Teruel Province
High and handsome. That’s Teruel province. It’s also full of footpaths, with not many people to walk them. An ideal place for those who like to be alone while they wander (and wonder). It lies inland from Valencia, in the south of the Aragón region. Teruel has vast open spaces, with the void filled by mountain ranges, farmland and traditional ways of life that continue to exist in a fast-changing world. If you bought the T-shirt, ‘I like mountains and maybe three people’, then Teruel is definitely the place for you
El Maestrazgo in Teruel
The Maestrazgo is a vast inland area stretching from the province of Teruel into neighbouring Castellón. It is short on people and full of footpaths – so heaven on earth for someone like me. This is the hinterland of Spain, where many towns and villages stand above...
El Maestrazgo – the towns
There are a number of towns/villages in the Maestrazgo area which visitors can use as a base for walking. They form a cluster around the highest mountains in Teruel province. The ones highlighted in the following posts are Mora de Rubielos, Allepuz, Fortanete,...
River Alcalá canyon route
This is a terrific round walk on the PR-TE 26 footpath; sections also follow the GR-8. The canyon which carries the Alcalá river is one of the most dramatic natural features of the area – and our route runs through pine woods, along the top of the canyon and then...
Ascending Peñarroya
At 2,028 metres, Peñarroya is the highest peak in Teruel province. But, because it is surrounded by land which is also at a high altitude, it does not appear to be such a colossal mountain. However, up top it's a wonderful spot to observe the surrounding countryside,...
Discovering Allepuz
Continuing our exploration of the Maestrazgo region of Teruel, the new base for walks is Allepuz. This small village is handily placed between four other of our walking destinations; Mora de Rubielos, Fortanete, Valdelinares and Cantavieja. If you are considering a...
Allepuz – Vuelta a Sollavientos
The ‘Vuelta a Sollavientos’ route is a cracker – and not too long, weighing in at 8km. As the ‘vuelta’ bit in the title suggests, it is a circular walk which comes back to Allepuz after dipping in and out of the Sollavientos valley/ravine that runs close to the...
Vuelta a Sollavientos – part 2
On the ‘Vuelta a Sollavientos’ route from Allepuz we had reached the river, blocking the path. At this point we look left. It appears to be an impenetrable wall of rock. But a waymark indicates that it isn’t. There is a natural passageway which goes through. So, bear...
Allepuz – the pillars of wisdom
Don't let the headline confuse you. Because there are a lot more than seven. The stone pillars stretch across the landscape like some baffling expression of pagan worship. In the vast emptiness of Teruel they seem eerie and the first question that springs to mind is...
Fortune favours Fortanete
Fortanete is in a favourable spot – and is just up the road from Allepuz, the most recently featured destination in Teruel. It's an attractive village, as the photos show. Terracotta-tiled roofs sit atop ancient stone walls. In the central square the large church...
Fortanete – up the Capellanía
The walk to the top of Capellanía at 1,775 metres is an enjoyable and varied ascent. And, with the village of Fortanete standing at 1,350 metres above sea level, you won’t have to put in an enormous amount of effort to reach the summit of what is, all said and done,...
The Zoticos ravine route
The old stone bridge across the river, the dry stone walls which house the village allotments, and the green, green grass. These are all factors which combine to create an idyllic pastoral scene at the start of this walk to the impressive Zoticos ravine. For this...
Spain’s highest village
If you are a lover of high places, then you really should put Valdelinares on a travel itinerary at some point. Standing at 1,692 metres above sea level, it is the Spain’s highest municipality. To put that in context, the village is 350 metres higher than the UK's...