# Cerca de Castellón de la Plana

From Castellón you head out in four directions. Along the coast to the north, Peñíscola and the Sierra de Irta; inland, Montanejos, Morella and the Matarraña; to the south, Chulilla and Xàtiva, and along the A-23, Teruel and Albarracín. Further away, the Priorat and Prades.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/castellon-de-la-plana/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Peñíscola: film route, castle and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/film-route-and-boat-to-irta.md) (1 h en coche): The tourist-office film route through the Game of Thrones and El Cid stops, the castle of Papa Luna, rice in the old town and an hour and a half by boat along the Irta coast.
- [Montanejos: Estrechos and Fuente de los Baños](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/montanejos/itineraries/narrows-trail-and-25-degree-swim.md) (1 h en coche): Three hours above the Mijares canyon, lunch in the square and the afternoon at the Fuente de los Baños, with the water at 25 °C all year round.
- [Peñíscola: board, rice and boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/paddle-surf-boat-and-rice.md) (1 h en coche): An hour on a board to the foot of the castle, creamy rice in the old town and the afternoon on a licence-free boat, with snorkel masks on board.
- [Peñíscola: castle, boat and rice](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/papa-luna-castle-boat-and-rice.md) (1 h en coche): The Templar castle first thing, the old town and the Bufador, half an hour on a little boat around the rock and rice at Casa Jaime, an hour from Castellón.
- [Montanejos: swimming Chillapájaros and a spa](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/montanejos/itineraries/swimming-gorge-and-spa.md) (1 h en coche): A morning inside the Mijares gorge, swimming and jumping into the pools, lunch in the Plaza de España and an afternoon in the thermal pool at the spa or at the Fuente de los Baños.
- [L'Albufera: birds, rice and a boat](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/albufera-valencia/itineraries/birds-rice-and-traditional-boat.md) (1 h 15 en coche): A tower and bird observatory, a short walk among pines and dunes, rice in El Palmar and the boat of the village boatmen, 20 km from Valencia.
- [Morella: castle and Els Ports cooking](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/morella/itineraries/morella-walls-castle-and-truffle-lunch.md) (1 h 20 en coche): The walled city of Els Ports on a Sunday: the Sant Miquel towers, the arcaded street, the basilica before Mass, a Morella lunch and the castle in the afternoon.
- [Morella: castle in the morning, zip lines in the afternoon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/morella/itineraries/zip-lines-and-castle-for-families.md) (1 h 20 en coche): The towers and castle in the morning, lunch inside the walls and the afternoon swinging from tree to tree at Saltapins, beside the Bergantes river.
- [Chulilla: the Turia's hanging bridges](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/chulilla/itineraries/chulilla-hanging-bridges-and-mountain-lunch.md) (1 h 25 en coche): A three-hour route through the Turia gorges with two hanging bridges, the Charco Azul from the viewpoint, mountain cooking in the village and the castle last thing.
- [Chulilla: first climb and castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/chulilla/itineraries/climbing-and-castle-in-the-afternoon.md) (1 h 25 en coche): Four hours of introductory climbing on the walls of the Turia, weekend lunch at El Pozo and Chulilla castle in the afternoon light.
- [Xàtiva: castle and baked rice](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/xativa/itineraries/xativa-seu-castle-and-baked-rice.md) (1 h 35 en coche): A morning in the old town with the Seu and the upside-down Philip V museum, baked rice on Plaça del Mercat and the castle in the afternoon, with a shuttle in season.
- [Mudéjar Teruel in a day](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/teruel-mudejar-city/itineraries/mudejar-towers-lovers-and-cathedral.md) (1 h 55 en coche): El Salvador tower from the inside, the Lovers with the San Pedro tower, lunch at the Mesón El Óvalo, the cathedral's painted ceiling and the walk from the Escalinata to the Torico. It can be done by train.
- [Dinópolis and the Torico](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/teruel-mudejar-city/itineraries/with-children-at-dinopolis-and-torico.md) (1 h 55 en coche): Dinópolis all morning, with a dinosaur museum, a simulator and a 3D cinema, lunch at the Mesón El Óvalo and a stroll round the Torico and the Escalinata before heading home. Under-4s free.
- [Valderrobres and the Parrizal](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/valderrobres-and-matarrana/itineraries/sunday-in-valderrobres-castle-and-parrizal.md) (2 h 4 en coche): Valderrobres castle and church with a guide, the bridge over the Matarraña, a grilled lunch at El Salt and the Parrizal walkways to the Estrechos. 1 h 49 from Zaragoza.
- [Xàbia: kayak, rice and lighthouse](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/xabia-javea/itineraries/kayak-wood-fired-rice-and-lighthouse.md) (2 h 15 en coche): Two and a half hours of kayaking and snorkelling under the southern cliffs, a swim at La Granadella, rice cooked over a wood fire and the afternoon between the lighthouse and the harbour.

## Between the sea and the inland ranges

Castellón sits on the Plana, between the sea and the inland ranges, and each road leads to a different kind of day. The AP-7 or the N-340 to the north lead in about 75 kilometres to [Peñíscola](/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola) and, continuing along the coast, to Catalonia: to Tarragona and, via Reus, to the crag of [Siurana](/en/spain/catalonia/siurana) and to [Prades](/en/spain/catalonia/prades). The CV-10 and the N-232 climb to the northern interior, to [Morella](/en/spain/valencian-community/morella), 101 kilometres away, and beyond, already in Aragón, to the Matarraña of [Valderrobres](/en/spain/aragon/valderrobres-and-matarrana). The CV-20, via Onda, enters the sierra as far as [Montanejos](/en/spain/valencian-community/montanejos), about 65 kilometres with bends at the end.

To the south, the motorway drops to Valencia and continues to [Xàtiva](/en/spain/valencian-community/xativa); before that, at Sagunto, the A-23 leaves for [Teruel](/en/spain/aragon/teruel-mudejar-city) and [Albarracín](/en/spain/aragon/albarracin). [Chulilla](/en/spain/valencian-community/chulilla), in the Turia gorges, is west of Valencia.

Without a car, almost everything is hard. The Castellón to Morella bus runs only Monday to Friday, and Montanejos, Peñíscola and the Matarraña call for a car. The train serves what is on the line: Teruel has a station at the foot of the Escalinata, with a train from Valencia, and Xàtiva, Cercanías C-2 from València Nord.

## Montanejos and Peñíscola, an hour each

**An hour away** are Castellón's two Sunday exits. Montanejos, at 60 minutes, for the Estrechos trail above the Mijares and a dip at the Fuente de los Baños, and Peñíscola, at 60, with the Papa Luna castle, the Bufador and a trip on a golondrina boat around the rock.

**Between one and two hours** is the interior: Morella, at 80 minutes, with its walls, arcaded street and castle, and Chulilla, at 85, with two suspension bridges over the Turia. Xàtiva is at 95, with the Seu, the upside-down Philip V and oven-baked rice. At 115 minutes is Teruel, for [a Sunday of Mudéjar towers and the Lovers](/en/spain/aragon/teruel-mudejar-city/itineraries/mudejar-towers-lovers-and-cathedral) or, with children, [Dinópolis and the Plaza del Torico](/en/spain/aragon/teruel-mudejar-city/itineraries/with-children-at-dinopolis-and-torico).

**Between two and three hours** a night starts to pay off. Valderrobres is 124 minutes away, with the castle and the Parrizal walkways, and so is [the Matarraña in two nights](/en/spain/aragon/valderrobres-and-matarrana/itineraries/matarranya-valderrobres-beceite-weekend), with a 4x4 route through the Puertos. At 140 minutes is [Albarracín and the Rodeno](/en/spain/aragon/albarracin/itineraries/albarracin-rodeno-weekend-from-valencia); at 158, [Siurana and the Priorat](/en/spain/catalonia/siurana/itineraries/siurana-priorat-weekend-vineyards-reservoir), and at 165, [Prades and its night of stars](/en/spain/catalonia/prades/itineraries/prades-night-of-stars-from-tarragona).

**Almost four hours away**, only for autumn, the [Montseny of mushrooms and beech forests](/en/spain/catalonia/montseny/itineraries/montseny-autumn-mushrooms-beech-forest), at 235 minutes.

## Morella is cold in winter, but it is truffle season

In winter, Morella is cold at a thousand metres, but it is truffle and long-table season. In Montanejos the Fuente de los Baños is still at 25 °C and steaming, and Teruel can be visited on any Sunday of the year. Peñíscola is quiet, although the castle closes at 17:30: go in the morning.

In spring and early autumn the coast and the interior are at their peak. It is the season for [Peñíscola and the Sierra de Irta](/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/peniscola-sierra-de-irta-weekend), 60 minutes away, with the Badum tower and the unspoilt coast on Sunday; for Chulilla, arriving before nine to avoid queuing at the bridges, and for the [Sunday in Valderrobres and the Parrizal](/en/spain/aragon/valderrobres-and-matarrana/itineraries/sunday-in-valderrobres-castle-and-parrizal), with a €10 entry at weekends in mid-season.

For summer, it pays to go up or get wet. Montanejos has a capacity limit at the Fuente and the ticket is bought days ahead; Dinópolis is in its high season. Peñíscola fills up and the castle opens until 21:30. Xàtiva is not recommended in July and August, and Chulilla only if you set out first thing.

In October and November the vineyards of the Priorat around Siurana turn yellow, and the Montseny has the Santa Fe beech forest in gold and mushroom outings with the park guides.

## Towers, basilica and truffle in Morella

- **In a day, inland:** [Morella, walls, castle and truffle](/en/spain/valencian-community/morella/itineraries/morella-walls-castle-and-truffle-lunch). 80 minutes along the CV-10 and N-232: Sant Miquel towers, the basilica before Mass, a Morella lunch and the castle in the afternoon. Avoid Mondays.
- **In a day, on the coast:** [Peñíscola, castle, boat and rice](/en/spain/valencian-community/peniscola/itineraries/papa-luna-castle-boat-and-rice). The Templar castle first thing, half an hour on a golondrina boat and rice before heading back.
- **With one night:** [Montanejos with rafting and a thermal bath](/en/spain/valencian-community/montanejos/itineraries/montanejos-thermal-weekend-rafting). Rafting or kayaking on Saturday, the Fuente de los Baños at sunset and the Estrechos on Sunday, an hour from home.