El Castellar: Dinosaur Tracks, Castle History and Holiday Apartments

About 400 metres south of the road between El Castellar and Formiche Alto, south of El Castellar on a limestone outcrop, lies the El Castellar site. Its main section contains an estimated 160 dinosaur tracks across approximately 500 square metres. By Decree 18/2004 of 27 January 2004, the Government of Aragón declared the site a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category “Conjunto de Interés Cultural”, paleontological zone.

Palaeontology

The Ruta del Dinosaurio is a 2.3-kilometre circular route to the dinosaur sites Camino El Berzal and San Cristóbal, which have been prepared for visitors. At the sites and in their surroundings, there are walkways, shelters, glazing, information boards, markings, replicas and other museographic elements relating to palaeontology. Camino El Berzal has a high concentration of oval tracks attributed to sauropods; the largest have a diameter of 1.10 to 1.20 metres. Camino El Berzal is also one of the dinosaur track sites declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in the same category by this decree of the Government of Aragón.

Culture and History

The restored Castillo de El Castellar consists of an elongated fortification, approximately 100 metres long, with a curtain wall, a round tower of approximately 6 metres in diameter and a keep. Its construction phases extend from the 13th to the 18th century; an exact construction date cannot be determined. In addition, the Castillo de El Castellar is included in the list of castles considered Bienes de Interés Cultural under Aragon's Cultural Heritage Law 3/1999 of 10 March.

The Iglesia de San Miguel clearly displays Gothic architectural elements from the 16th century and is also considered a late-Baroque, almost Neoclassical building from the end of the 18th century. The Ermita de Santa Bárbara stands next to the castle and dates from the 18th century. The Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar is a Baroque hermitage from the 18th century.

Hiking and Landscape

The local trail “El Castellar-Fuente de las Malezas” leads from the Mirador del castillo to the Fuente Malezas. The route is listed as 6 kilometres long, with an estimated walking time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Near El Castellar there is also a wet juniper woodland with numerous Portuguese oaks of the species Quercus faginea; it lies at elevations above 1,700 metres. The banks of the Las Malezas River are considered landscapes of interest in El Castellar.

The PR-TE-28 connects El Castellar and Alcalá de la Selva via the Portillo de Ramiro. It has been approved by the Gúdar-Javalambre Comarca as part of the Aragonese network of tourist hiking trails and has been incorporated into the network of tourist hiking trails in Aragón.

Further Discoveries

The DINOpaseo por El Castellar is a walking route through the streets and nearby surroundings of the municipality, based on its palaeontological heritage. The stations display replicas of local fossils, including a seven-metre-long reconstruction of a carnivorous dinosaur, a 150-square-metre dinosaur mural, a three-metre-high metal sculpture of a footprint, as well as scientific information and signage.

Travel Planning and Holiday Apartment

When booking a holiday apartment in El Castellar, you can compare travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions on the offer pages. These three details help you review the displayed options according to your preferred period and the intended framework of your stay.

Other destinations include Alloza, Miravete De La Sierra, Camarena De La Sierra, Manzanera, Sarrión, Berge, Fuentes Calientes and Villarquemado.

For the overarching travel overview: Teruel.