To the northeast of the province of Teruel, stands the small town of Beceite, surrounded by mountain ranges and a privileged setting. Even nature itself crosses the town with the Matarrañana riverbed, leaving waterfalls and natural pools in its wake along the streets of the town. The region of Matarraña is one of the coolest to enjoy the summer in Aragon.
The deposits found in Beceite show that the area was inhabited since the Bronze Age, while two sections of the Roman road that linked the towns of Dertosa and Caesaraugusta, currently Tortosa and Zaragoza, are still preserved from Roman times. In addition, since the Middle Ages, the town was known for its clean waters and its good location.
Starting in the 18th century, Beceite experienced a period of splendour thanks to its paper industry. In this way, he became one of the main producers of paper in Spain, even manufacturing it for the Royal Mint and for the Royal Tapestry Factory, where Francisco de Goya painted some of his creations.
The well-cared-for historic centre of Beceite is a reflection of its long history. Some constructions stand out here, such as the paper mills, where this material was manufactured by hand; the 15th-century stone bridge that crosses the river, or the church of San Bartolomé, a baroque work carried out between the 17th and 18th centuries.
In addition, we do not have to move very far from the centre of the town to enjoy the nature of the place, since next to the streets, the course of the Matarrañana River gives us refreshing natural pools where we can bathe and escape the heat.
Here we find the Font de la Rabosa, a series of shallow pools and waterfalls created by the erosion of water in the limestone rock. And following the course of the river a few meters further south, we encounter another river pool that is much larger and better adapted for bathing.
On the other hand, if we want to enter a much more natural environment, less than 20 minutes from the town we will come across the spectacular landscape of Parrizal, located within the Puertos de Beceite, a mountainous massif crossed by rivers and ravines.
We will be able to explore this enclave through a hiking route that begins very close to the town and runs parallel to the Matarraña riverbed, which we will cross by means of footbridges built over small pools. The crossing ends at Los Estrechos, where the waters of the river slip between imposing 60-meter-high walls and stone needles named Les Gubies.