Via Verda
The Val de Zafan greenway, as it passes through the Terra Alta, is a cultural and sports tourist proposal that follows the route of the old railway that connected the towns of La Puebla de Hijar (Teruel) and Tortosa.
If we start the route in Arnes, located in its main square we can admire a privileged panoramic view of the Ports. The historic center of this town was declared of cultural interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya and its town hall is one of the first in the Renaissance style.
To find the Greenway we will have to leave the town by the path that leaves in front of the junction of the T-330 road (Gandesa – Vall-de-roures) with the entrance to the town, following the signs that it will take you for about 5 km to the borders of Catalonia with Aragon, next to the river Algars, where there is a small dam ideal for bathing. From there, you can see the imposing concrete bridge that saves the natural obstacle of the river, and where you can practice adventure sports such as ponting. Right next door is the Arnes-Lledó station, the starting point of the Terra Alta greenway.
We take the path along the Greenway towards Horta de Sant Joan. Only two kilometers separate the station from the town. In the town we can visit the Ecomuseum of the Ports and the Picasso Center, being one of the must-sees the medieval town center with the church square, the town hall and the church of Sant Joan Baptista.
In front of the station of Horta de Sant Joan we find the path that will take us to the Convent of Sant Salvador and to the natural space called “Racó de les Olles” place of great beauty and ideal place to take a bath in the waters of the Canaleta river.
From Horta, the route begins to descend very gently. Several tunnels and aqueducts make up this part of the route until you reach Bot station, in the middle of the route and next to the town. The most significant building in Bot is the Renaissance church of Sant Blai located in the middle of the town. You can also visit the hermitage of Sant Josep, from where you can see a fantastic view of Bot, the Pàndols and Cavalls mountains and the Via Verda. Next to the hermitage is the recreational area of Forat de la Donzella.
While doing the route, after Bot we arrive at the station of Prat de Comte. Prat de Comte, 4 km from the Via verda is a small town in the time of the Templars, where the church of Sant Bartomeu, the Portal (former gateway to the town), the distillery stand out. and the bread oven.
1 km from the station of Prat de Comte, and on the edge of the route, we find the Sanctuary of La Fontcalda: landscape, thermal and religious, a must stop for those who travel the Greenway. Located in the middle of a valley, on the banks of the Canaleta river, it is named after the hot spring that springs at the foot of the 14th century sanctuary. A path allows you to follow the straits that the river has formed over time. Its clean and transparent waters invite you to bathe in it and enjoy this gift of nature intensely.
The end of the Terra Alta Greenway is at Pinell de Brai Station, 5 km from La Fontcalda. We will find the town of El Pinell 6km from the Via Verda, where no one can stop visiting the modernist Cooperative Winery of Cèsar Martinell, a disciple of Gaudí. The cooperative is the greatest example of the cooperatives built by this disciple of Gaudí. The modernist style can be seen in all four corners. It is essential to contemplate the magnificent glazed ceramic frieze located on the façade of the winery, the work of Xavier Nogués, where allegorical scenes are represented in the vineyard.
More information
Bicycle rental
Mestre Joan Garde, 5 Gandesa
977 420550 / 660 532 346
bicisportsaubanell@gmail.com
www.bttterraalta.com
Av. Av. del Port d'Horta de St. Joan, 10 Horta de Sant Joan
621 34 57 38
info@estaciodexerta.cat
www.viaverdaorta.cat