Castellón is the northernmost of the Valencian Community's three provinces
It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west and Tarragona to the north. Its eastern border is comprised of the Costa del Azahar, which runs north to south along the Mediterranean Sea.
Relatively unknown to the wider public beyond the limits of the province itself, inland Castellón may well be Valencia's hidden cycling paradise.....
Relatively unknown to the wider public beyond the limits of the province itself, inland Castellón may well be Valencia's hidden cycling paradise.....
ONYOUR.BIKE
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| e-bike excursionistss in Villafamés, Castellón |
Castellón de la Plana, a busy, somewhat noisy city that is home to around 170,000 inhabitants, from a total of around 575,000 throughout the province.
 Kriegerkalle / Public domain |
| Old town and castle of Peñiscola, Castellón Gordito1869 / CC BY-SA |
As is the norm in the Valencian Community, and to a large extent throughout Spain, the vast majority of the local population lives along the coast in towns and villages such as Vinaroz, Peñíscola, Torreblanca, Oropesa del Mar and Benicasim, all of which cater to domestic and international tourism to a greater or lesser degree.
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| Orange groves in the Valencian Community |
Traditionally, the economy of Castellón has been centred on agriculture, and specifically the production of citrus fruit and vegetables, as can be evidenced by the seemingly endless orange groves that run from north to south just inland from the coast.
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| Coll de Fredes, la Tinença de Benifassà, Castellón |
Once we move inland from the coast the landscape changes dramatically, passing from the flat, coastal strip to the rugged mountains of the Maestrazgo (or Maestrat in Valencian) range to the north and the gentler, but nevertheless testing, Espadán (or serra d'Espadà in Valencian)range to the south.
The former forms the eastern extreme of the Iberian System mountain range. Home to perhaps the most renowned mountain in the Valencian Community, Penyagolosa (1,831 metres), the area is wild, abrupt, underpopulated and extremely cold in winter.
Sounds great, no?
It is also the location of many highly-interesting monumental towns and villages evidencing the area's very particula history and culture, such as Morella, Sant Mateu, Culla, Alcañiz, Vistabella and Cantavieja, and offers some of the most unspoilt mountainous landscapes along the Spanish Mediterranean.
The latter, which is host to the Natural Park of the same name, is generally gentler in aspect, with its highest peak being La Ràpita (1,106 m). Easily accessible from the coastal town of Sagunto, Sierra de Espadán offers innumerable options for road and off-road cycling in the mountains, as well as the Castellón section of the Ojos Negros Greenway.
With very little traffic, excellent food, uncountable paved and paved climbs......as we say; it may well be Valencia's hidden cycling paradise....
The former forms the eastern extreme of the Iberian System mountain range. Home to perhaps the most renowned mountain in the Valencian Community, Penyagolosa (1,831 metres), the area is wild, abrupt, underpopulated and extremely cold in winter.
Sounds great, no?
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| View of the historic town of Morella, Castellón |
It is also the location of many highly-interesting monumental towns and villages evidencing the area's very particula history and culture, such as Morella, Sant Mateu, Culla, Alcañiz, Vistabella and Cantavieja, and offers some of the most unspoilt mountainous landscapes along the Spanish Mediterranean.
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| Sierra de Espadán, in southern Castellón Pelayo2 (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA |
The latter, which is host to the Natural Park of the same name, is generally gentler in aspect, with its highest peak being La Ràpita (1,106 m). Easily accessible from the coastal town of Sagunto, Sierra de Espadán offers innumerable options for road and off-road cycling in the mountains, as well as the Castellón section of the Ojos Negros Greenway.
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| Peloton in the Mens Professional Road Race, 2018 Spanish Championships, Castellón, Spain |
With very little traffic, excellent food, uncountable paved and paved climbs......as we say; it may well be Valencia's hidden cycling paradise....
