There are places you would never understand why there are so little touristic. With all the things to see and do in Teruel, every time we visit this part of Spain, we get very much surprised about the few tourists we meet there. Teruel Province is one of the big unknowns of Spain: its charming capital, its beautiful medieval villages and fascinating natural sights would deserve much more attention. What to visit in Teruel? There are many places that we could recommend you, but this time we will just show you the 10 essential places to see in Teruel on your first visit.
Things to do in Teruel – 10 Essential Visits
The first place to visit in Teruel Province is definitely its capital. Undoubtedly one of the least touristic province capitals in Spain, although it has a large number of interesting sights that could fill a whole weekend. Some of the most important places are:
La Torre de El Salvador
Recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site, this tower is major attraction amongst the Mudejar-style architectural patrimony of Teruel, and therefore the most essential thing to visit in the city of Teruel. At first you might not even notice that this tower belongs to the Church of El Salvador, hidden at first sight. In addition to dedicating some time to contemplating the precious details of the tower, we also recommend you to climb it to enjoy fantastic views of the historical center.
La Escalinata
Possibly the most impressive monument of the city is La Escalinata with its steps, situated close to the train station. Built in neomudejar style at the beginning of the 20th century, it reminded us the modernist architecture you can see in Barcelona, like the building of Hospital de Sant Pau, for instance. Going down these majestic steps make you feel as if you were in a fashion show. If you don’t want to climb these stairs after coming down, there’s an elevator that takes you back to the level of the Old Town. 
Teruel Cathedral
Another indispensable sight to visit in Teruel is the Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María), which is not one of the typical Gothic cathedrals you can visit in many Spanish cities. The roof is made in mudejar style and is decorated with a lot of small motifs, and Teruel Cathedral is probably the most impressive mudejar building you can visit in the whole region of Aragon County. Signs of several architectural styles can be appreciated in this building, and some simply call it the Sistine Chapel of the Mudejar Art. 
St. Pedro’s Church and its tower
You still haven’t finished the mudejar style gems to see in Teruel, since there’s also St. Pedro’s Church (Iglesia de San Pedro), which reflects several architectural periods. The Tower of St. Pedro’s Church was built of brick in which pieces of ceramic were embedded. It’s worth checking out the tiles in the exterior and also the magnificent altar from the Renaissance period.
Plaza del Torico
It’s curious to see how such a small bull sculpture (“el torico” for the locals) can be one of the major icons of a whole city. The statue of the small bull gives the name to the major square of the city, and this is where every year the Christmas tree is put up. You can’t visit Teruel without crossing this square several times, since it’s found in the focal point of the Old Town. There are several attractive buildings to see there, the façade of the Casa Torica building is especially picturesque. 
2. Valderrobres
After visiting the capital, there are many other villages to visit in Teruel, and Valderrobres is definitely a charming one, and one of our favorites in the whole province. It’s in the border between Aragon County and Catalonia, and there are quite a large community of Catalan speaking people who call this village Vall de Roures. The most important sights to visit are:
The views from the River Matarraña
The historical center of Valderrobres is situated on a small hill, and to get the best view, we recommend you to cross the Matarraña River to enjoy a lovely view of Valderrobres and its reflection in the river. 
Castle of Valderrobres
On the top of the hill occupied by the Old Town of Valderrobres, you will find the majestic Castle of Valderrobres. It’s a national monument that was built in the 14th century and it’s worth visiting the Chimney Saloon (Salón de las Chimeneas) and the Golden Chamber (Cámara Dorada) on the inside. The views from the top are also outstanding.
Puente de Piedra
The Matarraña River cuts Valderrobres in two halves, and to get into the Old Town, the best way is to cross the Puente de Piedra (Stone Bridge) and then enter through the Gate of San Roque (Portal de San Roque). It’s simply spectacular!
Town Hall
It’s also known as the Casa Consistorial de Valderrobres (House of the City Council), the Town Hall of Valderrobres is another nice example of Renaissance architecture in Aragon. It was built in the 16th century and it’s worth checking out the façade with its details. 
3. Albarracín
Albarracín always occupies a high position in the rankings of the most beautiful villages in Spain. It’s not surprising, since this small village in Teruel seems to have come out of a fairy tale, and therefore it’s one of major attractions to see in Teruel. We have already visited several times, but it still amazes us every time we get there. Albarracín is situated on the banks of the Guadalaviar River on one side and old walls on the other side. It’s steep and narrow streets with its buildings that all have this reddish tonality are especially picturesque around sunset, when the light converts this village in a magical place. The most important sights to visit are:
La Plaza Mayor
Albarracín is a very small village, but the Plaza Mayor, the main square has a really great atmosphere with people spending time in the bar terraces. In addition, you will get to see some lovely wooden balconies. 
Julianeta’s House
La casa de la Julianeta (Juliante’s House) is probably the most known house in town. This house is situated at the entrance of the puerta de Molina (Molina’s Gate) and people used to throw hot resin from here on the intruders that wanted to enter Albarracín.
Views from Albarracín
The Castle of Albarracín is under restoration at the moment, and in any case it conserves very little from its original aspect. Nevertheless, the views from the hill where the castle is found are the best you can enjoy, especially around sunset. 
Religious architecture
For a small village, Albarracín has a large number of religious monuments. You will find two main churches: St. Mary’s Church (Iglesia de Santa Maria) and the Cathedral, and there’s also an Episcopal Palace there.
Town walls
The walls from the Muslim period are conserved in really good condition. One of the greatest things to do in Albarracín is climb these walls and walk on top of them. It’s quite a steep climb to get up there, but the views and the different perspective will compensate you for the effort. 
4. Pinares del Rodeno
Very close to Albarracín, you will find one of the major natural sights to see in Teruel Provence, the Protected Landscape of Rodeno Pine-forests (Pinares del Rodeno). It’s a very interesting landscape with giant red sandstone rocks and large pine trees. 
Nevertheless, the main attraction of Pinares del Rodeno is not the nature itself, but a couple of dozens of prehistoric cave paintings you will find hidden in several rock shelters. These paintings represent a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are signs in the trails that explain well the meaning of them. The scenes you can find depict scenes about both hunter and farmer lifestyle. You can find scenes mostly about hunting people and animals, and most of the drawings are quite faded, and in most paintings you get to see only the contour of the drawings.
5. Órganos de Montoro
Another fascinating landscape in Teruel Province you can see in the Órganos de Montoro (Organs of Montoro), which are rock formations that have the shape of a large organ.
6. Calaceite
Another wonderful village in the Matarraña Region that’s worth a stop is Calaceite. It’s a charming medieval village where time seems to have stopped. The history of this village dates back to the prehistoric age, and in fact you can visit several ancient Iberian settlements in the surroundings. The main square (Plaza Mayor) with arches is really cute, and walking on the streets of Calaceite will make you feel in another time. 
7. Iglesuela del Cid
The picturesque village Iglesuela del Cid is another charming place to see in Teruel, which seems to be abandoned at certain hours of the day. The main monument is the Iglesia de la Purificación (Church of Purification) that presides the views of this precious village. 
8. Linares de Mora
Linares de Mora is found in the Sierra de Gúdar, one of the many mountainous regions of Teruel. This fortified village was built on a large rock and the view from the top is simply astonishing. The main landmarks to visit are the remains of a medieval castle and a baroque church, which has its bell tower separated from the rest of the church building. 
9. Cantavieja
Cantavieja is another pride of Teruel that often appears on lists that include the most beautiful villages in Spain. It’s another hilltop village, where time flows very slowly and you will feel very far from everything.
10. Mora de Rubielos
Amongst the villages we visited in Teruel Province, Mora de Rubielos is the place where we found the most cheerful ambience. This charming village, situated on the banks of the Mora River, is full of buildings from the Gothic period, and we recommend you to spend at least an afternoon there. The impressive castle presides the views of the village, but the best thing to do there is getting lost in the cobblestone streets surrounded with small chapels and other gems of the Mediterranean gothic architecture. The inhabitants of this village are known to be very active, and actually they recorded a video that made them win the title of the “most beautiful and best village in Spain” in 2016. Hence, if you want to see the village that won this illustrious prize, you know which place to visit in Teruel.
Map of 10 essential places to visit in Teruel
This is only a brief summary of the 10 most important things to do and see in Teruel. If we lent any of your favorite locations one should visit in Teruel, we would love to receive your comments about it.
We have been numerous times to Teruel and also to Albarracin but thanks to this website we saw that we have much more to see in the beautiful province of Teruel.
Thanks so much for the helpful informations.
Thanks Gudy for your comment! We are glad that you found our content useful, and I am sure that you will enjoy your further visits to Teruel, this underrated Spanish province!