This medieval origin construction with later neoclassic and baroque extensions, concentrates great part of the magic and mysticism of the Penyagolosa. This sanctuary is the most important focus of religious attraction in the province, receiving every year the ancestral pilgrimages from most of the surrounding villages, such as Culla, Vistabella, Xodos and Puertomingalvo. Some of them date back to the Middle Ages. The most famous of these pilgrimages, “Els Pelegrins de Les Users” (declared an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest) is celebrated on the last Friday in April. Villagers taking part in the pilgrimages demand peace, water and health from the Romanesque image of the saint.
Route of the Penyagolosa villages – Stage 3: Vistabella – Sant Joan de Penyagolosa
We leave Vistabella following the GR7 (red / white) along the great Vistabella plain until we reach the “Espino” spring. From there we continue through the Penyagolosa Natural Park until we reach “Sant Joan’s” hermitage . This stage is characterized by the magnificent environment provided by the natural park and its 12th century hermitage.
Route of the Penyagolosa villages – Stage 4: Sant Joan de Penyagolosa – Xodos.
This stage begins walking along the “Conill” hill to “La Banyadera”.
Once there, we take the path that takes us to the farmhouse of “Sanaüja” and from there to “Les Mallades”. We continue the path down to the “Canaleja” spring. From there we continue towards the GR33 until we reach our destination, Xodos.
Penyagolosa full moon
Live a real night experience at Marinet (1466 m), discover Xodos ans its charming maginal night.
Discover the Penyagolosa mushrooms
Autumn is the perfect season to go in search of mushrooms and fungi. An activity that you can combine with walks in nature, the visit to charming villages such as Vistabella del Maestrat, Xodos, Benafigos or Atzeneta del Maestrat and the tasting of tasty seasonal dishes in restaurants in the area.
This is an unforgettable experience for all those who decide to delve into this wonderful activity collecting wild mushrooms and fungi.
We will enter the Penyagolosa with the mycologist to discover the most well-known edible fungal species of each season. The mycologist will advise us at all times and will explain how to look for mushrooms, where to look for them, those that we find if they are good to eat or not always with explanations adapted to the type of group.
Complete the experience tasting the mushrooms in one of the restaurants near the Penyagolosa.
Meet Penyagolosa’s black truffle
Meet Penyagolosa’s black or summer truffle
You’ll search this black diamond from our mountains will accompanied by an expert truffle grower and his truffle dog. You will observe how the trained dog finds the truffles, you will know what the truffle is, where, how and when it is produced and harvested, and how it is used in cooking. In addition, you will have the opportunity to purchase fresh truffles.
Sant Joan de Penyagolosa’s Inn
Closed until further notice
Camping at Sant Joan de Penyagolosa
El Parc Natural de Penyagolosa disposa d’una zona d’acampada lliure (àrea d’acampada el Planás) i tres campaments per a grups prèvia autorització (Lloma del Mig i Lloma Velà I i II ).
Per acampar al Planás hi ha que sol·licitar l’autorització almenys amb 7 dies d’antelació als Serveis Territorials de la Conselleria de Medi Ambient de Castelló, Avinguda Germans Bou 47 (Castelló) Tel. 012. També pot tramitar la seva sol·licitud a qualsevol oficina de l’PROP, amb la previsió de realitzar-la amb una mica més d’antelació amb l’objectiu que arribi a Castelló amb aquests 7 dies d’antelació requerits.
El període màxim d’acampada que es concedeix és de 10 dies. Trobareu el model de sol·licitud en el següent enllaç: http://www.gva.es/va/inicio/procedimientos?id_proc=697
Per poder acampar necessita disposar de la resposta afirmativa de la direcció territorial, i no n’hi ha prou amb tenir el justificant de la sol·licitud. En l’àrea de l’ermita de Sant Joan podràs trobar dos refugis lliures per a pernoctar.
Pegunta Gorge
This route goes through the Pegunta gorge, one of the most biodiverse enclaves in the park and in the Region of Valencia. Part of the itinerary is equipped with interpretive signs of the most significant vegetation in this micro-reserve so that you can understand the high ecological value of the place.
We start the route in the car park of the forest nurseries a few meters from of Sant Joan de Penyagolosa’s hermitage. This is a good place to leave the car and after having a look at the park visitors center and the hermitage, start our route.
This path runs through the gorge and parallel to the forest track until it crosses it. Once you have crossed the track, the path begins to take a gentle slope, introducing us to the thick pine forest of the barranc de la Pegunta.
Penyagolosa summit
The ascent to the summit is a continuation of the Pegunta Goerge Route, which begins at the forest tree nurseries, next to of Sant Joan de Penyagolosa hermitage and crosses the Pegunta flora micro-reserve to “la Banyadera” and “El Corralico”. From “El Corralico” esplanade, we will take the zigzagging path through a red pine forest that will help us gain height quickly.
1st stop Halfway up the ascent you’ll find a small building. From here, after gaining certain height the first farmhouses can be seen above the mountain. Gradually you’ll leave the forrest behinf and find another vegetation, more adapted to the cold and poor soils you’lll find in this area, such as: mountain juniper (Juniperus sabina) “Coixi de Monja” (Erinacea anthyllis / tras: nun’s pillow) and Penyagolosa grass (Erodium celtibericum). From this point you’ll have the summit very close, but it will still make us sweat a little longer in its last stretch.
2nd stop Once we reach the top we will enjoy one of the best panoramic views of the Region of Valencia. On clear days it is easy to see the Montgó and the high mountains in the Marina, the Columbretes Islands and the Ebro delta. The descent is made by the same track always following the path to avoid soil erosion.
Penyagolosa Round Route
This route allows us to observe the majestic walls to the south of the Penyagolosa peak.
The circular to the peak is a continuation of the Red Route of the Barranc de la Pegunta. The “Pegunta Gorge” route begins in the car park of the forest nurseries, next to Sant Joan de Penyagolosa’s hermitage and crosses the natural micro-reserve of flora of the Pegunta until the “Banyadera” and el “Corralico”. The beginning of the route is in “el Corralico”. We start walking along a track that leads us to the mas de la Cambreta (right), which runs without too much difference in a south-westerly direction. At this point, it visibly descends between pine trees (Pinus pinaster), which indicate a marked change in soil composition. When the forest track makes the first zig-zag in its descent towards the Carbo, it will be time to leave it, we will enter seventy meters in the forest to make our first stop.
1st stop At “la nevera”, a 17th century building that served as a snow deposit, with which, once transformed into ice, it was traded in the towns of the Castellón plain for use in soft drinks and in the conservation of fish.
Back towards the track and, a few meters before reaching it, we take the path that goes down the southwest slope of the peak. We find numerous shrub species, including the forest rose (Rosa canina) and the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). In this way and without leaving the path, in fifteen minutes we reach a forest track.
2nd stop Following it we soon reach the beautiful “Fuente del Paso” (natural spring). It’s waters rise from inside a terrace through a deep gap in the stone wall. From this place we see the Penyagolosa farmhouse surrounded by fields, remnants of life from other times.
After five minutes we reach the end of the track, at this point there are two paths, we take the one on the left, which takes us on a gentle ascent to the “cantal de Miquelet”, a wide hill that connects the Penyagolosa with the “Golosilla” and offers us a new panoramic view.
3rd stop With a pleasant five-minute descent we reach a point where we can only feel dominated by the majestic south wall of the 200 m Penyagolosa, streaked with red and ocher tones of the different layers of limestone that form it. From here, the path runs smoothly between cadets (Juniperus oxicedrus), black junipers (Juniperus phoenicea), juniper (Juniperus thurifera), holm oaks (Quercus ilex), pine needles (Pinus nigra) and thyme aromatics (Thymus vulgaris). , the sajolida (Satureja montana) and the lavender (Lavandula latifolia).
After forty minutes of walking we find a robust dry stone embankment that will accompany us to the foot of a cut that gives shelter to two coats or balms.
4th stop These balms known as les “coves del Sastre” (Tailor’s Caves) serve as a refuge for livestock. They are natural shelters enclosed with a dry stone wall to protect themselves from summer storms, snow or the strong midday sun. The trail continues without too much effort up to the neck.
5th stop From the “Pla de la Creu” pass we have a beautiful panorama with the town of Xodos in the background. This pass is one of the linguistic borders of our territory, the northern slope (mas de Torreter) of Valencian speech and the southern slope (mas del Collado) of Spanish speech.
From here we take the PRV-79 that goes up to the Fraga Glacier and following the signs for a path parallel to the forest track we arrive again at the “Corralico” passing by the “font Trobada”.