Route description
The trail follows the traditional path that, starting beside the Matarraña river, links Mazaleón with Calaceite. Iberian settlements and other historical sites punctuate the route, conveying the feeling that these ancient roads still carry on to this day. The walk begins precisely at the track leading from Mazaleón to the Iberian settlement and the hermitage of San Cristóbal: we leave them to our left — although they are well worth a visit — and continue along the track that, after passing them, crosses the Matarraña river.
After an initial section running parallel to the river, the second stretch of the trail turns left. We enter the area known as Val de Calaceite, pointing us towards our destination. We pass through small valleys where dry-land crops such as almond trees and olive trees are plentiful.
Around halfway along the route we cross into the municipal area of Calaceite, where the valley we are following is called Val de Mazaleón. The path soon rises slightly and climbs along a small ridge that offers good panoramic views of the surrounding crops.
Although gentle, the final stretch is also uphill. Amid large areas of olive groves — some of probable millennial origin — we draw closer to the cultural capital of the Matarraña: Calaceite. Just before reaching the town we pass next to the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, set on a small plateau of great scenic beauty.
