Bell-lloc: Santa Maria, Springs and Beaches

Culture and History

Santa Maria de Bell-lloc is a pre-Romanesque church with a single-nave layout. It has a horseshoe-shaped apse that is fully vaulted. Excavations on the northern side uncovered the remains of a round building used for worship. The building was attached to a narrow rectangular aula and connected to the church.

The Santa Maria de Bell-lloc complex comprises an original building from the 6th century, the present-day church from the 10th century, and a chapel built in the 11th century within the ruins of the former rotunda. The buildings and their dates of origin thus span several centuries within a single complex.

Mas Reixach de Bell-lloc was the birthplace of Mossèn Baldiri Reixach, who published “Instruccions per a minyons”. The name links the place to a figure whose published work is also part of Bell-lloc’s history.

Festivals and Springs

The Festa Major of the Bell-lloc hamlet takes place on 15 August and coincides with the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The water from the Bell-lloc spring was probably marketed commercially around 1906. The waters of the Bell-lloc, Penedes and Salenys springs were ferruginous or medicinal and were valued for their healing properties. They attracted numerous visitors as well as people from the surrounding area. A fixed date such as 15 August marks a clear event date; for festivals, current event times should be checked before travelling and taken into account in your own travel planning.

Trails and Landscape

The Les Coves de les Gavarres hiking route begins at the former Bell-lloc station (Font Picant). Font Picant station was a strategic crossroads for routes between Romanyà de la Selva, Solius and Bell-lloc. At this point, the named starting point of the hiking route and the historic crossroads meet. When hiking, current trail conditions should be checked before setting out.

Beaches, Peaks and Museums

Puig de Vallvanera is a peak in the vicinity of Bell-lloc. Cala Rovira is a beach in the vicinity of Bell-lloc. Platja dels Canyerets and Platja de Belladona are also nearby; both are beaches. Thus, the surrounding area includes both a named peak and several individual beaches among the destinations described.

The Museu d'Historia de la Joguina is a museum in the vicinity of Bell-lloc. Salvament Marítim - Sant Feliu de Guixols, a museum, is also located nearby. The Museu Municipal de Tossa de Mar is likewise a museum in the vicinity of Bell-lloc. The Museu del Suro is a museum in the wider regional area around Bell-lloc.

Other places: Vistabella Del Maestrazgo, Xilxes, Benicassim, Algimia de Almonacid, La Llosa, Jérica, Almedíjar, Vinaròs

To the main travel overview: Castellon.