El Parrizal
Recommended, and the one thing in the comarca that requires planning. Book the entry slot in season.
The best gorge walk in inland Aragón, two kilometres of river between limestone walls.
At a Glance
- — You dislike heights, or you are here in a summer weekend without booking entry
El Parrizal is the gorge the Matarraña has cut through the limestone of the Puertos de Beceite, and the walk through it follows the river on wooden footbridges and cut steps past pools of green water for about two kilometres each way. It is the best half-day walk in the region and the only one that draws anyone at all: numbers are capped in season with timed entry, so check before you drive out. Go early, take shoes that can get wet, and swim in the pools where the river widens. Nothing here is technical, but the path is narrow and the drop to the water is real.
How it got here
Beceite and its surroundings formed part of the frontier between Christian kingdoms and Al-Andalus during the Reconquista. The Matarraña river valley changed hands multiple times as the Aragonese crown pushed south from Alcañiz. This limestone corridor served as a path for shepherds moving livestock between the summer pastures of the Puertos de Beceite and the lower plains. The masonry footbridges installed for modern hikers follow the ancient tracks carved into the rock by charcoal burners and foresters who managed the timber and water rights of the sierra for centuries. These industrial remnants define the current access to the gorge, turning a formerly inaccessible ravine into a traversable corridor.
Where it sits
The Puertos de Beceite define the transition from the Mediterranean coast to the rugged interior of Teruel. High ridges of Jurassic limestone trap winter rain, feeding the Matarraña as it carves narrow canyons through the bedrock. Beech and pine forests cling to the northern slopes, while the lower riverbanks hold dense thickets of poplar and willow. Summer heat makes the river pools essential, though the water temperature stays cold throughout July and August. Access requires navigating winding mountain roads that link the surrounding villages. High demand during the warmer months forces strict control over entry to preserve the riparian ecology of the narrow gorge.
What to eat and drink
Meals in the Matarraña follow the traditions of the Comarca. Order tortetas, a dense sausage made from pork liver, bread, and spices. The local version of jamón de Teruel arrives thinly sliced, cured by the dry mountain air of the province. Olives grow on the terraced slopes above the valley floor, pressed into a robust oil that accompanies most vegetable dishes. Drink garnacha, the deep red wine produced across the provincial border in Lower Aragón. For a simple dessert, expect almendrados, small biscuits made from crushed almonds and honey gathered from the local hives in the surrounding scrubland.
Aragón: the whole region
Three landscapes in one region: the Pyrenees and their canyons in the north, the dry Ebro plain with Zaragoza at its centre, and the high, empty south where Teruel's villages and the Maestrazgo stand. It is the least-visited half of…
Minimum 4 days · better 7-8 days · deep 10-12 days
In Aragón
In Aragón
In Aragón
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