Monday 8th – Saturday 13th September 2025
Matarraña, a lesser-known region in eastern Aragon, and one of the most beautiful in Spain, is often referred to as the ‘Spanish Tuscany’. Both areas are renowned for their small medieval towns, cobblestone streets, charming squares, towers, and bridges, but their feel is very different. Matarraña hides authentic artistic and natural treasures. Its villages have preserved their medieval or Renaissance atmosphere to such an extent that when you walk through them you will feel as if you are in another era.
There will be time to take a stroll through the narrow streets of some of these interesting little towns, and to enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine in one of the many pretty squares. Please be aware, however, that many of the hotels in this area are small and are often located in converted historical buildings which may not have lifts to access higher floors, and there is likely to be a short walk from the coach drop off point to the hotel reception. There are several guided walks included, and there may be cobblestones, streets with inclines and steps to negotiate. Please bear these factors in mind if you decide to make a booking – the trip is not suitable for members with walking difficulties. As porterage will not be available, it is suggested that 1 smaller manageable case per person would be better than 1 large, shared suitcase.
Monday 8th September: Javea / Monroyo (312 km) / La Fresneda (32 km)
08.30 hrs: Departure from Golden Star Apartments, Calles Bruselas, Javea Arenal.
08.45 hrs: Departure from Interiors (opposite side of the road), Javea port. Pickup at Mas y Mas on the N332 if required. Refreshment break enroute to Monroyo.
13.30 hrs: Lunch at the Hotel Restaurante Posada Guadalupe.
After lunch there will be time to have a stroll through the small town of Monroyo, with its narrow streets and interesting architecture.
16.30 hrs: Reboard our coach and travel to La Fresneda.
17.15 hrs: Check in to the 3* El Convent 1613 hotel.
This converted 17th-century convent is now a small family-run hotel in the centre of La Fresneda, with a swimming pool, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Rooms are all decorated in a different style, and have TV, telephone and private bathroom with hairdryer and bathrobe. The hotel is set in large Mediterranean gardens and has a terrace. Inside there are comfortable lounges and reading areas, a restaurant which is set around a glazed courtyard with a fountain, and a large wine cellar. The property also has a cafeteria-bar serving snacks. Please note there is no lift and some of the rooms will have a bath rather than a shower.
Evening free; either dine in the hotel or one of the restaurants/bars in La Fresneda.
La Fresneda has been declared an Historic-Artistic Site, and in the buildings of this small town you can see stonework, basketwork, forging and traditional embroidery. The remains of its old castle, the Plaza Mayor, its town hall, the Palacio de la Encomienda which was the former residence of the Commander built in the 16th century, or the old convent converted into a hotel, make this town one of the most beautiful in the area. Another place of interest is the church of Santa María la Mayor, which has a medieval origin and dates from the 17th century. It has a Renaissance style, and its octahedron bell tower stands out.
Tuesday 9th September: La Fresneda / Fuentespalda (23 km) / Peñarroya (8 km) / Ráfales (15 km) / La Fresneda (16 km)
Breakfast
09.15 hrs: Board the coach and travel to Fuentespalda for a guided walking tour, including the interesting medieval cemetery which has a number of medieval tomb stones. Many are from the XII, XII and XIV centuries. There are stones with Knights’ Templar crosses, crosses of the Calatrava Order and even the Cathars.
Reboard our coach and visit the Ermita de Dalt in Peñarroya, a Gothic-Mudejar style building from the 14th century. This hermitage was declared a National Monument in 1931 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
Travel on to Ráfales for a guided visit to this small historical town, with its narrow streets, Plaza Mayor, Town Hall (16th century) which houses an old prison that has now been restored, Gothic church, the remains of its Calatravo castle and portals such as San Roque and Moneja.
The Museo del Aceite, housed in an old, restored mill, showcases the rich history and cultural significance of olive oil in the region. Visitors can observe antique tools and machinery that were once used in the age-old process of turning olives into oil. The exhibits narrate the story of olive oil through the ages, highlighting its importance to the local economy and lifestyle.
Lunch at a typical local restaurant (tbc); free time.
Taking advantage of old abandoned crops, fountains and caves, the Jardín Botànico de Ràfeles contains around 100 trees and shrubs found in Aragon, as well as 50 medicinal plants. It is divided into three zones
Zone A: Plants of Aragon. This zone contains trees and shrubs from Aragon, around 90% of the species that exist in the entire territory.
Zone B: Medicinal plants. In this sunnier area, some of the aromatic and medicinal plants of the Matarraña region are collected, which for many years have been the “medicinal medicine” of many inhabitants of this territory.
Area C: Rocky area. Area dedicated to habitat in the rocky areas. A cave and the views of the municipality of Ráfales complete the visit to the garden.
Late afternoon, reboard the coach and return to our hotel.
Free evening.
Wednesday 10th September: La Fresneda / Valderrobres (11 km) / Observatorio / Valderrobres / Cretas (10 km) / Arnes (12 km)
09.00 hrs: Check out and departure for Valderrobres and a visit to the Observatorio de Aves Mas de Bunol, a bird observatory built on top of a vulture feeding ground integrated with nature. This unique experience offers the possibility of observing live how the vultures come to eat every day, a spectacle to be observed in real time.
09.30 hrs: Minibus transfer to the Observatorio (transfer will be done in 2 groups).
10.00 hrs: This unique visit will be with a specialist guide; dark clothing must be worn for the visit (carried out in safety, from an enclosed area).
11.45 hrs: Return by minibus to Valderrobres (again in 2 groups).
12.30 hrs: Free time for lunch.
14.00 hrs: Guided walking tour during which you will discover medieval Valderrobres, getting to know its most important streets and buildings, including the stone bridge, plaza and the historic centre, castle and church. The tour begins by visiting the most emblematic points of the town and with the guide giving an account of the history and evolution of the different key points. The visit continues inside the castle and concludes at the Santa María la Mayor church.
The visit includes the Camera Obscura, which projects a living, moving image of the panoramic views in real time. It produces an image on a curved horizontal white screen, set in the centre of a completely dark room painted black. The projected image is in colour, very bright, and reflects what is happening outside the tower at that very moment (real and moving images). Due to the long focal length of the main lenses, the result is an amazing optical effect that makes objects located at a great distance appear relatively close. The screen moves up and down to focus on different distances. The images in the Camera Obscura can be rotated forward and backward to view different parts of the landscape.
Declared an Historic Site, and one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, its medieval streets are home to monuments such as the church of Santa María, one of the greatest exponents of Gothic architecture in Aragon, the castle-palace of Valderrobres, also Gothic, and the town hall, an outstanding example of an Aragonese Renaissance palace. The history of the castle dates back to the end of the 12th century, and during the reconquest it was a defensive tower.
17.00 hrs: Reboard our coach and travel to Arnes.
17.30 hrs: Check in to the 4* Hotel Vilar Rural d’Arnes, set in the natural landscapes that surround it with olive groves and vineyards. NB The coach will need to drop us off at approximately 400/500 metres from the hotel entrance.
The town of Arnes (a 10-minute walk from the hotel) has been declared a site of cultural interest thanks to its group of historic buildings: the Arnes Town Hall , a 16th century building notable for its arches, the Church of Santa Magdalena, from the 17th century; the remains of its castle, the different doors that give access to the centre of the municipality, or the different chapels and the hermitage of Santa Madrona, located on the outskirts of Arnes.
Centre d’interpretació de la Mel, Arnes
The aim of the centre is to preserve and spread the tradition of beekeeping as an essential element of the town’s heritage, as well as to make known the surprising world of bees.
20.00 hrs: Dinner at the hotel, with drinks included.
Thursday 11th September: Arnes / Calaceite (23 km) / Cretas (11 km) / Lledo (7 km) / Arnes (8 km)
Breakfast
09.15 hrs: Departure for Calaceite.
10.00 hrs: Guided walking tour of Calaceite, an urban complex that brings together narrow streets, stately buildings with wrought-iron balconies, pretty squares, porticos, a beautiful Renaissance town hall which dates back to 1609, and a Baroque church. Calaceite has been declared an Historic-Artistic Site.
Other places of interest are the “font de Vila”, a Gothic-style fountain; the chapel of San Roque, a Renaissance work from 1613; and the tower of Calaceite.
Reboard and coach for a guided visit to Cretas, an interesting little town, which is full of arches, passageways, squares and portals.
Our final destination will be to the Bodegas Crial in Lledo for a visit and wine-tasting with food.
Bodegas Crial is a family-run winery located in the heart of Matarraña, which produces high quality young white, rosé, red and crianza wines, and also some IGP Bajo Aragón wines. In recent years their wines have received the best international awards, such as the gold medals at the “Concours Mondial de Bruxelles”, The United Nations of Fine Wines or gold and silver medals at the “Concours International Grenaches Du Monde”.
Reboard our coach for the short journey back to the hotel.
20.00 hrs: Dinner in the hotel.
Friday 12th September: Arnes / Morella (60 km)
Breakfast.
09.00 hrs: Departure for Morella.
10.30 hrs: Arrival in Morella and free time for own refreshments.
11.30 hrs: Guided visit (2 hrs), includes:
• Tour of the city
• Explanation of the Castle from the viewpoint
• Visit to the Basilica of Sta. María
The guide will outline the history of Morella, from the origins of the first settlers, through the splendour of the city in medieval times, and reaching the war conflicts that marked the recent past of the city, such as the Carlist wars. The tour will begin at the impressive 14th-century Puerta de San Miguel and continue along the main street to the Casa de “El Consell de la Vila”, where the town hall offices are currently located. Taking a short detour, the group will enter the old Jewish quarter, and through a narrow alley, once again access the central nerve and commercial centre of Morella, the beautiful 13th-century porticoed street, where you can find typical local products. Following the medieval layout, you next arrive at the Archpriestal Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, with its magnificent façade, undoubtedly a jewel of Mediterranean Gothic from the 13th-14th century.
The Archpriest’s Church of Santa Maria la Major is said to be one of the most beautiful temples in the Mediterranean. It brings together on the same façade two doors of great architectural and sculptural interest, that of the Apostles and that of the Virgins. Inside, the choir staircase is masterfully coiled to one of the columns, the scene of the Last Judgement of the choir and the choir vault itself, highly lowered in defiance of the laws of architecture. The Basilica also has a museum with outstanding works of painting and religious silversmithing. It is visited together with the entrance to the Basilica.
13.30 hrs: Free time for lunch.
15.00 hrs: Return to where our coach is parked to collect our luggage and check in to the 3* Hotel Rey Don Jaime. This characterful hotel is located within the walled historical area of Morella and enjoys views of the mountains and the town’s main street.
Free afternoon/evening for own sightseeing.
Towers of Sant Miquel: Twin octagonal towers from the 15th century with a bridge on the top that links them, which are the most monumental entrance to the town. During the visit you can see the two towers from the inside, you can access the terrace through the link bridge, and you can also take a section of the walkway around the wall to the Puerta de la Nevera. In addition, in the towers you can visit an exhibition of carved stone works, an exhibition of models of old cars, different old photos of the city and a model of the Morella complex with information on all the towers and gates of the wall.
TICKET 3€ per person (only cash payments). The ascent to the different levels of the towers is done by a narrow wooden staircase (there is no elevator).
Convent of Sant Francesc
An old convent of Franciscan monks, which has a church and a cloister with arcs of architectural beauty. It is currently closed to the public due to the works being carried out in the cloister (a place that will be part of the future Parador Nacional de Turismo).
For those who want to visit the castle independently: Opening hours Monday – Sunday: 11:00 hrs – 19:00 hrs
• General ticket: 5€ per person
• Reduced ticket: 4€ for people over 65 years old
You can visit the ruins of the castle, the walls and some main buildings, where there is an exposition about the history of the castle. Accessibility: there are stairs at the beginning, a dirt road and a staircase of more than 90 steps to the main square.
Governor’s Palace
The Castle of Morella now offers a visit that will take you to the origins of its history: the Governor’s Palace built taking advantage of the interior of a cave, where Neolithic remains were found; there is also an exhibition “The castle, a history of the future” where the journey to the past will bring you back to the present and will project you towards the future of the Castle. Open from 11am to 3pm. The palace is inside the Castle and the cost is included in the entrance of the Castle
Saturday 13th September: Morella / Port Saplaya (163 km) / Javea (119 km)
Breakfast.
11.30 hrs: Check out and take luggage to the coach; travel to Port Saplaya.
13.30 hrs: Arrival in Port Saplaya, known as Spain’s “Little Venice”; free time to walk around the waterways and view the colourful buildings and for lunch.
15.45 hrs: Reboard our coach and return to Javea, refreshment break enroute.
17.30 hrs: Approximate time of arrival in Javea.
What is included
Coach transport, lunch at the Hotel Restaurante Posada Guadalupe, guided visits and entry fees as detailed in the programme, 2 nights’ b&b accommodation in the 3* El Convent 1613 hotel, 2 nights’ dinner (drinks included) & breakfast accommodation in the 4* Hotel Vilar Rural d’Arnes, 1 night’s b&b accommodation in the 3* Hotel Rey Don Jaime, gratuities, €2 pp contribution to the U3A Javea travel fund.
Note: The itinerary may be subject to change if the order/timing of visits needs to be amended. This is a small group tour – 28 members max.
Cost
Sharing a twin/double room: 635 euros
Singel supplement: 180 euros
Booking is now open via email to the group leader, Angela Chantry:
spanish.culture.cuisine@u3ajavea.com
Details for paying the deposit of €200 per person will be given on confirmation of your reservation, with the final balance due on the 1stJuly.
CANCELLATION: In case of cancellation of your booking, refund of deposit/other payments can only be made if your place is sold on to another member/s of the Javea U3A.
