An estimated 160 dinosaur footprints lie across around 500 square metres in the main section of the El Castellar fossil site. This palaeontological highlight shapes the options for excursions in the town: a circular route leads to two sites, while the DINOpaseo brings the theme into the streets and nearby surroundings of El Castellar.
Historic buildings and paths through the landscape offer further reasons to explore El Castellar. When planning, it is worth distinguishing the circular route to the dinosaur sites from the longer hiking trails.
Dinosaur Footprints and Sites
The El Castellar fossil site lies on a limestone outcrop south of El Castellar, about 400 metres south of the road between El Castellar and Formiche Alto. In the main section, the estimated footprints cover around 500 square metres. Camino El Berzal has a high concentration of oval tracks attributed to sauropods. The largest footprints measure 1.10 to 1.20 metres in diameter.
The El Castellar fossil site was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category “Conjunto de Interés Cultural,” palaeontological zone, by Decree 18/2004 of 27 January 2004 of the Government of Aragón. Camino El Berzal is among the dinosaur footprint sites covered by this declaration.
The Ruta del Dinosaurio is a 2.3-kilometre circular walk to the visitor-ready sites at Camino El Berzal and San CristĂłbal. At the sites and in their surroundings, there are walkways, shelters, glazing, information panels, markers, replicas, and other museographic features relating to palaeontology. The route thus connects the sites with different forms of interpretation.
The DINOpaseo por El Castellar offers a different perspective: this walking route passes through the streets and nearby surroundings of the town and draws on its palaeontological heritage. Its stops feature replicas of local fossils and scientific information. The objects on display include a seven-metre-long reconstruction of a carnivorous dinosaur, a 150-square-metre dinosaur mural, and a three-metre-high metal sculpture of a footprint.
Trails of Different Lengths
The 2.3-kilometre Ruta del Dinosaurio is shorter than the Sendero Local “El Castellar-Fuente de las Malezas,” which is listed as six kilometres long. This trail runs from the Mirador del castillo to the Fuente Malezas; its walking time is estimated at 1 hour and 40 minutes. The distance and estimated time provide different points of reference for planning your day.
The PR-TE-28 connects El Castellar and Alcalá de la Selva via the Portillo de Ramiro. It is officially certified by the Comarca Gúdar-Javalambre and included in Aragón’s network of tourist hiking trails. As trail conditions may change, check them before setting out.
Castle, Churches, and Hermitages
The restored Castillo de El Castellar consists of an elongated fortification about 100 metres long, a curtain wall, a round tower approximately six metres in diameter, and a keep. Its construction phases date from the 13th to the 18th century; its exact date of construction cannot be determined. The Castillo is also included in the list of castles considered Bienes de Interés Cultural under Aragón’s Cultural Heritage Law 3/1999 of 10 March.
The Iglesia de San Miguel also brings together different architectural descriptions: it has clearly identifiable 16th-century Gothic elements and is also described as a late Baroque, almost Neoclassical building from the late 18th century. The Ermita de Santa Bárbara stands beside the castle and dates from the 18th century. The Baroque Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar also dates from that century.
The Landscape Around El Castellar
Near El Castellar is a moist juniper woodland with numerous Portuguese oaks of the species Quercus faginea. The woodland is located at elevations above 1,700 metres. The banks of the Las Malezas River are also among the landscapes of interest in El Castellar. Thus, alongside the palaeontological and historical themes, the landscape is another distinct focus.
Discover more destinations: Aliaga, Alobras, Calamocha, Jabaloyas, Celadas, Mirambel, Monteagudo Del Castillo, Rubielos De Mora
For the regional travel overview: Teruel.
