Discover Soneja: Holiday Apartment, History and Nature

Soneja’s old town features an Arab street layout that can be explored on foot. On the Plaza del Mesón, church architecture, 18th-century manor houses and the modernist façade of a former theatre and cinema building come together.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Soneja, you can compare options based on travel dates, room category and cancellation policies. For your own planning, you can match these details with your preferred focuses: culture, nature, walks, festivals or food and drink.

Culture and Local History

The Chapel of San Francisco Javier was consecrated in 1692 and still has its original bell, cast in 1691. The Chapel of Cristo de la Providencia, also known as Cristo del Calvario, is a 17th-century building that was converted into a fortress in 1840.

The Parish Church of San Miguel Arcángel is an 18th-century building and has a particularly old set of bells. The Antiguo palacio de los duques de Montellano is a manor house of Gothic origin, probably built in the 14th or 15th century.

The Fuente de San Juan was Soneja’s first public drinking-water fountain with running water and was inaugurated in 1891; to this day, it receives water from the Minguet spring. The Fuente de San Antón is a historic feature in the town centre and is associated with the vernacular architecture of the Alto Palancia comarca.

The El Arco Aqueduct dates from the 14th or 15th century and channelled water to local mills, washhouses and gardens. The Muralla carlista consists of the surviving remains of a rammed-earth wall built in 1840 during the First Carlist War and is classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). The Horno de la Moratilla is a historic lime kiln that was used until the industrialisation of limestone production.

The Museo del Yeso presents the development of gypsum from its geological formation through industrial processing to its various fields of application. The museum also offers a hands-on plaster workshop where children can create their own works.

Nature and Walks

The protected La Dehesa Municipal Natural Area lies on the eastern edge of Soneja’s municipal territory. It covers 681.398 hectares and contains a temporary mountain lagoon considered unique in the Valencian region.

Part of La Dehesa has been designated a flora micro-reserve because of its rare, endemic or endangered plant species. La Dehesa is home to animal species listed in the catalogue of protected and particularly noteworthy species.

The La Dehesa Visitor Centre has four rooms with information panels on Soneja’s geographical and historical features, as well as its ecological, natural, landscape, cultural and heritage resources.

A short hiking trail runs alongside the La Dehesa Visitor Centre. The Ojos Negros Green Route runs along the outskirts of Soneja.

The Ruta del Agua is a tourist route focusing on water and covers the natural resource of water as well as historic water architecture and infrastructure. The Ruta Verde is an environmental route with natural attractions for visitors to experience. On the Ruta Cultural, visitors can discover Soneja’s historic and cultural heritage.

The riverside path along the Palancia offers a walk by the river, lined with tall poplar trees and accompanied by the scent of orange trees and other fruit trees from the Huerta.

Festivals and Food

The Fiesta de San Antón takes place every year on the weekend closest to 17 January and includes the blessing of animals. During this fiesta, the residents of Calle Larga traditionally offer participants a homemade pastry.

The fire tradition of the Fiesta de San Antón includes roasting sardines and meat over a festive bonfire. At the L'Audaç tasting of craft-brewed and organic beer, the entire brewing process is explained; this is followed by a tasting of six beers, accompanied by a snack featuring artisanal products.

Getting There

The route follows the A-7 motorway towards Barcelona and then the A-23 towards Teruel, taking the Soneja/Sot de Ferrer exit.

Other Places

Other places: Geldo, Villanueva de Viver, Calig, Borriol, Sot De Ferrer, Lucena Del Cid, Morella and Jérica.

For the higher-level travel overview: Castellon.