In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 755 kilometres from Zaragoza via Belchite, Gallocanta, Teruel and Albarracín through the Maestrazgo to Alcañiz: a highland route where wind, cold and empty fuel gauges deserve more respect than the distances on the map.
The spirit of the route
South of the Ebro, Aragón goes quiet. Beyond Zaragoza the hills dry out, the cierzo wind pushes against the side of the van, and then Belchite appears: a town of bullet holes and empty church windows. Further up, above 1,000 metres, the Gallocanta lagoon lies like a mirror in the steppe; in winter tens of thousands of cranes circle there in the evening, calling so loudly that you can hear them through a closed sliding door. Teruel shows brick towers with green glazed tiles, Albarracín clings pink above a loop of the river, and in the pine forests of the Rodeno, red sandstone boulders carry prehistoric hunting scenes. Then come Gúdar and the Maestrazgo: passes without traffic, stone walls, fortified villages, one village shop per valley. At the end the Matarraña opens up with olive groves, stone bridges and bathing pools. Few people, plenty of sky, and nights when the thermometer still drops to freezing even in May.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Zaragoza to Belchite (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- From Zaragoza south via María de Huerva and minor roads to Fuendetodos, then straight across the Campo de Belchite plateau to Belchite. Wide, quiet country roads through grain fields and steppe; the main opponent is the north-westerly cierzo wind, which noticeably pushes tall vehicles around on open stretches. A good 1.5 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Basílica del Pilar in Zaragoza with Goya’s dome frescoes, plus the Aljafería, the Moorish palace that forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Aragón’s Mudéjar architecture.
- Fuendetodos: Francisco de Goya’s birthplace and the Museo del Grabado with its series of etchings, including the “Desastres de la Guerra”.
- Pueblo Viejo of Belchite: the old town destroyed in 1937 during the Civil War and preserved as a memorial, accessible only with a guided tour; beside it, the new settlement built after the war.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Zaragoza the year-round Zaragoza Camping on the west side of the city is the most relaxed base, with electric hook-up, sanitary facilities, service points and a bus link to the centre. Alternatively, the municipal motorhome car park on Calle Poeta Luciano Gracia north of the Ebro. In Belchite itself the Área de Belchite has a good ten pitches and service facilities on site – check the fee and facilities beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Campo de Belchite has plenty of open land, but the steppe areas around Belchite are partly designated as a bird protection area (ZEPA); do not drive on the tracks and do not spend a night on field paths. Overnighting in a properly parked vehicle is tolerated in towns as long as nothing is put out – the área in Belchite is the clean solution.
- Insider tip for campers
- Zaragoza has enforced its Zona de Bajas Emisiones by number-plate camera since 12 December 2025, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. Foreign vehicles without a Spanish environmental sticker need to register with the city beforehand with proof of emissions (COC papers, your home country’s environmental sticker or an equivalent document); without registration you may only enter between 8 pm and 8 am. Simpler: leave the motorhome at the campsite and take the bus or tram to the Pilar. Book the guided tours of the Pueblo Viejo of Belchite – also at night – in advance through the town hall or the tourist office.
2Stage 2: Belchite to Nuévalos (Monasterio de Piedra) (approx. 115 km)
- The drive
- Via Herrera de los Navarros through the lonely hill country of the Sierra de Cucalón to Daroca, then through the Jiloca valley and over Used down into the Piedra valley to Nuévalos. Narrow but well-surfaced minor roads with few villages and hardly any traffic; in Daroca the through road runs under the narrow town gates – use the car park on the bypass. Around 2 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Daroca: the town wall that winds over the hills around the town, with the Puerta Baja and the Mina, a tunnel driven into the rock in the 16th century as protection against flash floods.
- Monasterio de Piedra: the Cistercian monastery from the late 12th century with its park, the Cola de Caballo waterfall and the grotto behind it – admission charged; in summer and on public holidays arrive early.
- Embalse de La Tranquera below Nuévalos: a reservoir with reddish shoreline rocks, beautiful in the late afternoon light.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Lago Resort (formerly Lago Park) on the edge of Nuévalos towards the La Tranquera reservoir, terraced, with electric hook-up, sanitary facilities and a pool; according to ACSI open from about mid-March to early November, check dates beforehand. In Nuévalos there is also a motorhome car park (Área de Autocaravanas Nuévalos) with waste disposal. In Daroca, OpenStreetMap lists a campsite on the edge of town – ask by phone about operation and season before you set off.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At the monastery the large visitor car park is for day visits only. Around the Tranquera, campers often park on lakeside tracks; this is not expressly permitted, and camping on the shore is forbidden. Better to move to the municipal pitch in Nuévalos or to the área at Carenas further upstream.
- Insider tip for campers
- Shop and refuel in Daroca – between Daroca and Teruel there are only a few filling stations away from the A-23. The monastery road is narrow at peak excursion times: on Sundays go either towards evening or very early. At the Monasterio de Piedra dogs are not allowed everywhere in the park; check the current rules on the monastery’s website.
3Stage 3: Nuévalos to Teruel (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Via Used up onto the high plain to the Laguna de Gallocanta (a good 1,000 m), once half way round the lagoon via Gallocanta, Bello and Tornos, then through the Jiloca valley to Monreal del Campo and along the A-23 (Autovía Mudéjar) to Teruel. The plateau is open, windy and often icy in the morning in winter; the A-23 is wide and toll-free. A good 2.5 hours plus time at the observation points.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Laguna de Gallocanta: one of the largest salt lagoons in western Europe and a nature reserve; from November to February tens of thousands of cranes rest here, most impressive at dusk when they arrive and depart.
- Interpretation centre and observation points on the road between Bello and Tornos, with spotting scopes and current counts.
- Teruel: the Mudéjar towers of El Salvador and San Martín, the painted wooden ceiling of the Cathedral of Santa María de Mediavilla and the funerary figures of the “Amantes de Teruel”.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Teruel there is a municipal motorhome car park on the Avenida de Sagunto with a good two dozen pitches within walking distance of the centre; check service facilities and fees on site. There is no campsite in Teruel itself – if you need electricity, carry on to Albarracín.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The lagoon is a Reserva Natural Dirigida: paths to the shore are partly closed, disturbance bans apply during the crane season, and overnighting at the observation points is not intended. At night vehicles leave the shore; in the villages around the lagoon park quietly at the edge of the village, without chairs or awning.
- Insider tip for campers
- To see the cranes at dusk, come to the edge of the lagoon and only then drive on to Teruel – so secure a full tank and provisions beforehand. The Jiloca valley around Calamocha and Monreal is considered one of the coldest areas of Spain; night frosts into May are normal. In Teruel the old town sits on a hill: avoid driving up in the motorhome and walk up from the station via the neo-Mudéjar flight of steps (Escalinata).
4Stage 4: Teruel to Albarracín (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- West out of Teruel towards Bezas into the Paisaje Protegido de los Pinares de Rodeno, on a narrow minor road through pine forest and red sandstone boulders via Dornaque to Albarracín. Short, winding, with no centre line in several places; wait calmly for oncoming traffic. Around 1.25 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Rock art in the Rodeno, for example the Abrigos del Arquero de los Callejones Cerrados and Doña Clotilde: rock shelters behind bars with Levantine art, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula”, on short paths from the car park.
- Albarracín: the old town with pink plaster façades, wooden galleries and the Casa de la Julianeta, enclosed by a wall that climbs steeply above the town.
- The view from the wall walk above the Torre del Andador over the loop of the Guadalaviar – in the late afternoon with light on the façades.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Área de Autocaravanas Albarracín on the edge of town near the municipal swimming pool, privately run: around 40 pitches on firm ground, electric hook-up, water, service facilities, Wi-Fi; about a 20-minute walk to the old town. Right next door is Camping Ciudad de Albarracín with sanitary facilities, electric hook-up and a pool in summer. Check prices and opening times beforehand; in winter the season may be limited.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Rodeno, overnighting in the hiking car parks is not allowed; the area is protected, and open fires are prohibited. In Albarracín itself the old town is off limits for motorhomes – narrow lanes, nowhere to turn. The spots on the river bank marked as “acampada libre” in apps are not official sites; the pitch on the edge of town is the right choice here.
- Insider tip for campers
- Never drive through the town gate into the old town of Albarracín: satnavs like to send you in, and the lanes are in places barely wider than a car. Walk from the pitch along the river. For the rock art take binoculars or a torch – the figures are small and behind bars. The interpretation centre in Dornaque is not open all year.
5Stage 5: Albarracín to Rubielos de Mora (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Back to Teruel, up the A-23 towards Valencia to the Puerto de Escandón (a good 1,200 m), then at Sarrión or via the country road to Mora de Rubielos and on to Rubielos de Mora. The autovía is wide but exposed: crosswinds, and in winter snow and ice. After that, broad plateaus with truffle-oak plantations. Around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Castillo of Mora de Rubielos: a massive Gothic castle above the town, with a large inner courtyard, plus the former collegiate church of Santa María.
- Rubielos de Mora: noble houses with coats of arms and wooden eaves, two town gates and the Augustinian convent – one of the most complete historic ensembles in the province.
- Truffle landscape around Sarrión: rows of young holm oaks from which the black truffle is harvested in winter.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mora de Rubielos has an Área de Servicios para Autocaravanas with waste disposal on the edge of town; in Rubielos de Mora there is a motorhome car park below the town. Both are simply equipped, electricity is the exception. A fully equipped campsite is found only rarely in this area – check the current situation in Campercontact or park4night beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Sierra de Gúdar is partly a Natura 2000 area; forest tracks are often closed to motor vehicles. Overnighting on the municipal pitches in Mora and Rubielos is common and tolerated; camping behaviour, grey water on the ground and fires are taboo.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Puerto de Escandón and on the plateau around Sarrión it often freezes at night, even in spring; before continuing into the Maestrazgo, fill up and shop in Mora or Rubielos – after that, things get thin. In December Sarrión hosts the international truffle fair; pitches are then scarce.
6Stage 6: Rubielos de Mora to Cantavieja (Maestrazgo) (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- Through the Sierra de Gúdar via Linares de Mora and Mosqueruela (just under 1,500 m) and via La Iglesuela del Cid to Cantavieja, with a final loop to Mirambel. One of the loneliest routes in Aragón: long plateaus, bends through pine forest, hardly any oncoming traffic, few crash barriers. In winter snow and ice, fog on the heights. A good 2.5 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mosqueruela: village centre with remains of walls and arcades, one of the highest villages in Aragón.
- Cantavieja: the rock village above the gorge, headquarters of the Carlist general Cabrera in the 19th century, with an arcaded square and a Renaissance town hall.
- Mirambel: a completely walled village with the Portal de las Monjas, whose plaster-lattice oriel hides the convent behind it.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Área de Cantavieja on the edge of town with water, simple and quiet. Further east there are more small municipal áreas, for example in Villores and La Mata de Morella on the Valencian side. Full campsites are rare in the Maestrazgo; Camping Municipal El Llosar near Villafranca del Cid lies south-east of the route – check the season beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Maestrazgo is thinly populated, but not lawless: Aragón prohibits camping outside approved sites, including on grazing land and forest tracks. Overnighting inconspicuously on municipal pitches in Cantavieja or Mirambel is the usual practice; field tracks to masías (farmsteads) are private land.
- Insider tip for campers
- Filling stations and supermarkets are the exception on this stage: set off with a full tank, water and supplies for two days. In Mirambel the car park is in front of the wall; do not drive into the village itself. If it snows, check road conditions with the DGT information service – some minor roads are cleared late.
7Stage 7: Cantavieja to Beceite (Matarraña) (approx. 105 km)
- The drive
- Via Mirambel to the Valencian side to Morella, then north on the N-232 over the Puerto de Torremiró to Monroyo and on minor roads via Peñarroya de Tastavins and Valderrobres to Beceite. The N-232 is well built but has lorry traffic and bends; the Matarraña minor roads get narrower, with stone walls right at the edge of the carriageway. A good 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Morella seen from the N-232: the castle on its rocky cone above the walled town, photo stop at the viewpoint before the town.
- Peñarroya de Tastavins with the Ermita de la Virgen de la Fuente and its Mudéjar wooden ceiling.
- Valderrobres: the Gothic bridge over the Matarraña, the town hall on the square and the castle with a view over the olive groves.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Beceite on the edge of town with sanitary facilities and electric hook-ups, terraced and better suited to smaller vehicles; according to ACSI open from about March to early December, check the season beforehand. Alternatively the Área municipal de Valderrobres with around 30 pitches, water and waste disposal, a few minutes’ walk over the bridge into the town, and the área-parking in Peñarroya de Tastavins.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Since April 2026 only residents and second-home owners with a permit may park in the centre of Beceite. Around the village there are some 400 paid spaces in blue zones and a free car park with 35 spaces at the Collet de les Forques on the A-2412. The Parrizal car park is a day car park with a quota and not meant for overnight stays; whether motorhomes may drive up to the Parrizal and the Pesquera in high season, ask the Ayuntamiento beforehand. Move on to Valderrobres for the night.
- Insider tip for campers
- Parking illegally in Beceite costs €60 according to the municipality, half if paid immediately; the tourist office gives one hour of free parking. If you are staying several days in the Matarraña, make Valderrobres your base: pitch, supermarket and filling station are all together there.
8Stage 8: Beceite to Alcañiz (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- In the morning on foot or by bike to the Parrizal, then via Valderrobres and La Fresneda to Calaceite and on the N-420 to Alcañiz. A short, gently rolling stage through olive and almond groves; in Calaceite avoid the narrow road through the village and park before the village. A good 1 hour of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Parrizal de Beceite: a path and boardwalk route through the limestone gorge of the Matarraña as far as the Estrechos, where the walls stand only a few metres apart.
- Calaceite: Plaza Mayor with arcades, the Museo Juan Cabré and the Iberian settlement of San Antonio on the hill in front of the village.
- Alcañiz: the castle of the Calatrava knights (now a Parador) above the town, the Lonja on the Plaza de España and the Motorland racing circuit a little outside town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Área de autocaravanas Calaceite with around ten pitches, water and waste disposal, a quiet alternative to the town. In Alcañiz OpenStreetMap lists a motorhome car park on the edge of town; the campsite is Camping La Estanca (in OSM as Camping municipal de Alcañiz) at the reservoir of the same name north-west of the town, with a pool and bungalows. Check opening times and facilities beforehand. On race weekends at Motorland all pitches in the area fill up early.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Alcañiz, car parks by the river are no problem during the day; during events at Motorland the town applies special rules. Aragón prohibits wild camping in the hinterland here too; the olive groves are private land.
- Insider tip for campers
- Book your Parrizal visit in advance on the municipality’s website: access recently worked via tickets with time slots, parking at the Parrizal is charged and limited to a fixed number of vehicles per shift; check prices and rules for dogs beforehand. It is around 4 to 6 kilometres from the village to the starting point – bring bicycles. Ask the Ayuntamiento de Beceite for current rules, quotas and motorhome access. In Holy Week Alcañiz is worth a visit for the drum processions of the Ruta del Tambor y Bombo.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Basic Spanish principle: sleeping in a legally parked vehicle is allowed, but camping with anything that goes beyond the outline of the vehicle (levelling jacks, awning, furniture, waste water) is not. Since 1 October 2026 Real Decreto 518/2026 (new Art. 92.4 of the Reglamento General de Circulación) for the first time expressly regulates when a motorhome is correctly parked: no parts extending beyond the outline of the vehicle, standing only on the tyres (wheel chocks allowed), no discharge of liquids. Municipalities may continue to regulate parking times, zones and maximum duration, but according to the DGT may not penalise solely because of the type of vehicle; rules for protected areas, coasts and tourism apply independently of this. Implementation on the ground may take time – observe the signage regardless.
- In Aragón, camping outside approved facilities is generally prohibited. The natural areas on this route are particularly strict: Reserva Natural Laguna de Gallocanta, Paisaje Protegido de los Pinares de Rodeno, the steppe bird protection areas near Belchite and the Parrizal gorge.
- Municipalities are reacting to visitor pressure: in Beceite only residents may park in the village centre since 2026, and the Parrizal car park is a day car park with a quota; in Albarracín there is no motorhome parking at all in the old town. Stick to municipal áreas and campsites.
- Apps: park4night and Campercontact for áreas, Áreas AC (Spanish directory), plus the websites of the municipalities and comarcas (Matarraña, Maestrazgo, Sierra de Albarracín), which often list their áreas themselves.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Municipal áreas with waste disposal exist in Belchite, Nuévalos, Mora de Rubielos, Cantavieja, Valderrobres, Calaceite and other places, often with a coin machine or free of charge. Electricity is rare on municipal pitches; Albarracín, Zaragoza and the campsites are the exceptions.
- Water: tap water is good in the Teruel highlands, but in winter taps at áreas freeze or are switched off. Make the fresh water tank and pipes frost-proof, and on nights below freezing leave the heating on or empty the tank.
- Gas: in Spain you can only exchange Spanish cylinders; at these altitudes propane is the right choice, as butane barely vaporises below about 0 °C. If you run a refillable tank, top up with autogas (LPG) in Zaragoza or Teruel – there are hardly any stations in Gúdar and the Maestrazgo; carry an adapter (dish).
- Supplies: larger supermarkets and filling stations are found in Zaragoza, Teruel and Alcañiz, smaller ones in Daroca, Calamocha, Mora and Valderrobres. Between Rubielos and Morella, over more than 100 km, there are only village shops with short opening hours, siesta and Sunday closing.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed: motorhomes up to 3.5 t drive 90 km/h on country roads and 120 km/h on autovías; heavier motorhomes and combinations 80 and 90 km/h respectively. In towns with only one lane in each direction the limit is usually 30 km/h. The entire route is toll-free (A-2, A-23, N-232, N-420).
- Low-emission zone: Zaragoza has enforced its ZBE since December 2025 on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm; foreign vehicles without a Spanish sticker must register with the city beforehand. Teruel and Alcañiz had no active restricted zone at the time of going to press – check the situation before the trip.
- Since January 2026 the connected V16 warning light has replaced the warning triangle in Spain; also keep a high-visibility vest within reach. The blood alcohol limit is 0.5, and 0.3 for drivers with less than two years’ licence; using a mobile phone at the wheel is forbidden even at traffic lights.
- Winter: the A-23 at the Puerto de Escandón, the Gúdar passes and the Maestrazgo lie between 1,000 and 1,500 m and regularly get snow. Where signposted, snow chains or winter tyres with the snowflake symbol are compulsory. Road closures are reported by the DGT (information service 011 or infocar.dgt.es).
- Wind and fire: the cierzo in the Ebro valley often reaches storm force; if warnings are issued for high vehicles, postpone the journey. Open fires in and near forests are taboo; in addition, Aragón declares alert levels under a daily warning system (Orden AGM/681/2023), and at Alerta roja every fire in the open is prohibited, including at rest areas, recreation areas and on campsites. Check the warning level locally; use gas stoves only in the vehicle or on a paved pitch.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Propane cylinder or a filled refillable tank plus a dish adapter – butane fails on Teruel’s frosty nights, and gas is hard to find in the Maestrazgo.
- Binoculars or a spotting scope – for the cranes at Gallocanta and the small figures of the Rodeno rock art.
- Bicycles or an e-bike – for the kilometres from Beceite to the Parrizal, where the car park is subject to a quota and not secure for motorhomes.
- Snow chains or 3PMSF tyres and frost protection for the water pipes – between November and April the highlands are reliably cold.
- A warm down jacket, hat and gloves – watching cranes at dusk in the wind at 1,000 m is colder than any weather forecast.
- Printed tickets and registrations – Zaragoza’s ZBE registration, the tour in Belchite and the Parrizal reservation, as there is often no mobile signal in the valleys.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
