Matarranya by campervan

Matarranya, a magical corner of Aragón: cobbled villages, hidden swimming pools and quiet routes through olive groves.

Once again we want to vindicate inland tourism and invite you to discover a place with a special magic. Located in the northeast of the Teruel province, the Matarranya region sits within the basin of the river of the same name and is framed by the majestic Ports of Beceite, making it a privileged place for sports like hiking, mountain biking or climbing. It also has beautiful medieval villages such as Beceite, Valderrobres, Peñarroya de Tastavins, Calaceite or Fuentespalda. Some of them are declared Historic-Artistic Sites for their great architectural and historical richness.

The Matarranya region is also known as the Spanish Tuscany for its almond and olive groves. There's a noticeable Valencian and Catalan influence, as this region lies at the meeting point of Teruel with Castellón and Tarragona — so much so that Catalan is spoken in the area.

So, what better than grabbing a Vanyou and heading off to discover the area? We want to give you a glimpse of the many things you can do and see, but you'll surely find many more.

225 km from Valencia and three hours away is Beceite. The best route is via the CV-10 road — saving the toll — up to Morella via San Mateu. We won't leave the N-232 until Monroyo, where we turn off onto the A-1414.

In Beceite there's a recently opened campsite in a wonderful location with 360° mountain views: http://www.beceitecamping.com/. They also have a restaurant with excellent Italian food. You'll be treated very well — they already know our vans.

If you have a weekend to discover these lands, we recommend starting with the essential Parrissal de Beceite route.

The Parrissal route follows the Matarranya river upstream. We start by car from Beceite, where signs will guide us. We drive about 3.5 km from the village on a paved road to a checkpoint with the first car park.

From here you can walk or drive a further 2.5 km to the second car park where the route starts and there's a picnic area. Both car parks are paid: around €4 the first, €8 the second. If you've stayed at the campsite they'll give you a ticket and you won't have to pay.

The route is very simple and can be done with children. It runs along walkway sections installed beside the river. It's very important to be fully respectful — swimming is forbidden, as is crossing the river. The reason is that this river's water is used for the inhabitants of Beceite's drinking supply. In high season there are forest rangers patrolling the route.

The end of the route is at Els Estrets del Parrissal, an impressive canyon narrowing about 60 m tall. From here you return the same way to the car park.

Another option is the circular route that continues through the canyon. It has moderate difficulty, with 14 km total and around 800 m elevation gain. The route takes us through Pas de Romeret — a sort of small via ferrata — up to the highest part of Les Moletes d'Arany. A bit before reaching the top we can see a curious rock arch. The views of the Parrissal from above are spectacular.

If we do the route in summer, once completed we can enjoy a swim in the natural pools where swimming is allowed. They're located on the access track to the car park.

You can find all the route details on Wikiloc: https://goo.gl/RqTbiQ

Next to Beceite is the La Pena reservoir. A quiet place with a picnic area worth visiting. From there you can see a curious mountain called La Caixa for its square shape — completely flat on top. It's another interesting hike, but note that to reach the top of La Caixa you'll have to do a small scramble where a chain helps you.

For the second day we recommend a visit to the village of Beceite itself, as well as nearby Valderrobres where you can enjoy its architectural ensemble and castle. If you have time, you can also visit Calaceite and La Fresneda.

Valderrobres has a free motorhome car park that gives you another overnight option in the area.

If we have more days, we can visit Peñarroya de Tastavins and climb up to the viewpoint to admire the imposing rock formations known as Roques del Masmut.

To complete the information you need about the region, we recommend checking this site: http://www.evadirte.com/es/inicio.html It has detailed information and more activity suggestions to enjoy the area.

We recommend visiting the Matarranya region — it won't disappoint and this trip is definitely a perfect getaway to do with a campervan, enjoying a privileged natural environment just three hours from Valencia.