It was a lovely sunny morning as we set off for the Spanish Culture & Cuisine tour to the Matarraña, a lesser-known region in eastern Aragon, and one of the most beautiful in Spain. It is often referred to as the ‘Spanish Tuscany’, as both areas are renowned for their small medieval towns, cobblestone streets, charming squares, towers, and bridges, but their feel is very different. After a coffee break mid-way, we arrived at the Hotel Restaurante Posada Guadalupe for lunch, followed by time to time to have a stroll through the small town of Monroyo, with its narrow streets and interesting architecture.
Late afternoon we reboarded our coach and travelled on to El Convent 1613 hotel in the centre of La Fresneda, which has been converted from a 17th-century convent and is now a small family-run hotel. As there is no lift, a tall young guy was on hand to help carry our bags up to our rooms! It was simply charming, with a beautiful central garden and decorative pools, surrounded by an extensive patio with plenty of seats to sit and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
The next morning we visited 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.
Followng the visit, we had a guided walk around Peñarroya, and then on to Fuentespalda, where we had free time for refrshments before our walking tour.
There was time for a brief visit to the Jardín Botànico de Ràfeles, which contains around 100 trees and shrubs found in Aragon, as well as 50 medicinal plants.
Our final tour of the day was to Ráfales, a small historical town with narrow streets and interesting buildings such as the 16th century Town Hall which houses an old prison that has now been restored, a Gothic church, the remains of Calatravo castle and portals such as San Roque and Moneja.
Some of the group dined together in the hotel restaurant that evening, whilst others had bought various supplies to share a picnic in the lovely hotel grounds, along with plenty of wine!
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and had a visit to the Observatorio de Aves Mas de Bunol, a bird observatory built on top of a vulture feeding ground integrated with nature. A 15 minute walk, through beautiful woods with fantastic views, led to the Observatorio. This was quite an amazing and unique experience, and everyone agreed it was certainly the highlight of the tour.
There was free time to have lunch and for a wander by the river in Valderrobres, declared an Historic Site, and one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
Our guide then took us on a 2-hour walking tour to see of its medieval streets which are home to monuments such as the church of Santa María, one of the greatest examples 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 visit included the Camera Obscura, which projects a living, moving image of the panoramic views in real time.
We then had a short journey to the 4* Hotel Vilar Rural d’Arnes, set in the natural landscapes that surround it with olive groves and vineyards. Dinner was buffet style, with an extensive choice, and plenty of wine and water included; and a great buffet again in the morning.
Next morning we had a walking tour of Cretas, an interesting little town, which is full of arches, passageways, squares and portals, as well as a medieval cemetery.
Followed by a visit to 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. We gave a big round of applause to Antonio, who had been our excellent guide for 3 days. He had proved to be extremely knowledgeable about all of the places which we had visited, the Matarraña region, and of Spain’s history and culture in general.
Our final destination in the afternoon was to the Bodegas Crial in Lledo, a family-run winery 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”. There were 5 tastings of wine with an explanation of each given by the owner, who also happened to be the mayor! Along with a vermouth, and all were accompanied by various local cheeses, sausages, bread, nuts, crisps etc.
After returning to our hotel, we had the opportunity to walk to the nearby little town of Arnes, declared a site of cultural interest thanks to its historic buildings.
Leaving Arnes behind on Friday morning we set off for Morella, with free time for refreshments before an interesting walking tour of the city during which the guide outlined 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.
Early afternoon we were soon all checked into the Hotel Rey Don Jaime, a characterful hotel located within the walled historical area of Morella, which enjoys views of the mountains and the town’s main street. Free time followed, with an opportunity to walk on the ramparts, to visit the castle, or contemplate dinosaurs in the Museo Tiempo de Dinosaurios.
In the evening dinner was included for the group, with no shortage of wine, and we wished Shirley & John a very happy 6th anniversary. Angela presented them with a bottle of cava, artisan chocolate and a bag which commemorated the ‘Sexenni’, a festival which is held every six years in Morella to celebrate the honour of the Virgen de Vallivana, and the hotel provided a slice of cheesecake with a candle for them to blow out!
After a leisurely breakfast, there was time in the morning for a final shop, or to wander through the market stalls which were being set up for the Fira Morella, a livestock fair with sheep, cattle, and horse exhibitions, which was taking place over the weekend.
On Saturday afternoon we made our way back to Javea, stopping enroute at Port Saplaya, known as Spain’s “Little Venice”, with free time for lunch and to walk around the waterways and view the colourful buildings.
We had been extremely fortunate with the weather, with only one real downpour during the night! Angela thanked everyone for making it such a fun tour, and a special thank you to Vicente, our excellent driver! Thank you to all the members who have shared their videos and photos (especially Melanie de Melker, David Grove, Keith Smith and Angela Chantry).
Report by the Spanish Culture & Cuisine group leader, Angela Chantry
spanish.culture.cuisine@u3ajavea.com
