Montoro de Mezquita: Órganos de Montoro and Hiking Trails

The Órganos de Montoro are the most outstanding natural landscape formation in the surroundings of Montoro de Mezquita.

Nature

The Órganos de Montoro consist of limestone walls eroded by rain and surface runoff, forming shapes resembling the pipes of an organ. The wall consists of limestone from the Órganos de Montoro Formation of the Upper Cretaceous and is approximately 75 million years old. At Valloré, the Guadalope cut vertically through the folded layers of rock, thereby creating striking limestone ridges.

Hiking

From Montoro de Mezquita, a hiking trail leads to the Mirador de Vallaré, while another trail leads to the waterfalls of the Guadalope River. The PR-TE 9 hiking trail from Montoro de Mezquita to Villarluengo is approximately 9.730 kilometres long and takes around 4 hours and 15 minutes. Its starting point is in Montoro, at the information boards for the Maestrazgo hiking trails; from there, the trail first leads to a stream, crosses it and then climbs to the San Pedro hermitage.

The PR-TE 10 passes through the Estrechos de Valloré near Montoro de Mezquita. Part of the trail runs along footbridges spanning the gorges of the Guadalope, and the PR-TE 10 can be started in Montoro de Mezquita. The PR-TE 10 is a linear hiking trail; the route should therefore be planned accordingly. The trail is not easy, and walking along the river involves risks.

Culture

A large proportion of the traditional buildings in Montoro use rammed earth and masonry, covered by roofs made of reeds and Arabic roof tiles. The Casa del Conde de Montoro is a notable manor house next to the church. Montoro is also home to the former Molino de las Herrerías, an old mill.

The old bread oven in Montoro has been restored. The former bread oven comprises an old kneading table and the oven itself on the lower floor. It was formerly used for the bread of individual households; from the 1940s to the 1950s, it was only fired up for pastries and bread for the Fiesta Mayor, and was abandoned shortly afterwards.

The El Cantalar I rock shelter near Montoro de Mezquita is located at an altitude of 1,173 metres on the left slope of the Barranco de San Pedro, which flows into the Guadalope. The paintings in the El Cantalar I rock shelter near Montoro de Mezquita are protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural and have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Levantine rock art in the Mediterranean arc of the Iberian Peninsula; this site was added to the World Heritage List in 1998.

A small recreation area is located on Montoro's former threshing floors, making use of a natural viewpoint overlooking the Guadalope Valley. Several information boards there provide details about the characteristics of the surroundings and the former agricultural use of the eras.

Getting There

Montoro de Mezquita can be reached via the TE-V-8041 road, which branches off from the A-1702. The A-1702 leads to Ejulve in one direction and to Villarluengo and Pitarque in the other. The entrance tunnel on the road is 4.70 metres high and 5 metres wide. For buses with more than 35 seats, it is recommended that the group be picked up at the turn-off to Montoro on the A-1702.

Other Places

Rubiales, Aliaga, Arens De Lledó, Abejuela, Mirambel, Calanda, Nogueras, La Mata De Los Olmos

To the higher-level travel overview: Teruel.