Aragon by motorhome: Matarraña, Teruel and Albarracín

This route is part of our Adventure category: trips of seven days or more where you never have to count kilometres. At Segimon Rental, rentals of 7 days or longer come with unlimited mileage, and seven days is also the high-season minimum, so this itinerary works at any time of year. It is seven nights: you collect the motorhome on the afternoon of day 1 and return it on the morning of day 8.

The loop, around 1,050 km, enters Aragon through the Matarraña, with its stone villages and the Parrizal gorge at Beceite, passes through Alcañiz, stops in Teruel, whose Mudéjar architecture is a World Heritage Site, and climbs to Albarracín and the Rodeno pine forest. The way back runs through Rubielos de Mora and Morella, with a last night near the Ebro Delta.

Route plan

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 · Pick-up and drive to Gandesa

Collect the motorhome between 16:00 and 19:00 and head down the AP-7 towards Tarragona, then via Falset and Móra d'Ebre to Gandesa in the Terra Alta: about two and a half hours. Sleep in the area and use the next morning to see the Celler Cooperatiu, Cèsar Martinell's Modernista "wine cathedral", or the Battle of the Ebro study centre.

Day 2 · Calaceite and Valderrobres

Cross into Aragon and within half an hour you reach Calaceite, with its arcaded square, grand houses and an Iberian settlement just outside. Carry on to Valderrobres, capital of the Matarraña: the Gothic bridge over the river, with the castle-palace and the church of Santa María above it, is one of the finest views in Aragon. The old-town streets are very narrow, so park outside and walk up.

Day 3 · Beceite, the Parrizal and Alcañiz

Start early for the Parrizal de Beceite, a walk on boardwalks up the Matarraña river to the narrows, rock walls tens of metres high. Visitor numbers are capped and parking is usually regulated: check with Beceite town hall or tourist office whether you need to book or pay. In the afternoon, about 45 minutes takes you to Alcañiz for the night.

Day 4 · Alcañiz and on to Teruel

Climb to the castle of the Order of Calatrava, now a Parador, then wander down to the Plaza de España with its Gothic Lonja and Renaissance town hall; the underground passages can be visited on a guided tour. Then it is about two hours on the N-420, via Alcorisa, to Teruel. In the afternoon, a first stroll around the centre and the towers of El Salvador and San Martín.

Day 5 · Teruel and Albarracín

In the morning, see the cathedral of Santa María with its Mudéjar painted ceiling, the Mausoleum of the Lovers beside the church of San Pedro, the Plaza del Torico and the neo-Mudéjar staircase. With children, Dinópolis is a good half-day option. In the afternoon drive up to Albarracín, about 40 minutes away: leave the motorhome in the car parks at the entrance and explore the reddish façades and walls at sunset.

Day 6 · Pinares de Rodeno and Rubielos de Mora

A few kilometres from Albarracín, the Pinares de Rodeno combine pines on red sandstone with shelters of Levantine rock art, also World Heritage. There are waymarked trails and, at certain times of year, guided visits. Then head back through Teruel and on into Gúdar-Javalambre to Rubielos de Mora, a historic town of mansions and gateways; Mora de Rubielos and its castle are 15 minutes away.

Day 7 · Morella and back to the Ebro

This is the day with the most driving, around 210 km: almost two hours of mountain roads to Morella, with its castle on the rock and walls wrapping the town. Park outside the walls. Then the N-232 drops down towards Vinaròs and the AP-7 takes you, in about an hour and a half, to the L'Ampolla area, by the Ebro Delta. To give it more time, see our Ebro Delta and Morella route. On day 8 you are about two hours from the return, between 9:00 and 12:00.

Where to sleep

In the Matarraña, Alcañiz, Teruel, Albarracín and Morella you will find campsites and municipal motorhome areas; some inland campsites close in winter, so check dates. On bank holidays and in spring, book ahead near Albarracín. Park4Night or Campercontact will help you find them.

You can park wherever any vehicle may park, as long as you are not camping: no awning, chairs or levelling ramps, and no emptying of waste water. Wild camping is not allowed in Catalonia and is heavily restricted in Aragon, especially in protected areas such as the Pinares de Rodeno.

Where to sleep with a motorhome in Catalonia

Practical tips

• Unlimited mileage: with a 7-day rental there is no daily cap, so you can stretch out to Cantavieja or the Maestrazgo without watching the odometer.
• Albarracín, Valderrobres, Beceite and Morella have narrow, steep streets. At 2.74 m high and 2.14 m wide, always park outside the old town and walk in.
• In winter, Teruel and Albarracín can drop below −10 °C at night. The Truma Combi 4 heating with frost protection keeps the motorhome warm; carry snow chains (a €20 extra) and check road conditions with the DGT. More advice in our winter motorhome guide.
• Spring and autumn are the best seasons. Autumn brings the harvest of Calanda peaches, which have their own Designation of Origin; Teruel ham (PDO) is good all year round.
• The source of the río Cuervo is in the Serranía de Cuenca, not in Albarracín. If it appeals, you will find it in our Cuenca and Alto Tajo route.

Frequently asked questions