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Matarranya Experience

Spectacular hiking in an undiscovered region

Guided hiking

Two route options offered each day

Perfect spring hiking weather

Matarranya

Spectacular hiking

Guided hiking

Two route options each day

Perfect spring hiking weather

Guided hiking

7 nights

Dual level

Single Centre

Beceite Spring Hiker

7 night guided walking holiday

  • 7 night guided walking holiday
  • Perfect weather for spring hiking
  • Dual level with two hikes offered each day – an easier and a harder option
  • Remote hiking in a beautiful but unknown area

The village of BeceiteExplore the Passes of Beceite, a spectacular but little known mountain range, south of Barcelona. The weather here is perfect for hiking in the spring and autumn.

The lovely village of Beceite will be your base for the week, where you stay at the fantastic Fabrica de Solfa – an old paper mill converted into a wonderful hotel.

Each day we explore a different area of the range and there’s plenty of variety in the hiking with both limestone and conglomerate canyons to hike in, peaks to reach and towering cliffs to marvel at. The two hikes will visit the same area each day but with differing lengths and ascents.

The shorter hikes will be around 8 to 12 kilometres and avoid difficult paths or steep ascents. The longer routes will be between 12 and 18 km and have rockier steeper paths.

Evening meals are taken at the hotel’s excellent restaurant which specialises in local dishes.

On our rest day we’ll visit olive oil groves, have a guided tour with an oil tasting and make (and eat!) a clotxa – a typical shepherd’s dish where the meal is stuffed inside a loaf of bread. We’ll also visit the Picasso Museum in Horta de Sant Joan where Picasso spent several summers as a young man while he started to develop his cubist style.

 

The itinerary shows you the best hiking in the area which has a wide variety of terrain. All hikes will be led by a knowledgeable, qualified mountain leader who knows the area and the wildlife.

Saturday – Arrive Beceite

Arrive in Beceite – on the first evening you will have a briefing about your week ahead. Evening meal at the lovely restaurant at Fabrica de Solfa.Parrissal Gorge

Sunday – Parrissal Gorge

A short 10-minute drive in the morning to the parking at the entrance to the Parrissal Gorge – one of the most famous spots in the area. You follow this beautiful high-sided gorge using pasarelas – a walkway just above the river level. Eventually, the gorge narrows to the point you can’t hike any further. On the return journey, there are two optional additional loops that climb higher up the gorge for spectacular views.
Shorter hike: distance 8 km, ascent 50 m (there and back with no side trips)
Longer hike (with the two loops on the return): distance 10 km, 370 metres ascent

Monday – Periganyol (1033 metres)

Today, both hikes head straight out from the hotel, heading up to one of two ridges. The harder walk will climb to a great ridge which you follow to the summit of Periganyol. From the summit you get fantastic views over a huge area, looking in one direction over the Passes of Beceite range, and in the other towards lots of villages, all perched on hilltops. The easier walk will follow a lower ridge slightly to the south – again with great views. Both routes head down to the large reservoir of de Pena, before heading back to Beceite on a country lane.
Shorter hike: distance 11 km, ascent 400 metres
Longer hike: distance: 11 km, ascent 622 metres

Tuesday – Penyagalera (1029 metres) or ridge walk

The longer hike will tackle the summit of Penyagalera, a wonderful conglomerate summit lying just outside of Beceite. A spectacular days hiking as you climb steeply up to the summit for incredible views over the area. The descent path doesn’t look doable from above, but in fact, it’s an easy (albeit steep) descent down to the Rio Ulldemar where there is a brilliant swimming or paddling spot.
The shorter option will start at the Rio Ulldemar and follow a ridge path back to Beceite. It’s not a long day and you’ll have the chance to either look around Beceite or visit the local town of Valderobres in the afternoon if you wish.
Shorter hike: distance 7km, ascent 350 metres
Longer hike: distance 13.6 km, ascent 915 metres

Wednesday – Rest day – olive groves and Picasso Museum

Our rest day gives us a chance to explore this fascinating region. We’ll visit an olive farm and have a guided tour around the groves explaining the olive growing and oil-making process. This will be followed by an olive oil tasting and a make a ‘clotxa’ – a typical Catalan shepherd’s dish where the meal is stuffed inside a loaf of bread. We’ll then visit the Picasso Museum in the village of Horta de Sant Joan. Picasso spent two periods here and developed some of his early painting styles here. If people would like to, there’s also the opportunity to visit the local town of Valderobres which has a lovely castle/bishops palace perched on a hill.

Thursday – The Estrets Gorge

Today’s hike explores the gorge of Estrets, a conglomerate canyon that is totally different to the limestone canyon of Parrissal that you hiked on the first day. Beautiful rockpools and coloured rocks. Both routes pass through the gorge, with the shorter option being a there and back route and the longer option a circular route heading back via a different route.
Distance: 13.7 km, ascent 495 metres

Friday – Rocas de Masmut

A spectacular final day’s hike and a fitting finale to your week. You make a complete circuit of the wonderful Rocas de Masmut – red conglomerate cliffs several hundred metres high. You can also tackle one final thousand-metre peak with the optional ascent of La Tosa (1194m).

Short distance: 11 km, ascent 450 metres
Distance (inc ascent of La Tosa): 18 km, ascent 750 metres

Saturday – Depart

Breakfast, free morning in Beceite and then transfer to Zaragoza early afternoon.

Beceite

2025 Dates

Saturday 5 – 12 April
Saturday 18 – 25 October

Price

1699 € per person (based on two sharing a double or twin room)
149 € single supplement

Included

7 nights accommodation in Hotel Fabrica de la Solfa
Breakfast each morning
Picnic lunches each walking day
7 x 3-course evening meals
Rest day visit to the olive oil farm and Picasso museum
Transfers to and from either Zaragoza airport or train station.
Transport to the walks each day.

Not included

Flights, insurance, drinks with evening meal, lunch and evening meal on the rest day.

Getting to Beceite

From the UK

There are direct flights from London Stansted to Zaragoza. Flight times are as follows:
Depart Stansted 11:50, arrive Zaragoza 15:05
Depart Zaragoza 15:40, arrive Stansted 16:45

You can also fly to Barcelona or Madrid and can catch the AVE fast train to Zaragoza. We pick up at 12:00 midday from Zaragoza train station. Zaragoza has regular direct trains from both Barcelona and Madrid. Trains are roughly every hour and the journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes from either.

Trains that fit well with our arrival transfer are:
Depart Barcelona Sants 10:00 am, arrive Zaragoza Delicias 11:42
or depart Madrid Atocha 10:30 am, arrive Zaragzoa Delicias 11:44

On the return journey, we drop off at the train station at 11:45 am, for the following trains:
Depart Zaragoza Delicias 12:37, arrive Barcelona Sants 14:19
or depart Zaragoza Delicias 12:26, arrive Madrid Atocha 13:45

From outside Europe

Most of our guests from outside of Europe fly via Barcelona or Madrid, combing a stay in one of these two excellent cities with their walking holiday. From either city there are excellent rail links to Zaragoza.

See more travel options and details on our getting here page.

Hotel La Fábrica de Solfa (Beceite)

A lovely hotel converted from a historical paper factory. The dining room and terrace overlook the river Matarraña. The bedrooms are lovely and all en-suite. There is free wi-fi throughout the hotel.

The hotel’s restaurant and menu are superb, giving a modern flair to many traditional local dishes. You are free to choose from their a la carte menu and we’re certain you won’t go home hungry!

Most rooms have great views over the river, otherwise, they face the pretty plaza and Ermita of Santa Ana. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms.

Probably the most special thing about the hotel is the warm welcome given to you by Alberto and Javi, the two brothers who own the hotel. They know the area intimately and will make sure you are well looked after during your stay.

Hotel Fabrica de Solfa

 

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Matarranya Experience
Guided walking holiday

2025 Dates:

5 – 12 April
18 – 25 October

1699 € per person

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Hotel La Fábrica de Solfa

Our base in Beceite is an old paper mill that has been converted to the lovely hotel

Hotel La Fabrica de Solfa