Matarraña riverside

From this point one can survey the valley of Alcañiz, which forms part of the middle course of the Matarraña River. This river rises in the Puertos de Beceite massif and flows into the Ebro River at Fayón after covering 97 km. Its river course, which collects the remaining rivers and gorges of the comarca (with the exception of the gorge of Torre de Arcas), forms the backbone that gives the territory its identity and name.

The Matarraña River in its middle course — the stretch between Valderrobres (near the confluence with the Pena river) and the boundary between the municipalities of Fabara and Maella — is characterised by a gentle gradient and relief, and by the widening of the riverbed compared with the upper course. The accessibility of the terrain has facilitated human intervention and has shaped the mosaic landscape of farmland and woodland that we see today: woodland areas alternate with expanses of agricultural crops, among which olive trees, almond trees, peach trees and market gardens predominate.

Near the river we find the black poplar (Populus nigra), the narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), the willow (Salix sp.), among others. In the Mazaleón stretch, the already naturalised plantations of stone pine are particularly notable.

The wildlife of this stretch of the river is highly significant for the diversity of birds and fish that inhabit it. Among the birds, the Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), the grey heron (Ardea cinerea), the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) stand out. The good water quality favours the presence of the eel (Anguilla anguilla), the stripe-necked terrapin (Mauremys leprosa), the nase (Chondrostoma toxostoma), the barbel (Barbus graellsii) and, the river's flagship species, the otter (Lutra lutra).