Pyrenees Guide

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  Mora de Rubielos, Teruel

The sparsely populated ranges stretching east of Teruel into the Valencia region present a smorgasbord of bleak rocky peaks and dramatic gorges, among which the quiet and ancient stone villages seem to be left to their own devices. This is wonderful country for exploring well off the beaten track, but unless you have a lot of time, you need a vehicle. Buses serve most places but rarely more than once daily, and often not at all on weekends.

The following route through the area is one that drivers might take from Teruel. start by heading 43km southeast to Mora de Rubielos, where a massive 14th century castle (open 10.30am-2pm and 4.30pm-8.30pm daily July and August, Saurday and Sunday only September-June) towers in the middle of the village, amid a sea of red and pink stone. Accross the street in the Gothic Ex-colegiata de Santa Maria, notable for its single very broad nave.

Another 14 southwest along the A-232 is pretty Rubielos de Mora, a quiet web of narrow streets adorned with typically small Aragonese balconies. The A-1701 northeast from Rubielos crosses beautiful, wild country of stony, pine-clad hillsides, deep valleys, isolated, crumbling farmsteads and just a few villages of old stone houses with speckled redtile roofs. Shortly before one of the highest passes, Puerto de Linares (1720m), is Linares de Mora.