The Matarrana
The stunningly beautiful county of Matarrana which comprises of 18 villages, all steeped in History, incredible Architecture, crystal clear mountain rivers, nature and wildlife, fabulous food and restaurants, outdoor sports, and welcoming friendly people is just waiting for you to visit.
Remains and relics from the Bronze age have been found in this area, along with cave paintings dating back to primitive man. Dinosaurs once roamed freely through the valleys, and numerous civilisations have left their mark for all to see. Matarrana covers an area of 722 square kilometers, and yet only has a population of under 9000 people, so you are never going to feel crowded and a traffic jam is 4 cars waiting for the lights to turn to green.
There are far too many things to list here in this brief article but you can find:
- Ruined castles dating back to the 13th century.
- Baroque style architecture on the town halls, hermitages, bridges and mills
- Museums, art galleries, ceramic exhibitions
- Territorio Dinopolis Inhospitak, where the kids can learn Paleontology, look at fossils, audiovisual aids, and search for their own Dinosaur bones.
- Puertos de Beceite National Park, with breathtaking scenery, flora and fauna, wildlife and well laid out walking routes for the energetic.
- You can do rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking and air soft war games.
- 4 villages are listed by the "Artistic Historic Assembly", and the Mudejar roof on the hermitage of "Virgin of the Source" in Penarroya de Tastavins, has been recognised by The World Heritage Organisation.
The local gastronomy is excellent and there are D.O.M.'s (Denomination of Origin) for the olive oil, ham and peaches. Also there is local production of wonderful cheeses, honey and almonds, and of course, let's not forget the amazing selection of wine.
Although the area is mainly agricultural, in recent years high quality tourism has surfaced, with accommodation ranging from rural bed & breakfast, to one of the most exclusive hotels in Spain, where the Spanish Royal family have stayed.
Many famous Spanish people have originated from Matarrana, including writers, poets, doctor's, linguists, artists, historian's and anthropologist's, and of course we all know that King Henry Vlll married Catherine of Aragon who title relates to the area.
Come and explore the area, and we can show you some beautiful rustic fincas or village houses, either ready to live in or for restoration. We are sure you will be amazed.