Cantavieja: Culture, Mountain Landscape and Holiday Apartment

Cantavieja is located on a limestone spur at an altitude of 1,300 m and within the Parque Cultural del Maestrazgo. Anyone comparing holiday apartments in Cantavieja can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation conditions on the offer pages. History, hiking trails, nature and views can be arranged according to the desired focus.

Culture and History

The historic centre of Cantavieja was protected in 1981 as a Historic Ensemble, known in Spanish as Conjunto Histórico. The Plaza Mayor is home to the town hall and the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Its current structure was created through an extension carried out between 1730 and 1745; a Gothic portal and a Gothic portico have also been preserved. The medieval Casa Osset, also known as Casa Bayle, and the Casa del Rector also stand on the Plaza Mayor.

The Gothic church of San Miguel is a 14th-century building and a heritage site of the Order of St John. Inside, there are examples of Mudéjar decoration as well as a sarcophagus containing the mortal remains of a knight of the order. The castle fortifications have an elongated triangular ground plan. Preserved features include masonry wall sections, towers, rectangular buttresses and loopholes for rifles.

At the edge of the castle stands the remains of a round tower from the 19th century, built on the foundations of a medieval rectangular tower. Until a few years ago, this tower was used as a hermitage under the patronage of Calvario. The Castillo de Cantavieja is included on the list of castles classified as Bien de Interés Cultural. In the 18th century, the monumental ensemble was expanded with new religious buildings such as the Loreto Hermitage.

The Museum of the Carlist Wars is housed in a 17th-century building and presents the history of the Carlist uprising in the region. Exhibits include a model depicting the capture of Mirambel, a replica of a cannon cast in Cantavieja, and contemporary prints, illustrations and caricatures from the press of the time. The Nevera de Cantavieja is listed in the declaration of the ice structures of Aragon as a Bien de Interés Cultural.

Hiking and Nature

The GR 8.2 stage from Cantavieja to La Iglesuela del Cid is a 10.4 km Sendero Turístico de Aragón. It begins near the Loreto Hermitage and runs along paths between dry-stone walls and rural stone huts. The PR-TE 69 hiking trail starts next to the Loreto Hermitage and leads to the El Rebollar recreation area.

The Las Murallas circular trail runs for just under 1 km below the town walls and offers views of the surrounding area. Another marked hiking trail from Cantavieja to the Cantavieja River reaches the river after almost 2 km. El Rebollar has a botanical park, a cave, a spring and a picnic area; the site also offers panoramic views of Cantavieja’s landscape setting.

The Vértigo Park in Cantavieja has a double zip line one kilometre long with a vertical drop of 330 metres. The different route lengths and types of activities can be weighed against one another when planning the day.

Views and Orientation

From the end of Calle San Miguel, you can reach Plaza Aula and the Mirador de El Portillo above the former town walls. The signposted Mirador de la Tarayuela is located on the TE-17 road from Cantavieja to Mosqueruela, approximately at kilometre 20.5 and around 5.5 km from Cantavieja; parking is easy at the roadside.

The Mirador de la Tarayuela is accessible to wheelchair users, but does not have adapted infrastructure for people with reduced mobility. The viewpoint offers broad horizons over the rugged mountain landscape of the Maestrazgo. The Cantavieja tourist information office issues and stamps pilgrim passports for the Camino del Cid.

More destinations

Alcorisa, Guadalaviar, Cascante Del Río, Noguera De Albarracín, Fuentespalda, Teruel, Burbáguena, Valdecuenca

To the higher-level travel overview: Teruel.