The final destination in the Maestrazgo of Teruel province – land of the Templars and the truffle – is Cantavieja. With regards to that last statement, bear in mind that by and large you have more chance of seeing a truffle here than a charging knight on a trusty steed.
Cantavieja occupies a privileged position on a narrow strip of land which juts out into the void. The wonderful Plaza Porticada – the porticoed square – forms part of a stroll through the historic quarter, leading to the old Templar fort and town walls, where there are fantastic views back over the town.
The Knights Templar were vanquished here following an eight-month siege in 1307 which saw much of their castle destroyed, although the walls and a section that was converted into a hermitage can still be visited. There are truffles too – as well as other delights.
Most importantly for walkers, it is limestone country – with a landscape which is strewn with the dramatic features produced by the erosion of this sedimentary rock. There is a wide choice of routes, although the mainstay is provided by the GR-8 long distance footpath which runs through the province of Teruel. Stage nine is from Mirambel to Cantavieja, and stage 10 heads out of the other side of the village for Fortanete. It is the latter sortie which we will be exploring in earnest.
The GR-8 to Fortanete is 15.6 km one way with 630 metres of ascent. Walkers will probably not want to do all of it if they are heading back to Cantavieja. It is 9.4km up to the Puerto de Cuarto Pelado pass, which stands at 1,657m. This is a good place to turn back, returning on the same path. Those who have the legs, will jump on the PR-TE 73 at the pass to head for the summit of Capellanía mountain (1,777m), which is 4km further on.
Other routes on offer include offshoots of the GR-8. The handy free walks leaflet available from the tourism office – called ‘Paseos en Familia por la Comarca del Maestrazgo’ (family walks in the Maestrazgo area) – outlines no less than 17 routes, with distance, height gain, a small map and description for each of them. Some of them would require a short car journey to reach the start point.
For accommodation, I stayed Casa Sara B&B in the old town, where the helpful owner provides leaflets and information about Cantavieja. This and other options can be perused via booking.com
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