Attractions and Places To See around Calcena - Top 20

Cabezo de la Mata is a peak located in the Sierra del Moncayo, in Aragon, Spain. With an altitude of 1,437 metres, it is one of the most accessible peaks in the area. One of the most popular routes to ascend Cabezo de la Mata begins at Fuente de los Frailes. This circular route offers spectacular views of the northeastern slope of the Sierra del Moncayo and the plain of the Ebro Valley. The route includes sections through beech and pine forests, and is suitable for all year round.

You need to be in shape, it is a climb that requires some climbing skill.

The Moncayo Natural Park crossing is an itinerary for gravel bicycles of a particular design to link with the Santander Mediterráneo Natural Path in Ciria, looking for the best circular bikepacking route back to the city of Soria. The downloaded track is essential in this section, it is impossible to specify in these texts all the detours, intersections and details with the same precision that digital information offers. The mountain bike adventure begins at the Tarazona exit, at the sign for the GR-90 long-distance trail, although it then coincides in a few sections. It is important to carry provisions for the rest of the day and the next, it is not safe to find food in the towns along the way. The route follows a farm road to Grisel and then comes the first spike of the climb in the mountains where the Grisel Wind Farm is located. The hard slope is one kilometer long until you reach the mills, but the slope is steep and the loose stone surface requires extra effort. On the hill, the enormous Moncayo slope covered with pines, oaks and beech trees appears up close. And on top of that, the peaks of the massif are like unattainable islands above a sea of mysterious and impenetrable forests. The path crosses another steep slope of loose stone and begins a long climb up a hill marked with milestones of cycling and hiking routes until it crosses the Agramonte highway and connects with the paved track of the Moncayo Sanctuary. The route continues along the small mountain road, crosses the centuries-old beech forests of Fuente del Sacristán and at the Fuente de los Frailes hairpin it turns to the left to begin the final stretch of the ascent along the forest track of Collado Bellido. In the case of spending the night in the Majada Baja Refuge, where I propose, at the end of the climb, you have to carry water at the source, then there are mountain streams but depending on the season of the year they can be dry. Along the way there are several crossings and detours, generally it is always the uphill track that runs along the entire northern slope of the Moncayo massif to go to the southern face. The climb is long and constant, it leaves the forest and continues until it passes the detour to Collado Bellido, indicated with markers on the ditch of the forest track. The end of the ascent is shortly after, at the curve of the Valdealonso stream, at about 1,900 meters of altitude, the path changes slope and the descent begins. Two kilometers later is the Majada Baja Refuge, it is a natural park refuge, well maintained and available for mountaineers, cyclists, hunters, shepherds and users of the Moncayo environmental space. The place has extraordinary views and it is difficult to pass by at dusk and not stay the night.

At the Collado de la Atalaya you have to head northeast along the slope of the mountain range following a level path marked with stone markers. The path crosses the Las Hoyas de los Portillos valley and climbs halfway through the pine forest towards the wall of the Muela del Cerro Morrón. In the pine forest you have to keep climbing towards the east and at the base of the walls connect with the path coming from the north face of the mountain. The landmarks are clear between the pine trees and the mole wall, they jump a couple of small slopes near other cavities and lead to the spectacular Cueva de los Pilares, a fantastic natural rock sanctuary with arches, vaults and giant columns. The climb to the summit of the mole leaves from the cave through the canal located to the west, it is a clear and obvious climb, it has stone markers and although it seems that there is no exit with good visibility, it is a simple section along some aerial ledges without too many complications, unless the rock is wet, it cannot even be classified as a climbing step, rather technical mountain hiking. The milestones enter the large inclined molar plain and take the direction of the summit through the center of the mountain.

The third day of the cycling trip is delicious, almost all favorable terrain and very seductive landscapes until Ciria. The descent passes through the detour of the Cruz de las Heladas hill, in the beautiful pastoral meadows of El Hoyuelo. The name refers to a group of women from Beratón who were surprised by a snow blizzard and froze to death, only the cavalry survived. The lane crests the last hills of Moncayo and goes down towards Beratón. In the ravines on the left, the Isuela River is born, one of the main tributaries of the Jalón River, therefore we are still on the Mediterranean slope of the Iberian System. In Beratón we take the photo from the stone cruise and continue planning at full pedal along an impeccable track that surrounds the Sierra del Tablado and ends in Borobia, with a small hostel open all year round, it is the main refreshment point of the stage. The route runs through the karst plateaus of the Manubles River and in the Corrales de las Cabezas it descends to the limestone canyon of the Celorrio barracks, a spectacular gorge of rocky slopes that leads to the Ciria road. The landscapes along the route never cease to surprise. In the Middle Ages, the town of Ciria was a strategic step on the old borders between Arabs and Christians, it has a rock fortress and a medieval urban layout. The castle is perched on steep, isolated cliffs outside the town, watching over the course of the Manubles River. You have to walk a few minutes to reach the wall of the old fortress. In the urban area, the large volume of the Gothic church in the staggered distribution of the town draws attention. The route of the old Santander-Mediterranean railway passes in Ciria, our destination to return to the city of Soria because this section has been recovered by the Natural Trails network and offers a fantastic cycling alternative for gravel bikepacking. The link from the town to the old railway is simple through the Manubles plain and a lane that goes up to the roadbed. In the ditch there is a sign dedicated to the town of Ciria and then a small curved tunnel with automatic artificial lighting. The first section of the natural path is a gentle climb to El Pozuelo and the Tordesalas station, the entrance to the Soriano moor and the Duero basin. The rest of the trip is a flat landscape with no notable changes of pace in the immense colorful plains of the Campos de Gómara, dedicated mainly to cereal cultivation. The railway passes near the towns but never touches the urban centres, you have to detour to get water or any type of provision. We stopped at the hermitage of the Silos, near Portillo de Soria, which is next to the road, has shade and a pleasant place to take the last supplies we have left and regain strength. In the next section there are more abandoned stations, some of good size that demonstrate the commercial importance that the railway had during its time of service. The rest area of the old Martialay station announces the end of the journey. The natural path ends at the Valcorba Industrial Estate, about four kilometers before Soria. The route runs through the streets of the industrial warehouses and comes out to the roundabout of the N-234 highway that enters Soria via the Duero River. At the end of the descent there is a detour to the left that enters directly into the Soto Playa gardens, crosses the Duero over the crab pedestrian bridge and ends at the parking lot. End of the cycling adventure. The value of a trip is not measured by the distance traveled or the number of photos, but rather by the desire to start the next one.

Along the course of the Río Manubles we find the town of Borobia, which is sandwiched between the Sierra de Tablado and Toranzo, to the north of the town itself.

Beautiful views from the Cabezo de la Mata to the NE slope of the Sierra del Moncayo and the plain that extends towards the Ebro Valley. Easily accessible from the Central de la Morca car park, from Fuente de los Frailes or the hostel

Spectacular setting in the Moncayo Natural Park with these formations at the entrance to the Cueva de los Pilares, at the foot of the Muela del Col