Discover Olba: Mijares Valley, Trails and History

River Landscape and Nature

Olba lies within the Espacio Natural de Los Estrechos del Río Mijares, where the Mijares riverbed widens after its upper-course gorges into a valley with riparian woodland as well as vegetable and fruit cultivation. The slopes are covered with dense pine and oak forests, and narrow valleys shape this natural area.

At the Fuente de la Salud, the gorges of the Rubielos River merge into the Mijares Valley; remains there point to a probably Arab aqueduct.

For orientation, you can consider the extensive natural area and the individual site at the Fuente de la Salud separately.

Trails and Routes

Olba has two well-signposted Ecosendas, measuring 5 and 7 km respectively. Along the routes, information boards provide details about the area, buildings, springs, trees, birds and hamlets.

The Ecosenda San Cristóbal begins in the Barriada de los Ramones and ends in Olba. The circular route “RUTA DE OLBA, SUS BARRIOS Y SUS RIOS” is 10,150 m long in total.

For planning purposes, three clearly distinguishable route lengths are available side by side; you can directly match the distance to your preferred daily pace.

Length, start-to-finish route and accompanying information serve as separate points of comparison for personal planning.

Other Places

You can access other place pages via Nogueras, Castralvo, Nogueruelas, Monterde de Albarracín, Cubla, Gea De Albarracín, Miravete De La Sierra and Cedrillas.

History and Townscape

The Puente de Carlos IV was planned from 1789 onwards and inaugurated in 1803; it served as a connection between Teruel and Valencia.

Near the Ermita de San Pedro are trenches that served as Republican defensive positions during the retreat from the Teruel Front.

The townscape also includes the Iglesia de Santa Catalina, a Baroque building from the 17th century.

At the Fuente de los Tres Caños, a bronze bust of Manuel Pertegaz made by José Miguel Abril was unveiled in 2018.

For culture-focused planning, architectural history, military history, sacred architecture and the artist portrait can be considered as separate areas of focus.

When comparing a holiday apartment in Olba, you can view travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions side by side on the respective offer pages, while weighing whether you would prefer to focus your stay more on trails and the river landscape, on buildings and local history, or on local traditions.

Traditions and Produce

Fruit from Olba used to be sold in the surrounding villages; cherries were exported to Valencia.

The pilgrimage on 29 April to a chapel dedicated to the saint includes a Mass, the distribution of blessed Molletes, a communal meal and Jota singing.

The two topics have different emphases: the fruit trade offers insight into former regional connections, while the pilgrimage describes an event with religious, culinary and musical elements.

For the overarching travel overview: Teruel.