# Morella

What to see in Morella in a day or a weekend: castle, basilica and arcaded street, where to park, eat and sleep, 1 h 20 from Castellón.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/morella · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Morella is an entire town inside a wall, on top of a crag in inland Castellón, with a castle above it all. It stands at about a thousand metres, in the Els Ports district, and you see it from far off as you arrive by road: it is the first photo of the trip. Inside there are sloping streets, a main street under arcades, a Gothic basilica with an enormous organ and restaurants where truffle, lamb and Morella croquettes are the way it has always been. You can see it in a day; with a night, you enjoy it without rushing.

## How do I get there from Castellón or Valencia?

By car. From Castellón it is about 100 km and 1 h 20 via Sant Mateu (CV-10 and N-232), or 1 h 25 via Ares del Maestrat (CV-15 and CV-12), which is more bends and scenery. From Valencia, 170 km and about 2 h 10 along the A-7, the CV-10 and the N-232. From Vinaròs and the Baix Maestrat coast, 45 minutes along the N-232, and from Peñíscola, an hour. From Zaragoza it takes about two hours via Alcañiz and Monroyo.

Without a car you can only go midweek: Autos Mediterráneo leaves the Castellón bus station from Monday to Friday at 10:15 and 15:30. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays there is no bus, so a Sunday trip without a car is not possible.

## Where do I park?

Outside the wall. Inside, only residents park and you may enter solely to load and unload, along narrow streets. Visitors leave the car in the blue zone on Paseo Jaume I, along the wall: you pay from 10:00 to 18:00, €1 for the first hour and €3 for up to eight hours, in cash (the machines do not give change) or with the Moviltik Morella app. From there you walk in through the Portal de Sant Miquel, where the tourist office, the Sant Miquel Towers and the dinosaur museum are. For motorhomes there is a municipal area with 36 spaces and full services.

## What to see in a day?

Start in the morning at the Portal de Sant Miquel: the towers open at 10:00 and their scale model gets you oriented. Then go up the arcaded Calle Blasco de Alagón to the town hall and the Basilica of Santa María, with its spiral staircase up to the choir and the organ of 1719. Before lunch, or just after, climb to the castle: an hour there and back and the best view of the district. In the afternoon, go out of the wall and walk round the outside to see it whole.

If you go at the weekend, the 12:00 guided tour sorts out the morning: two hours, with the basilica included. And if you stay the night, reserve a place for the rock paintings of Morella la Vella, 6 km away, with free sessions from Tuesday to Sunday.

## What is there outside the wall?

The Bergantes valley, 4 km away, is the other half of the trip. In the Fàbrica Giner complex are the Saltapins adventure park, with zip-line circuits from age 3, and the starting point of the Els Ports mountain bike routes, from 17.7 to 58 km. Nearby leave the horse and cart rides, bookable all year. And depending on the season, the villages of the district have their own guided activity: the lavender fields of La Todolella in June and July, and the saffron harvest at La Mata in October and November.

## How much time do you need?

One day covers the wall, the arcaded street, the basilica, the castle and a long lunch. With a night you add the towers and the museum without hurrying, a walk round the wall at sunset and the paintings of Morella la Vella the next morning. For a Sunday outing, plan to leave home at 9:00 from Castellón or 8:30 from Valencia.

## When to go?

Spring and autumn are best: mild days and good light on the stone. In July and August it is cooler than on the coast, but there are more people, especially under the arcades. In winter it is properly cold and sometimes it snows; in return, it is black truffle season and the restaurants serve it in special menus. Watch out for closures: the towers and the museum close on Mondays, and on 25 and 26 December and 1, 6 and 7 January almost everything is shut.

## Where to eat and sleep

For eating, Casa Roque, open since 1980 at Las Cinco Esquinas, and the Mesón del Pastor, since 1975, serve Sunday lunch; book. La Fonda Moreno is the simple option, with budget set menus and takeaway food. To sleep inside the wall, the Hotel Rey Don Jaime, beside the Portal de Sant Miquel, the Hotel Cardenal Ram, on the arcaded street, or the Fonda Moreno, the only one of the three that admits dogs, with notice.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Unusual places to stay in Spain, Horse riding routes in Spain
- Cerca: Valderrobres and the Matarraña (a 35.7 km), Peñíscola (a 51.8 km), Montanejos (a 71.0 km), Teruel, a Mudéjar City (a 90.5 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Morella Castle** (1 h · Everyone with comfortable shoes; not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs all the way up · €5 · reduced €4 · groups €3.50 · free for under 6s): The castle crowns the rock on which Morella stands, at 1,072 metres, and from the top you command the whole Els Ports district and the natural pass from the interior to the coast that it guarded. It is built on the rock itself, which forms part of its defences, and is a Site of Cultural Interest. The rock has been inhabited since the third millennium BC; Iberians, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs passed through, and the castle took the form you see after the Christian conquest, with alterations in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The tourist office lists among those who set foot here Abd al-Rahman III, El Cid, James I, Ferdinand of Antequera, Pope Luna, Saint Vincent Ferrer, the Prince of Viana and General Cabrera.
The new entrance, on Calle del Hospital
Since summer 2026 you enter at the end of Calle del Hospital, beside the Sant Francesc convent, at the top of the old town. There is now a ticket booth, toilets and a paved access. The temporary entrance used before, through the bullring and a scaffold staircase over the wall, no longer exists, so ignore old directions.
Ninety steps to the parade ground
The visit is a walk round the military fortress, which climbs in zigzags up the mountain to the parade ground at the summit. The way includes a stretch of earth with loose stones and a staircase of more than 90 steps before the top. Up there the view takes in the rooftops, the whole wall, the scattered farmhouses and the surrounding sierras. Allow an hour for climbing, looking and coming down, a little more if you stop at every viewpoint. There is a free audio guide through the Guidum app, which you should download before going up.
Open daily, except on orange or red alert
It opens every day. From October to March, 11:00 to 17:00; from April to September, 11:00 to 19:00. It closes on days of orange or red weather alert, so in winter check the AEMET warning before going: it blows up there.
General admission costs €5. The reduced fee, €4, is for over-65s, ages 6 to 16, students under 25 with a card, Carnet Jove, large families and people with disabilities. Groups of more than 25 pay €3.50 per person. Accompanied children under 6 and residents of Els Ports do not pay. You pay at the ticket desk, in cash or by card; a ticket bought online gives no priority, so you join the same queue.
With children, a pushchair or a dog
With children who already walk on their own the climb is no problem, but with a pushchair or wheelchair you cannot reach everything: the official listing warns that the last stretch is not adapted and that each person should judge what they can do. Bring a baby carrier. Dogs go in on a lead; potentially dangerous breeds must be muzzled.
The climb combines well with the basilica of Santa María, which is on the way, and with the Sant Miquel towers if you enter the town from the north. The Sunday plan in Morella leaves it until after lunch.
- **Basilica of Santa María la Mayor** (45 min · Everyone · €4 · reduced €3 · ages 10 to 16 €2 · free for under 10s and Els Ports residents): The archpriest church of Santa María la Mayor is Morella's great Gothic temple, built in the upper part of the old town, between the arcaded street and the climb to the castle. You enter through one of its two carved doorways, the Apostles' or the Virgins', and inside the stone is bare except at the high altar, Churrigueresque and gilded, which contrasts with everything else. The ticket includes the archpriest museum, with religious painting and metalwork, Gothic crosses and textiles.
The staircase coiled around a column
The first thing that catches the eye is the choir, raised in the middle of the nave. You climb to it by a spiral staircase that winds around one of the columns, and beneath it, on the choir screen, a Last Judgement scene is carved. Look too at the choir vault: it is so shallow that the tourist office describes it as a challenge to the laws of architecture. These are three pieces not repeated in any other church in the district, and worth taking your time over.
The Turull organ
Above the choir is the Baroque organ built by the organ-maker Francesc Turull between 1719 and 1720, with a gilded, polychrome case. It has 3,693 pipes, keyboards of 47 notes and 49 stops in the great organ. You can hear it at Mass and, above all, at the International Organ Music Festival that Morella holds every August. If you want to hear it outside the festival, general Masses are at 19:00 on weekdays, 20:15 on Saturdays and 11:30 on Sundays and public holidays.
Winter hours, from November to Holy Wednesday

Monday, 11:00 to 13:00.
Tuesday to Friday, 11:00 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 17:00.
Saturdays, 11:00 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 17:30.
Sundays, 10:00 to 11:15 and 12:15 to 15:00.

From Holy Week until 31 October it opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 (18:30 on Saturdays), closing at 19:00 from 1 August to 15 September; on Sundays it keeps the winter hours, except in August, when it is open until 18:00. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing. A funeral or a service can change the hours without notice, and weekday public holidays have their own hours: to confirm, call 699 65 47 73.
Tickets, audio guide and accessibility
General admission costs €4; pensioners, people with disabilities and groups of more than 20, €3; ages 10 to 16, €2; under 10s and residents of Morella and Els Ports do not pay. You buy at the ticket desk on arrival, and can pay by card: there is no advance sale. The audio guide opens on your phone with a QR code, so bring headphones. Groups arrange the visit on 609 584 759 or at visites@basilicademorella.org. The tourist office lists the church as accessible, and animals are not admitted.
Allow about 45 minutes for the nave, the choir and the museum. It fits well between the arcaded street and the climb to the castle, and Mesón del Pastor is on the same Jovaní slope if lunchtime catches you.
- **Arcaded street and a walk round the walls** (1 h 30 · Everyone; slopes and steps inside · Free): What it is
Morella is enclosed by about two kilometres of wall, with seven gates and ten towers. Inside, the streets climb in terraces towards the castle, and the main one, Blasco de Alagón, runs beneath arcades: this is the arcaded street, the social heart of the town, with shops, restaurants and bars. The weekly market is held here on Sundays. It is what you see without paying an entrance fee, can be done at any hour and is what stays longest in the memory.
A walk of an hour and a half
Enter by the Sant Miquel gate, between its two fourteenth-century octagonal towers, and follow the arcaded street to the town hall, the Casa de la Vila, a fifteenth-century civic building with Gothic rooms. From there, the slopes climb towards the basilica of Santa María, with its Gothic doorway, and on the way back you descend through the former Jewish quarter. This is, broadly, the route followed by the weekend guided tour, which adds an explanation of the castle from the Estudios tower; if you prefer to be told about it, it is a good option.
To see the wall from outside, leave by any gate and walk the path that runs round it: the tourist office suggests it as one of its two urban walks, along with the Alameda. Its general listing gives no distance or duration, but from below you understand the whole town, with the castle on top of the rock and the gates one after another. If you want to climb onto the wall itself, the Sant Miquel towers let you walk a stretch of the wall-walk as far as the Nevera gate.
With a dog, children or a pushchair
It is a walk along public streets and paths, so you can bring a dog, on a lead. Inside the walls there are steps and steep stone slopes; with a pushchair, the outer walk around the wall is more comfortable. Children like peering into the gateways and counting towers; in Plaza de Sant Miquel they also have the Dinosaur Museum.
Where to stop and how to get there
Under the arcades is the Hotel Cardenal Ram, and a few steps away there are Morella-style eateries such as Casa Roque or La Fonda Moreno. If you come by car, leave it outside the wall, in the Paseo Jaume I car park, and enter on foot through the Sant Miquel gate. Without a car, the bus from Castellón runs Monday to Friday.
- **Sant Miquel Towers** (30 min · No pushchairs; narrow wooden staircase · €3 · free for under 6s): What it is
They are the two twin towers, with octagonal bases, that flank the Sant Miquel gate, the north entrance to the town and the main one today. They were built in the fourteenth century and are the showiest part of the wall that encircles Morella: about two kilometres of curtain wall with seven gates and ten towers. From outside you see them as you arrive from the car park; inside they are a small museum and a viewpoint.
What you see inside
You can visit both towers inside. You climb a narrow wooden staircase, cross the bridge that joins them and come out on the terrace, with views over the square, the rooftops and the wall. From there you walk a stretch of the wall-walk as far as the Nevera gate, from where you can see how the town was defended from the top of the wall.
In the rooms there are pieces of carved stone, old photographs of Morella and a collection of miniature vintage cars that children usually like. The most useful thing for a first-time visitor is the scale model of the walled enclosure, with information on all its towers and gates: in a few minutes it gets you oriented before you lose yourself in the streets. Allow about 30 minutes.
Hours and tickets
Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 14:00. On Saturdays, according to the tourist listing, from 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays, on 25 and 26 December and on 1, 6 and 7 January. Admission costs €3 and is paid in cash only, at the ticket desk; accompanied children under 6 do not pay. The listing does not give reduced or group rates; for those, contact the tourist office on 964 17 30 32 or by WhatsApp on 661 42 52 94.
It is not an accessible monument: the staircase is narrow and there is no lift. You can leave a pushchair at reception. Pets are not admitted.
What is around
Plaza de Sant Miquel is the starting point for almost everything. The Dinosaur Museum is there, and the Pasos de Dino route leaves from the towers, crossing the Gothic aqueduct and following the Camí de Xiva to the sauropod footprints at Mas de Romeu. In front of the tourist office the guided tour of Morella leaves at weekends, and the arcaded street begins from the gate. To sleep a step away, the Hotel Rey Don Jaime is beside the gate.
- **Dinosaur Museum** (45 min · Families with children · €3 · reduced €2.50 · free for under 6s): What it is
The Tiempo de Dinosaurios Museum (Temps de Dinosaures, in Valencian) is a small geology and palaeontology museum in Plaza de Sant Miquel, beside the gate through which almost everyone enters the town. It presents the visit as a journey "to the centre of the earth" through Cretaceous fossils found in the district. Morella and Els Ports have strata formed between the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, some 146 to 98 million years ago, and the clays of that era have preserved many dinosaur remains: carnivorous theropods, large herbivores, ornithopods and armoured dinosaurs have turned up here.
The most impressive piece is the life-size replica of an iguanodon, the species most often found and studied in the area. Around it, the display cases gather Cretaceous fossils found in the district. Allow about 45 minutes for the visit, a little more if you do the escape room.
The escape room, included
Inside the museum there is an escape room for families or groups of friends, "Escape in dinosaur time". The story: the map of the last dig site has been stolen from the laboratory of the palaeontologist Andrea. You play by scanning QR codes spread through the rooms and following clues between the display cases, with under 30 minutes to find the map. It is included in the ticket, but must be booked beforehand by phone, on 607 626 505.
Hours and tickets
Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays. General admission costs €3; reduced, €2.50, for over-65s, children aged 6 to 16, students under 25 with a card, Carnet Jove, people with disabilities, large families and single-parent families. Groups of more than 25 pay €2 per person and accompanied children under 6 do not pay. The ticket desk accepts cash and card.
It is not an accessible space: there are steps before the entrance and no lift to the upper floors. Pets are not admitted. For questions, the tourist office answers on 964 17 30 32 and on WhatsApp on 661 42 52 94.
The real footprints: Pasos de Dino
If the museum leaves you wanting more, the Pasos de Dino route takes you to see real footprints. It leaves from the Sant Miquel towers, crosses the Gothic aqueduct and follows the Camí de Xiva to the Mas de Romeu site, where sauropods left their tracks between 122 and 123 million years ago. The tourist office does not publish the distance or duration in its listing; the map and information for planning the outing are at dinosmorella.es.
How to fit it into the day
It is at the entrance to the old town, so it works well at the start or end of your stroll. The Sant Miquel towers are next door and the arcaded street begins a few metres away. For parking, the nearest is the Paseo Jaume I car park, outside the wall.
- **Morella la Vella Rock Paintings** (1 h · No reduced mobility · Free, by reservation): What it is
At the Morella la Vella farmhouse, about 6 km from the town, a rock shelter holds Levantine art paintings: mostly hunting scenes and schematic figures. The tourist office presents the place as the cradle of the first settlers of these lands. It forms part of the rock art of the Mediterranean arc of the Iberian Peninsula, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998. Besides the shelter, the visit is an excuse to get out into the Els Ports countryside, away from the bustle of the arcaded street.
How to visit
Only by prior reservation, through the Morella tourist office: phone 964 17 30 32, WhatsApp 661 42 52 94 or email. Booking is free. There are sessions from Tuesday to Sunday at 11:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 17:30, with a maximum of 15 people per session; at weekends and long weekends it is best to book well ahead. The listing does not give the duration: allow an hour in total for the explanation and the walk.
You get there in your own vehicle. The track does not admit motorhomes, caravans, large vans or coaches, so if you travel by motorhome you will have to leave it at the motorhome area and find another way up. The listing gives no road directions, so ask for access details when you book.
What to bear in mind
It is not accessible for people with reduced mobility and dogs are not admitted. Wear comfortable shoes and, in summer, bring water and a hat: the shelter is out in open country and the sun beats down in mid-afternoon. In winter, bring a coat: the rock shelter is in open country.
It is a visit more for teenagers and adults than for small children, who usually enjoy the footprints and fossils more. For them, the Dinosaur Museum is the alternative in the town itself.
How to fit it into the day
With morning and afternoon sessions it is easy to combine with the old town. If you book the 11:00 one, on your return you can climb the castle, which opens from 11:00 every day, and have lunch inside the wall. With the 16:00 one, spend the morning on the guided tour of Morella, which leaves at 12:00 at weekends.
- **Guided Tour of Morella's Historic Centre** (2 h · Everyone · Desde 12 € per person): What it is
A walk of about two hours with a professional guide through medieval Morella, telling the story of the town through its streets, its buildings and some of the figures who passed through it. It is organised by Noverint, a company of Morella guides that also runs tours of the Els Ports district, the Maestrat and the Teruel Maestrazgo, and programmes for schools.
The route
According to Noverint, the tour starts at the Sant Miquel gate and enters the old town. The first stop is the town hall, the Casa de la Vila, a fifteenth-century civic building. It continues through the old Jewish quarter and along the arcaded street, the social heart of the town, with shops, restaurants and bars; the weekly market is held there on Sundays. From the Estudios tower, which serves as a viewpoint over the castle, the guide explains the history of the fortress. It ends at the archpriest basilica of Santa María la Mayor, known for its Gothic doorway, raised choir and spiral staircase, with admission included in the price.
The climb to the castle is not included: at the end, anyone who wants to goes up on their own, with their own ticket. Allow another hour for that.
Hours, price and booking
It leaves on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 from Plaza de Sant Miquel, in front of the tourist office; other dates on request. It costs €16 for adults and €12 for children aged 6 to 12, with the basilica included. The tourist website is for information only: you book at noverint.es, which takes card payments, or on the phone numbers 964 160 793 and 613 507 301, and you can also pay in cash or by Bizum. The languages of the tour and the maximum group size are not published, so if you need them, ask when booking.
Wear comfortable shoes: Morella is built on a slope and there are steps and stone paving. With a pushchair, the tour is difficult in some stretches.
Before or after
The Sant Miquel gate is also where you find the Sant Miquel towers and the Dinosaur Museum, two short visits that can be done before 12:00. Afterwards, the arcaded street has bars and restaurants for lunch; Mesón del Pastor is next to the basilica. If you come by car, the Paseo Jaume I car park is outside the wall, a short distance from the meeting point.
- **Ziplines and treetop bridges at Saltapins, beside the Bergantes** (1 h 30 · From age 3, with an adult): A course of ropes and platforms among the trees, ten minutes from the walls. For the afternoon when the children have had enough stone.
A forest with platforms up to 17 metres
Saltapins is a high-ropes adventure park set up in the woods of the Fàbrica Giner complex, a former textile colony on the banks of the river Bergantes, about 4 km from Morella. The platforms are fixed to the trunks, between 2 and 17 metres off the ground, and you move from one to another by ziplines, Tibetan bridges, vines, hanging stirrups and barrels. Every tree has a different challenge.
The park is divided into five courses, each a different colour and with a minimum age. They do not compete with one another: you choose according to who is going. It is what Morella lacks for children, as it has a castle, towers and a museum but little place to burn off energy.
Which course to choose

Yellow, ages 3 to 5. Eleven elements 45 cm off the ground and a separate zipline. It lasts an hour and the adult accompanies from below.
Green, from age 6. Seventeen elements and three ziplines in 45 minutes. It is the first one at real height.
Blue, from age 9. Twenty-eight elements and four ziplines, an hour and a half. The best fit for a family with primary-school children.
Purple, from age 12. An hour and three quarters, with the two longest ziplines in the park, of about 100 metres.
Red, from age 16. The longest, two and a half hours, with the highest platforms. It only runs in the 11:30 session.

Minors always go with an adult who does the course with them, except on the yellow; the park recommends one adult for every three minors. If a teenager wants the red and the rest of the family does not, the purple can be done in parallel from age 12.
Booking, capacity and payment
You can only get in with a booking, on the park's website, for two people or more. On general opening days you can book up to two hours before the session, with a maximum of 20 people per session. Groups of more than ten can ask for another day to be opened, by email or phone; those of more than 55 are split across several sessions. The rates are on its website as a poster; the tourist office says you pay in cash or by card. The opening calendar is not in text on the website: check it in the booking system before you go, especially on weekdays and in winter.
Getting there from Morella
By car, it is about 4 km from Morella to the Fàbrica Giner complex, which is also the welcome point of the Centre BTT Els Ports. In the same valley start the mountain-bike routes from the Fàbrica Giner and the horse rides beside the Bergantes, so you can put together a whole morning without going back to the town.
Fitting it into the day
It works as a counterpoint to the old town. In the morning, the Sant Miquel towers and the Dinosaur Museum; lunch inside the walls at La Fonda Moreno, which prepares takeaway food if you prefer a picnic by the river; and the afternoon in the trees. If you have teenagers and want the red course, reverse the order: Saltapins at 11:30 and the castle in the afternoon, which is open until 17:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer.
- **Els Ports MTB Centre routes from the Fàbrica Giner** (2 h 10 · 17.7 km · Cyclists with mountain experience · Free; bike hire extra): Tracks and trails among farmhouses, ravines and the river Bergantes, with Morella on the horizon. The routes are waymarked and the track for each one is on Wikiloc.
An MTB centre with its starting point beside the river
Els Ports has a Centre BTT, a network of waymarked mountain-bike routes across the district. Its welcome point is at the Fàbrica Giner, the former textile colony beside the river Bergantes, about 4 km from Morella on the Sorita road. Nine routes start from there; others leave from Forcall, Sorita, Cinctorres and El Portell, where there are information panels. Morella's tourist office speaks of up to 37 routes across the whole network, each with a theme from the area's natural or cultural heritage.
The tourist office describes a terrain of demanding climbs and fast descents, with routes for all levels. Morella is at about a thousand metres and the welcome point is down below, beside the river: almost everything that leaves from there goes uphill.
The routes that start from the Fàbrica Giner
Turisme Comunitat Valenciana publishes these figures for the routes starting at the welcome point:

Forcall: 18.4 km, 1 h 30, 280 m of climbing. Easy. The entry route for beginners.
Morella: 17.7 km, 2 h 09, 590 m. Hard. The one that climbs towards the walled city.
Xiva de Morella: 30.9 km, 3 h 33, 794 m. Hard.
Saranyana i Sant Cristòfol: 31.8 km, 3 h 24, 734 m. Hard.
La Menadella i Todolella: 39.5 km, 3 h 42, 835 m. Hard.
La Menadella i Palanques: 45.7 km, 4 h 07, 937 m. Hard.
Del Bergantes al Riu de les Corses: 48.5 km, 6 h, 1,555 m. Very hard.
L'Oest del Bergantes: 55 km, 4 h 59, 1,154 m. Hard.
L'Est del Bergantes: 58.4 km, 7 h, 1,662 m. Very hard.

From the Sorita information point, three gentler routes also leave: La Balma per començar, 6.7 km and 155 m, very easy; Ortells, 12.5 km and 114 m, easy; and La Balma per continuar, 25.7 km and 645 m. They are the best for teenagers who have just started. Morella's tourist office also gathers a proposal of technical trails, Morella Singletracks.
If you prefer the road
The Diputación's Castellón Cycling guide suggests three road cycle-touring routes from Morella: the R01, for beginners, 37.1 km and 844 m of climbing; the R02, medium level, 66.1 km and 1,423 m; and the R03, for experts, 127.3 km and 2,266 m.
Bike hire and where to sleep
If you have no bike, Cases Rural Morella, on the CV-125 next to the Fàbrica Giner, advertises bike hire and equipment for these routes. It does not publish prices or models: phone first to find out whether it has the size and type of bike you need. To sleep in town, the Hotel Rey Don Jaime is next to the Sant Miquel gate, the natural way out towards the valley.
In the same Fàbrica Giner complex is the adventure park Saltapins: if you go as a family, some pedal while others hang from the trees.
- **Horse and Cart Rides through the Bergantes Valley** (1 h 30 · Families and anyone who has never ridden): Morella looks different from below, from the Bergantes valley, on horseback. Distrau-te, the activities brand of Cases Rural Morella, brings out its horses near the Fàbrica Giner, about 4 km from the wall, for relaxed rides designed for people who have never ridden.
On horseback: an hour and a half with the river in between
The ride starts with a practical explanation: how to approach the horse, how to get on and how to guide it. Then it heads out into the countryside. According to Morella's tourist office, the route crosses the river and passes through woods and farmland with the walled city in view. It lasts about an hour and a half and a maximum of ten people go on each outing. It is a walking-pace ride, not a riding lesson.
By cart, for those who do not want to ride
If the group includes very small children or someone who would rather not get on a horse, the cart ride is the alternative. First you see how the horse is harnessed to the cart, with an explanation of each piece, and then you travel through a natural area around the Fàbrica Giner looking at the flora and fauna. It lasts 60 to 90 minutes and takes up to eight adults or ten children.
The same company has a large room of traditional hand-made wooden games, with games of skill and wit, which it uses for families, schools and birthdays.
Booking and paying
Everything works by prior reservation, all year: on 677 44 82 50 or at reservas@ruralmorella.com. Neither the website nor the tourist office publishes prices or a minimum age, so ask both when you book, along with the exact place where you meet. Payment is in cash or by Bizum.
To complete the morning
In the same valley are the Saltapins adventure park, at the Fàbrica Giner, and the start of the Els Ports mountain-bike routes. Back in Morella, climb to the castle, which opens every day from 11:00, and eat on the arcaded street.
- **Lavender Fields of La Todolella and the Cinctorres Distillery** (4 h · 2 km · All ages · Desde 27 € per person): In June and July, the lavender fields of Els Ports turn purple, and the guides of Viu els Ports organise a whole morning around them: the field, lunch at a masía, a mill, a bridge and the distillery where the flower becomes essence. La Todolella is 17 km from Morella, about 22 minutes by car.
A morning in four stops
The visit lasts about four hours. It begins with a guided circular walk of about two kilometres among the fields of aromatic plants, with the flower open. Then there is a lunch of local produce at a masía. The third stop is at La Todolella: the Sant Onofre mill and the bridge that Viu els Ports calls Arab, over the river. The last is the Cinctorres distillery, where you see how the essential oil is extracted. Between stops you travel in your own car, following the guide.
Price, ages and minimum group
It costs €27 for adults, €12 for ages 6 to 18 and nothing for under-6s, and the company offers a discount to those who book directly with it. It is designed for all ages. It only goes ahead with a minimum number of people, so there are no fixed dates: write or call to find out which days have a group and you are added to one. You must book in advance, on 633 82 07 36 or by email. If the weather is not good, the outing is rescheduled.
Lavender on a trip to Morella
The season coincides with early summer, when Morella is cooler than the coast but not yet full. Do the lavender in the morning and go back to the town for lunch: Mesón del Pastor, next to the basilica, serves Els Ports cooking. In the afternoon, the castle is open until 19:00 from April to September. If you come in autumn rather than summer, the same company runs the saffron harvest at La Mata.
- **Saffron Harvest and Tasting in the La Mata Fields** (4 h · 3.5 km · All ages · Desde 20 € per person): Saffron flowers for only a few weeks a year, in autumn, and the flower is picked by hand. In La Mata, a small village in Els Ports 21 km from Morella, about 25 minutes by car, the guides of Viu els Ports take you to a field in bloom to do it yourself. Their partners produce organic saffron in the region.
From flower to red thread
The visit lasts about four hours. In the field you pick the purple saffron flowers, one by one. Then comes the desbrinado: separating by hand from each flower the three red stigmas, which are the spice. There is a saffron tasting and, to finish, an interpretive walk of about 3.5 km through the landscape and history of La Mata, beside the Cantavella river.
Price and booking
It costs €20 for adults, €12 for ages 6 to 18 and nothing for under-6s; booking directly with the company gets a discount. It is for all ages. It only goes ahead with a minimum group and depends on the weather and the flowering, so there is no fixed calendar: ask about dates on 633 82 07 36 or by email, in advance. Before the outing they send you information and recommendations.
An autumn in Els Ports
October and November are good months for Morella: mild days, low light on the walls and fewer people than in summer. You can sleep in the town, at the Hotel Cardenal Ram on the arcaded street, and devote one morning to saffron and another to the rock paintings of Morella la Vella, which have free sessions from Tuesday to Sunday by reservation. And if you come back in June, the same company shows the lavender fields of La Todolella.

## Dónde comer
- **Casa Roque** (Restaurant, Morella, €€). Qué pedir: the Morella croquettes or the spoon-dish olla, the carpaccio of cured beef and Morella cheese with truffle oil and, for the main, the roast ternasco.
- **Mesón del Pastor** (Restaurant, Morella, €€€). Qué pedir: the traditional tasting menu, with cured beef from La Todolella, cheeses from Morella and Tronchón and Morella croquettes, and the ternasco cannelloni as a main.
- **La Fonda Moreno** (Restaurant, Morella, €€). Qué pedir: the ternasco Morella-style or the partridge in oil, and for dessert the collà, the curd of the area.

## By car: The car stays outside the wall
Morella is visited on foot. You arrive by car on the N-232 or via Ares del Maestrat, park on Paseo Jaume I and don't touch it again until you go to Morella la Vella or leave.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–120 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Cardenal Ram** (Hotel): The Cardenal Ram is on Costera de la Suñer, at the start of the arcaded street of Blasco de Alagón, in the centre of Morella's old town. It is a three-star rural hotel in a stone mansion, completely renovated in 2013, with 16 rooms and 32 beds, and it opens all year. It does not belong to any chain.
Sixteen doubles, all facing the street
All the rooms are doubles and all face outwards: they look onto the cobbled streets and the arcades. Six have Morella decoration, with modern and colourful touches, and the rest damask fabrics with a classic air. Each has a full bathroom with hairdryer, television, free wifi and minibar. There are three categories: the double, the double with views and the Cardenal room, the largest, with windows more than two hundred years old looking onto the arcades of the historic centre. The double has space for an extra bed for a third person. Smoking in the rooms is forbidden, with fines of €50 to €500.
Restaurant, bicycles and scooter
The hotel restaurant cooks Morella dishes with local produce and has a set menu Monday to Friday, another for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, a Cardenal Ram menu, the Castelló Ruta del Sabor menu in autumn and a children's menu; prices change on public holidays, so ask at reception. The hotel rents an electric mountain bike, the Powerfly 4, for rides in the surroundings, and an electric scooter for older people or those with reduced mobility, useful in a town of slopes. There is also a treatment room for facials, body treatments and massages, which can also be done in your room. Everything is booked on 964 16 00 46 or at reception.
Accessibility and pets
It has a lift and adapted rooms and bathrooms, although the main door is not at street level: tell them when booking if anyone uses a wheelchair. Pets are not admitted.
Arriving by car and parking
To arrive by car, the address is Calle Blasco de Alagón 39. Inside the wall only residents park; you can drive in to unload luggage and then leave the car in the Paseo Jaume I car park, the blue zone outside the walls, which from the fourth day is free if you show the tickets from the previous three.
How to book
Book through the engine on their website or by writing to info@hotelcardenalram.com with the dates and the board you want. Bookings with a Bono Viaje voucher cannot be made by phone or with the code on the website, and are cancelled free up to seven days before. The hotel warns of fake WhatsApp messages pretending to be from it to ask for bank details: use only its official channels.
From the door you are a few steps from the arcaded street and the basilica. For dinner out, Casa Roque is at the Cinco Esquinas, a few steps away.
- **Hotel Rey Don Jaime** (Hotel): The Rey Don Jaime is at Calle Joan Giner 6, just after the Sant Miquel gate, the north entrance to Morella's walled enclosure. It is a three-star hotel with 44 rooms, run by a Valencian hotel group. Inside it mixes wood, stone and local fabrics; depending on the orientation, rooms look onto the mountain or the rooftops of the historic centre.
From the suite to the standard double
There are six types of room. The suite, for two, is the largest and has a lounge area. The family room with balcony is designed for parents with children, and the triple sleeps three. Couples choose between the double with balcony and views, the double with balcony and the standard double, which can also be rented as a single. All have a private bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and wifi, with bed linen and towels. The hotel has a lift, welcome in a town of slopes, and a reception.
Buffet breakfast and two menus
Breakfast is a buffet, sweet and savoury. The restaurant opens at midday and in the evening, also for those not staying at the hotel, with two menus: the house menu, at €19.90 per person with a choice of first course, main and dessert and water (some dishes carry a supplement), and the gastronomic one, at €35 per person, with starters to share, a main to choose, dessert, water and house wine, for a minimum of two. For the rest of the day there is the café and a terrace beside the stone of the street.
Car, bus and pets
Inside the wall you can only drive in to load and unload. By car, drop your luggage and park in the blue zone on Paseo Jaume I, outside the wall, a few minutes' walk. If you arrive on the bus from Castellón, which only runs Monday to Friday, the hotel is just after you enter by Sant Miquel, with no long slopes to climb with your suitcase. According to the tourist office, pets are not admitted.
At the hotel door
The Sant Miquel towers are next door, and from there you continue on foot to the arcaded street and the basilica. The Dinosaur Museum is in the same Plaza de Sant Miquel, a good stop with children. To book a room or table, call 964 160 911, WhatsApp 639 302 285 or email hotel@reydonjaimemorella.com.
- **Hotel La Fonda Moreno** (Small hotel): La Fonda Moreno is a family-run two-star hotel at Calle de Sant Nicolau 12, inside Morella's walled enclosure. The building was completely renovated in 2006 and mixes contemporary design with the traditional: coloured walls, wooden beams and windows that look onto the rooftops of the old town. Downstairs are the house bar and restaurant, so you sleep and eat under the same roof.
Nine rooms above the dining room
There are only nine rooms, all with a full bathroom, air conditioning, heating, flat-screen television and telephone, and there is wifi throughout the hotel. The access is accessible and it has rooms adapted for people with disabilities. The website does not detail room types, extra beds or prices: the rate appears when you choose dates in its online booking, and for any question there is 964 160 105 or info@lafondamoreno.com. Nor does it say whether breakfast is included or the check-in and check-out times, so ask when booking.
Dinner without going out
The inn's restaurant serves simple Morella cooking: ternasco, Morella soup and croquettes, partridge in oil, rabbit with almonds and, for dessert, the collà, the local curd. It has menus at €20, €32 and €34 and everything can be taken away, which is handy on a tired night with children. Its hours are not published: confirm on arrival.
With a dog or by car
According to the tourist office, the house admits dogs if you let them know beforehand; the hotel does not say so on its website, so confirm when booking and ask whether there is a supplement. By car, you can only enter the walled town to load and unload: leave your luggage at the door and park on Paseo Jaume I, the blue zone outside the wall, from where you walk up. If you arrive on the bus from Castellón, remember it only runs on weekdays.
What is nearby
From Calle de Sant Nicolau you can walk to the whole old town: the arcaded street, the basilica of Santa María and the climb to the castle, whose entrance is now at the top of Calle del Hospital. It is a good base for the Morella with the family plan, which has lunch at the inn itself.
- **Zielo de Levante** (Small hotel, desde 222 € / night): Bubbles in the almond fields of Tírig
Zielo de Levante is in Tírig, a village in inland Castellón south of Morella, among almond trees, olive trees and dry-stone barracas. They are bubble rooms of 25 to 40 m², each on its own plot of 240 to 300 m², with garden furniture and sun loungers. The dome gives you about 280 degrees of sky. Inside there is a double bed with a canopy, a shower with a view of the sky and a hairdryer. The bubble is climate-controlled, and the house opens all year.
The booking engine shows six types. Premium King, Premium Clean Air, with purified air, and Premium Eros are the basic ones. VIP Hidro has a whirlpool bath and a second bubble. Presidencial Vulcano adds a private jacuzzi and Presidencial Neptuno a heated 4 by 2 metre pool. The private jacuzzi and the romantic pack are also offered as extras.
What it costs and what is included
All the rates shown on its website are for bed and breakfast for two adults. There are two: a non-refundable one, a little cheaper, and a flexible one that you can cancel up to 7 days before arrival. On a Tuesday in late November 2026, a night came to from €222 in the Premium rooms and from €332 in the Presidenciales. On a Saturday in May 2027, from €342 to €460. There are few bubbles of each type, and the search engine often warns that the last one is left: if you want one with a jacuzzi or a pool, book in good time.
For dinner they have their own restaurant. Check-in is from 17:00 to 22:00 and check-out before 12:00. Arriving in daylight helps you find the plot and see the surroundings before dark. The website says nothing about children or animals: ask before booking.
Rock art a walk away
Less than eight minutes on foot is the Museu de la Valltorta, the centre of the Parc Cultural Valltorta-Gasulla, with Levantine rock paintings declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the drove roads that leave the village you can walk among dry-stone barracas. Tírig and Morella share that art: in Morella you can visit the shelter of Morella la Vella, with hunting scenes. For the rest of the comarca, see Morella. You need a car to get around here.
### Servicios
- **Paseo Jaume I Car Park**: Blue zone outside the wall · from €1 an hour to €3 a day · free from the fourth day

## Car-free: By bus from Castellón, weekdays only
You can get there without a car, but only Monday to Friday: the Autos Mediterráneo bus does not run at weekends or on public holidays. Once inside, everything is on foot. For Morella la Vella you need a taxi.
Presupuesto orientativo: 65–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Cardenal Ram** (Hotel): The Cardenal Ram is on Costera de la Suñer, at the start of the arcaded street of Blasco de Alagón, in the centre of Morella's old town. It is a three-star rural hotel in a stone mansion, completely renovated in 2013, with 16 rooms and 32 beds, and it opens all year. It does not belong to any chain.
Sixteen doubles, all facing the street
All the rooms are doubles and all face outwards: they look onto the cobbled streets and the arcades. Six have Morella decoration, with modern and colourful touches, and the rest damask fabrics with a classic air. Each has a full bathroom with hairdryer, television, free wifi and minibar. There are three categories: the double, the double with views and the Cardenal room, the largest, with windows more than two hundred years old looking onto the arcades of the historic centre. The double has space for an extra bed for a third person. Smoking in the rooms is forbidden, with fines of €50 to €500.
Restaurant, bicycles and scooter
The hotel restaurant cooks Morella dishes with local produce and has a set menu Monday to Friday, another for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, a Cardenal Ram menu, the Castelló Ruta del Sabor menu in autumn and a children's menu; prices change on public holidays, so ask at reception. The hotel rents an electric mountain bike, the Powerfly 4, for rides in the surroundings, and an electric scooter for older people or those with reduced mobility, useful in a town of slopes. There is also a treatment room for facials, body treatments and massages, which can also be done in your room. Everything is booked on 964 16 00 46 or at reception.
Accessibility and pets
It has a lift and adapted rooms and bathrooms, although the main door is not at street level: tell them when booking if anyone uses a wheelchair. Pets are not admitted.
Arriving by car and parking
To arrive by car, the address is Calle Blasco de Alagón 39. Inside the wall only residents park; you can drive in to unload luggage and then leave the car in the Paseo Jaume I car park, the blue zone outside the walls, which from the fourth day is free if you show the tickets from the previous three.
How to book
Book through the engine on their website or by writing to info@hotelcardenalram.com with the dates and the board you want. Bookings with a Bono Viaje voucher cannot be made by phone or with the code on the website, and are cancelled free up to seven days before. The hotel warns of fake WhatsApp messages pretending to be from it to ask for bank details: use only its official channels.
From the door you are a few steps from the arcaded street and the basilica. For dinner out, Casa Roque is at the Cinco Esquinas, a few steps away.
- **Hotel Rey Don Jaime** (Hotel): The Rey Don Jaime is at Calle Joan Giner 6, just after the Sant Miquel gate, the north entrance to Morella's walled enclosure. It is a three-star hotel with 44 rooms, run by a Valencian hotel group. Inside it mixes wood, stone and local fabrics; depending on the orientation, rooms look onto the mountain or the rooftops of the historic centre.
From the suite to the standard double
There are six types of room. The suite, for two, is the largest and has a lounge area. The family room with balcony is designed for parents with children, and the triple sleeps three. Couples choose between the double with balcony and views, the double with balcony and the standard double, which can also be rented as a single. All have a private bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and wifi, with bed linen and towels. The hotel has a lift, welcome in a town of slopes, and a reception.
Buffet breakfast and two menus
Breakfast is a buffet, sweet and savoury. The restaurant opens at midday and in the evening, also for those not staying at the hotel, with two menus: the house menu, at €19.90 per person with a choice of first course, main and dessert and water (some dishes carry a supplement), and the gastronomic one, at €35 per person, with starters to share, a main to choose, dessert, water and house wine, for a minimum of two. For the rest of the day there is the café and a terrace beside the stone of the street.
Car, bus and pets
Inside the wall you can only drive in to load and unload. By car, drop your luggage and park in the blue zone on Paseo Jaume I, outside the wall, a few minutes' walk. If you arrive on the bus from Castellón, which only runs Monday to Friday, the hotel is just after you enter by Sant Miquel, with no long slopes to climb with your suitcase. According to the tourist office, pets are not admitted.
At the hotel door
The Sant Miquel towers are next door, and from there you continue on foot to the arcaded street and the basilica. The Dinosaur Museum is in the same Plaza de Sant Miquel, a good stop with children. To book a room or table, call 964 160 911, WhatsApp 639 302 285 or email hotel@reydonjaimemorella.com.
- **Hotel La Fonda Moreno** (Small hotel): La Fonda Moreno is a family-run two-star hotel at Calle de Sant Nicolau 12, inside Morella's walled enclosure. The building was completely renovated in 2006 and mixes contemporary design with the traditional: coloured walls, wooden beams and windows that look onto the rooftops of the old town. Downstairs are the house bar and restaurant, so you sleep and eat under the same roof.
Nine rooms above the dining room
There are only nine rooms, all with a full bathroom, air conditioning, heating, flat-screen television and telephone, and there is wifi throughout the hotel. The access is accessible and it has rooms adapted for people with disabilities. The website does not detail room types, extra beds or prices: the rate appears when you choose dates in its online booking, and for any question there is 964 160 105 or info@lafondamoreno.com. Nor does it say whether breakfast is included or the check-in and check-out times, so ask when booking.
Dinner without going out
The inn's restaurant serves simple Morella cooking: ternasco, Morella soup and croquettes, partridge in oil, rabbit with almonds and, for dessert, the collà, the local curd. It has menus at €20, €32 and €34 and everything can be taken away, which is handy on a tired night with children. Its hours are not published: confirm on arrival.
With a dog or by car
According to the tourist office, the house admits dogs if you let them know beforehand; the hotel does not say so on its website, so confirm when booking and ask whether there is a supplement. By car, you can only enter the walled town to load and unload: leave your luggage at the door and park on Paseo Jaume I, the blue zone outside the wall, from where you walk up. If you arrive on the bus from Castellón, remember it only runs on weekdays.
What is nearby
From Calle de Sant Nicolau you can walk to the whole old town: the arcaded street, the basilica of Santa María and the climb to the castle, whose entrance is now at the top of Calle del Hospital. It is a good base for the Morella with the family plan, which has lunch at the inn itself.
### Servicios
- **Castellón – Morella Bus**: Autos Mediterráneo, Monday to Friday from Castellón bus station · no weekend service

## As a family: A real castle and an iguanodon

Morella works with children because everything is short and close: a tower, a museum, a castle, each taking less than an hour. Slopes and steps are the only problem with a pushchair.

### What works best
The dinosaur museum, with the escape room included in the ticket

The climb to the castle: an hour, free for under 6s

The Sant Miquel Towers and their scale model of the town

The weekend guided tour, €12 for ages 6 to 12

Saltapins, 4 km away: zip lines and treetop bridges from age 3, by reservation

The cart ride through the Bergantes valley, for up to ten children

### Sleeping
Family or triple room at the Hotel Rey Don Jaime

Extra bed at the Hotel Cardenal Ram

### Eating
Takeaway from La Fonda Moreno, for a picnic on the Alameda

Casa Roque, a big dining room that is easy for families

### Bear in mind
A baby carrier is better than a pushchair: steps in the towers and the castle

The dinosaur museum and the towers close on Mondays

### Qué hacer as a family
- Morella Castle
- Basilica of Santa María la Mayor
- Arcaded street and a walk round the walls
- Sant Miquel Towers
- Dinosaur Museum
- Guided Tour of Morella's Historic Centre
- Ziplines and treetop bridges at Saltapins, beside the Bergantes
- Horse and Cart Rides through the Bergantes Valley
- Lavender Fields of La Todolella and the Cinctorres Distillery
- Saffron Harvest and Tasting in the La Mata Fields

## Consejos

### Arrive before 11:00
The castle opens at that time and the arcades fill up mid-morning at weekends.

### On Sunday, the basilica before Mass
It is open from 10:00 to 11:15 and from 12:15 to 15:00. Organise the morning around that gap.

### Bring coins
The blue-zone machines do not give change; the Moviltik app avoids the problem.

### Bring a coat outside summer
At a thousand metres, the afternoon turns much cooler, and it is windy at the castle.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take to get from Castellón to Morella?
About 1 h 20 by car via Sant Mateu, 101 km. Via Ares del Maestrat, 1 h 25.

### And from Valencia?
About 2 h 10, 170 km, along the A-7, the CV-10 and the N-232.

### Can you drive into Morella?
Only to load and unload. You park outside, on Paseo Jaume I.

### How much does the castle cost?
€5, €4 reduced and free for children under 6. It is open every day from 11:00.

### Can you go by bus?
From Castellón, Monday to Friday, with Autos Mediterráneo. There is no service at weekends.

### Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: castle, towers, a dinosaur museum with an escape room and short distances, and 4 km away the Saltapins adventure park, from age 3. A baby carrier is better than a pushchair.