Here’s a list of places we have stayed in and which I would definitely recommend, plus a couple of ideas what to do/where to eat in the area.
Vistabella del Maestrazgo
Casas Rurales Penyagolosa
One of the best guesthouses ever. It has 3 apartments: two smaller ones for 2-4 people; and a big one, with 4 rooms inside. The apartments have pretty much everything – a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, spacious living room plus all the bathroom equipment and towels/additional blankets.
The host Teresa is most welcoming as well, so you can count on a great stay and perfect service.
What to do
If you go to Vistabella, the obvious thing to do is go up to Penyagolosa – the emblematic mountain of the Valencian Community. The most common starting point is from Sant Joan shrine and the whole route is just 8.5km, medium difficulty.
You can find detailed information (in Spanish) and tracks here: kinautas.com
Apart from Penyagolosa, Vistabella offers several hiking routes (links to tracks on the left), a short stroll around the village with some mountain art along the way, and let’s not forget about the long distance trail GR-7, which goes through the village, and if you follow it to ermita de San Bertomeu – a great views of the deep valleys are provided along quite a flat and easy route.
Almedíjar
Albergue La Surera
Probably the coziest hostel I’ve ever been to. There’s plenty of room in 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 dorm rooms and even a double room as well, for those who prefer some privacy.
A big hall with some board games and books can keep you occupied in the evenings, there is an option to order breakfast/lunch/dinner and the food is always delecious, plus they can adapt the menu to all kinds of dietary needs.
Right outside, in the patio of the hostel you can find a climbing wall, there is also a swimming pool nearby.
What to do
There are numerous routes around Almedíjar. Apart from the guided walks organized by the hostel, you can find several interesting things on your own: take a walk through Barranco de Almanzor and visit the monumental tree La Castañera; explore the haunted house – Masía Mosqeura; or go to the most emblematic peak of the natural park – Pico Espadán (easy / long).
Villahermosa del Río
Masía Roncales
Another guesthouse in the vicinity of Penyagolosa, this time on the other side though, just 2km from Villahermosa. Located in a rural area, next to Carbo river, a great place to spend peaceful weekend and immerse yourself in nature.
There is a big dormitory room with beds for 14 people as well as a couple of more comfortable double rooms. The hosts give you a very warm welcome, and the food, coming from their own garden, is the best I have tried in Spain. On top of that the hosts can take you on a guided tour around the area and share their knowledge about local plants and mushrooms, tell stoires about fairies and educate you with regards to geology of the area.
What to do
The area is well known for the picturesque waterfalls, so the recommended time to visit would be summer, although the water is still pretty cool. The closest one is Rio Carbo waterfall, just 3km walking from the guesthouse. Another one is Cascada del Arquero in Puertomingalvo, Teruel, still not that far from the guesthouse.
You can easily visit two of them, just like we did in August of 2019 on our Two Waterfall weekend trip.