The Area

Our Maestrazgo trek provides walkers with the rare opportunity to travel through a little known region of Spain which remains untouched by the modern world. Straddling the regions of Teruel and Aragon in Northeast Spain Maestrazgo has been designated an area of outstanding cultural interest and natural beauty.

Overnight stays are often in villages founded by the Knight Templar - El Cid castellated strongholds perched on rocky crags above deep ravines.

Walking between villages each day offers ever changing awesome landscapes. Jagged mountains rivers and canyons moorlands and forests all interspersed with fields where farmers continue to eke out a living as their ancestors have done for generations.

As yet Maestrazgo is little known by walkers and tourists. We think this is heaven!

The Walking

The route often follows the long distance GR-8 path. You will walk on footpaths and drovers routes used for generations by villagers and farmers.

The paths are of good quality but rough underfoot in places. A walking day would normally be between 4 to 7 hours long. Altitude gain is between 300 to 780 m.

You have two nights in one place towards the end which you can take as a rest day or we provide details of walking options on that day if you prefer to keep the legs going. There are no vertiginous sections. We grade this as challenging mostly because of remoteness.

Self Guided

You can walk entirely at your own pace and we provide extensive walking notes giving distances route directions ascents descents and walking times.

If you wish to lengthen the holiday we can easily add rest days when you make the booking.

Baggage Transfer

Walk Grading

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Day 1 Transfer from the airport to your first accommodation in Molinos. Explore its gothic square and church (15th century). Visit the “Grutas de Cristal” (crystal caverns) one of the most famous underground landscapes in Spain.

Day 2 Transition now between the low and the high Maestrazgo: The lonely hillsides are covered densely with thyme rosemary lavender and mixed forests of pine and oak. Walk through the ravine of the river Guadalopillo to Ejulve village with its old flour mills now in ruins. Continue past a huge geological rock structure with the shape of church organs.12 miles 5½ hours. Ascent 633m Descent 250m.

Day 3 The walk starts on the pilgrimage route to the Hermitage of San Pedro de la Roqueta an ascent the local villagers committed to make after receiving rain following 7 years of drought. You cross mountain ranges running parallel with each other and intersected with little valleys and streams with short but steep ascents and descents. You will feel engulfed by the solitude. 7 miles 4 hours. Ascent 541m Descent 340m.

Day 4 You start on a path along a shady gully to the source of the river Pitarque. Maples walnuts hazel trees constitute one of the best Mediterranean river bank forests of the area. On the journey you will pass a small hydro electric power station with its defenses built against the attacks of the Maquis resistance against Franco which fought from 1949 to 1954. 10 miles 5¾ hours. Ascent 787m Descent 223m.

Day 5 Today you visit the High Maestrazgo with an altitude of 1700m. The landscape is dappled with pine forest and alpine grass and is the area with the most historical buildings in the district six municipalities having been declared of historical-artistic interest. These lovely towns of significant medieval architecture truly warrant their classification. 11 miles 5½ hours. Ascent 467m Descent 590m.

Day 6 Free day at Cantavieja. You could take a short walk below the village where you can fully understand the defensive capability of the settlement or take a longer walk after a short taxi ride (payable locally) to one of El Cid’s castles. 4 miles 2 hours. Ascent 219m Descent 219m.

Day 7 Your route today will encounter little or no woods or forests as they were felled in the XVI century to provide more pasture for sheep when the area was thriving economically from wool. Your destination is Mirambel a village full of beautiful medieval stone buildings decorated with bold wooden eaves which has often been used as a film set. 9 miles 4¾ hours. Ascent 440m Descent 828m.

Day 8 Return home either transfer back to your car or directly to the airport.

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Maestrazgo has a dry climate with more precipitation in the winter months and a possibility of snow during December to February above 1400m. We do not recommend July and August it is too hot and thunderstorms are also prevalent in August. Winter temperatures range from -4° to 13°C. Spring is soft and warm 18°-22°C and temperatures then rise until August 38°C in the sun. September to October is similar to Spring.

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Zaragoza is the nearest airport which can be reached non-stop from London with low cost airlines. Transfer time is 1¾ hours. Or travel to Reus which has charter and low cost flights from a large number of UK airports. Transfer 2¼ hours. Further away is Barcelona with an excellent selection of flights a more distant 4 hour drive away. We include in the price the transfer from Zaragoza or a hire car from Reus or Barcelona minimum 2 people. Supplement payable for transfers from Reus or Barcelona .

There are flights as follows:

Zaragoza nonstop from Luton and connecting flights from Heathrow and Gatwick.

Reus nonstop from Gatwick Luton Stansted Bristol* Cardiff* Birmingham* East Midlands* Manchester* Liverpool Leeds* Doncaster* Durham* Newcastle* Edinburgh* Glasgow Aberdeen* Dublin* and Belfast*.

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Maestrazgo

Hotel to Hotel Trek

All holiday prices include 7 nights half board accommodation with 7 days car hire*.  Also self guided walkers receive our unique walking booklet for your trek and best local walking maps. Trek prices also include baggage and additional people transfers. 'With flights' includes typical flight price from a London Airport to Zaragoza.

(* transfers from Zaragzoza or Reus airport can be arranged for a supplement contact us for details )

Please note these prices will differ from our current brochure price list and are the current correct prices.

2010

Prices per person in GB£

* no single travelers

Important for details of our flight price policy click here

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