12 reasons to visit Matarraña region in Spain
“The Spanish Tuscany”
“wherever you go, becomes a part of you somehow”
If you still don’t know where to travel on your next vacation and still don’t know Matarraña region perhaps it would be of your interest to know why this should be your next destination. On this new post we list 12 powerful reasons to choose this region. Known as “the Spanish Tuscany”, but surely after a trip you will have plenty of more reasons. Help us to complete the list, tell us in the comments which are your reasons?.
The Comarca of Matarraña is one that most surprising province of Teruel. It is a land of contrasts, culture and nature. An ideal place to travel with your family, with your couple, with your friends or why not, alone. In the Matarraña region you will find many different activities and things to see and do for all ages: some highly recommended for children, activities tailored for families; romantic walks through streets through charming villages, good food, massages and relaxing places; adventure activities and many places to see; … It’s easy to find here activities that fit what we seek at all times.
Reasons why to travel to Matarraña. Here you have some.
1) landscapes: discover places of astonishing beauty
Something that captivates us in this region is the spectacular landscapes that we find. Places of great beauty that surprise us and invite us to admire.
Els Ports de Beceite constitute unique an natural framework . There you can find spectacular cut and ravines, rocks with surprising shapes, rivers between large rocks formations,… A truly unique environment that allows us to enjoy watching spectacular landscapes.
In addition to the ports de Beceite, we find places much less known but equally surprising, as the Masmut or the cascade of the Salt in La Portellada village.
2) the gastronomy: eat like you’ve never before done
The gastronomy is one of the strong points of this region. In few places in Spain you will eat as well as in the region of Matarraña.
First quality food: the Matarraña is characterized by their fields of olive trees, their almond trees, their fruit trees, their livestock (pork and lamb mainly)… etc. It is a land rich in natural resources, livestock and agriculture specialising in quality products. And this can be seen in all their restaurants where they use food produced in their own lands. Good quality and collected just a few hours before serving, is often nearly impossible to find in any other places.
Local artisans and producers: another of the things that make the cuisine of Matarraña unique is the good work of its craftsmen and producers. For example, here we find bakeries “the usual”, that made the bread in wood-fired oven as it was traditionally done (no rush), they spoil the recipes of sweets of life, that produce a unique oil made with care, they collect honey gently… This dedication, craft, many of the trades related to the manufacture of the products is noticeable when it comes to sit at the table.
3) the heritage: you fall in love with its intense heritage
If you travel to Matarraña be sure that you are moving to a immense heritage. And it is not for less, as here we find huge castles, churches, stately homes, charming towns, unique Town Hall buildings and unique urban helmets… A visit to the Castle and the Church of Valderrobres, or through the old quarter of Ráfales, cannot be missed during your journey as well as seeing the Church of Calaceite and the stately homes of la Fresneda,… here the cultural heritage is extensive, and moving a few kilometres from a village to another you will find real gems of architecture and history.
4) people: find authentic local people nearby
Walking through the streets of its picturesque villages you will get closer to the local people. Friendly and loving people, who feel the territory in his heart, they will make your journey easier and more pleasant. People is what gives life to a region, and here, certainly, they have managed to take a step beyond .
5) the quiet: you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the silence again
Matarraña is, above all, a quiet area. Here the calm comes above standard and is impossible not to get the peace on yourself.
A leisurely stroll through the streets of a beautiful village or a swim in one of its rivers will make you disconnect from the noise and feel in an absolute peace.
“Better to see something once than to hear about it thousand time” ( Asian Proverb)
6) nature: you will feel connected with nature and the environment that surrounds you
One of the strengths of Matarraña is also its natural diversity. Here live many different species, and we can find lush flora and fauna.
This area is a declared as a birds reserve, a wide variety of them you can discover in the different local observatories . In its skies, it is easy to find vultures, owls, hawks, eagles, storks… etc. We will also find Spanish ibex, wild boar, etc. On your excursions walking you will repeatedly have goats just a few meters from you.
In its rivers there are crayfish and trout among others, a variety of fish that we can see with the naked eye.
7) the unexpected: you will be surprised every one of the days
Matarraña is a region that surprises. Here you can find unique, original, unexpected sites.
For example, you can visit a reserve of Griffon Vultures (and even sleep in it) and see the trough, a unique spectacle.
Or you can include on our trip visit to the prison path (some date back to the 15th century!), in which you will see also drawings of prisoners on the walls.
You can also see paintings, or the medieval cemetery in Fuentespalda, or the Iberian settlement of San Antonio in Calaceite or… There are so many surprising corners here!.
8) the story: get to know the fascinating history of this region
The region of Matarraña is rich in history and stories.
The man has left a great legacy that has a small part of its existence in these land: from cave paintings, popular Iberian villages, large fortifications, many Gothic and Baroque buildings. All they tell us part of the story that takes you to ancient times, and it brings it closer to us, at least, a little bit of how life was in the past. Also includes some traditions which still preserves ancient traditions, such as the diablets of Antón, pilgrimages, etc.
Templar, Iberians and Romans, Visigoths,… all of them left their mark in different parts of Matarraña. And the visitor can visit them to learn about the fascinating history.
9) the water: you will see rivers with crystal-clear and turquoise water
One of the main strengths of Matarraña are its crystal clear rivers. Matarraña rivers, Algars, Ulldemó or Tastavins surprised by its crystal-clear water, in which we can even see fish. They are several bathing areas close to Beceite, a pleasure in the summer months.
These rivers are also forming several of the most spectacular landscapes of the region, with amazing waterfalls water and steep ravines carved by water.
10) the adventure: feel the adrenaline through your whole body
In the Matarraña we will also find many options of adventure and leisure active, suitable for all audiences.
You can practice climbing, mountain bike cycling, canoeing, horse riding, hiking,… Some local companies offers in the area many sports activities .
11) colors: you will find a region with a unique contrast of colours
If you are travelling to the Matarraña, above all in spring or autumn, it is for sure that you will fall in love with this place. The contrasts of colours here are very special: from the gray of the limestone rocks, to the Green turquoise waters, the infinite colours of the flowers that cover the fields, or reddish colour some of its landscapes. It is a place that changes a lot in every season, and that surprises us with a new face at each time of the year.
12) the Sun and the good weather: (probably) you can enjoy a pleasant climate during all the holidays
Matarraña is known as “the Spanish Tuscany”. And the climate is one of the reasons for this, since this area boasts a Mediterranean climate, with annual averages of 12 – 13 ° C. In this region you can enjoy pleasant temperatures throughout the whole year.
You will only find one inconvenience on travelling to Matarraña: and it is that you will feel that you need to come back again
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to roam the roads, of lands remote, to travel is to live”
