rocks until we complete the circular route in the place where we started it, the indication that marks the detour to the Font del Garrofet.