R04 – Benassal
Route
Description of the route
Full jerry cans, bag of tools ready, a good breakfast and legs ready to ride through the Maestrat. Before leaving towards Culla, take a ride with the bike through the medieval streets of Benassal and take the opportunity to warm up, just out of the town and take the direction to the spa you will find a slope with a ramp of 9% that can cause you some problems if you do not have the legs or the optimal development. Once you overcome this slope you will find the majestic fountain of the spa, take the opportunity to take a drink. Keep riding on the false flat before the pass of Culla, along the CV166, where again there will be some percentage that can give you problems, although with development you should not have problems to overcome it, it will only be 4 kilometers. Once in Culla, after 10 demanding kilometers, we face the next 12 with practically no effort, with a downhill stretch where you will enter La Torre d’en Besora. There it turns towards Vilar de Canes for a comfortable stretch that will practically only become more complicated when, once we have passed this town, we take the CV165 to access Benassal again, whose geographical location will inevitably force us to face a new steep slope that will conclude our effort with 772 meters of accumulated altitude difference, despite having only covered 40 kilometers.
Points of interest along the route
Font d’en Segures (Km 2.5). Less than 3 kilometers from our exit we find the Benassal Spa, one of the best known in the province. The Fountain of Roca d’En Segures next to the road is an ideal place to take some of the photos of the outing. Culla (Km 9). Another municipality with a medieval aroma, with farmhouses on the outskirts built in the XV and XVI centuries (such as Torre Amador) and the Monumental Carrasca as main attractions La Torre d’en Besora (Km 20). Municipality of less than 200 inhabitants, but with a castle in ruins of the sixteenth century that recalls the strategic importance of this area in past centuries. Vilar de Canes (Km 20). Rural municipality of low density with the Manantial del Señor as a point of interest.
During the war of the Reconquest, in the thirteenth century, King James I of the Crown of Aragon gave the noble Blasco of Aragon all the reconquered lands. In 1228 the advance of the Crown reached the castle of Culla, which meant the taking of all the lands that paid tribute to that castle, including Benassal, then known as Avinaçal. Blasco of Aragon gave Benassal to Berenguer de Calatarrà for his exploits in the war, the penultimate Master Templar of Aragon, before the Order was banned. Berenguer de Calatarrà lived in La Mola, in the 13th century, an Arabic style building restored in perfect condition that now houses the Tourist Office and the Archaeological Museum of L’Alt Maestrat. Right next door we find l’Arc de Mola, one of the ancient gates of the wall that several centuries ago protected the town against threats. In addition, in the rest of the town we will find other remains of the wall, such as the Torre de la Presó, the Torre d’En Garcés, or the Torre Rodona. Benassal is one of the most attractive villages in the interior of Castelló, both for its medieval architecture and for its Spa of Fuente En Segures, which can be a good combination to spend a cyclotourist weekend in the town, as it is given medicinal value to its natural waters.
Although Benassal is a town with little more than 1000 inhabitants, spending a cyclotourist weekend in the town can be accompanied by tasting the typical gastronomy. Benassal still maintains some artisan livestock and its meats from the Maestrat area boast some of the best in the province. In the Novella Restaurant (Carretera de Culla) and in the Castellana Restaurant (Av. Dr. Puigvert) you will be able to taste good beef or lamb dishes of the area. In addition, if you plan your trip in advance, you can order the typical Tombet de San Cristòfol, which combines the typical meat of the area with “caragols de muntanya” and vegetables in a dish that is no less a gastronomic pleasure because of its tradition. The offer of rural houses and mountain hotels has grown in recent years, so you have a multitude of offers to stay. The offer now practically offers possibilities for all tastes and budgets. The Hotel de Montaña Novella, in Font de Segures, next to the Spa, is the best option to enjoy our life and the environment with all the comforts. The Hotel la Castellana (Av. Dr. Puigvert) is also another option that offers maximum comfort to only worry about our legs and our bike. If you prefer something more economical in which to organize yourself, the Roig Apartments, also next to the Spa, may be what you are looking for.
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin: built in the 18th century. It preserves a baroque façade, as well as an important collection of gold and silver work, religious and medieval ornaments. En-Segures Fountain: Modernist architecture from the beginning of the 20th century. The water is mineral-medicinal and recommended for kidney diseases. Town center: made up of narrow streets with some of the oldest houses in the town. Highlights: the set of “La Mola” and the towers of Garcés, Redona and Presó.
Hotel de Montaña Novella (Carretera Balneario-Culla, 1): next to the spa to enjoy a quiet stay.
Hotel la Castellana (Av. Dr. Puigvert)
Apartamentos Roig (Balneario Fuente en Segures s/n)
