"Hasta la vista" is a Spanish expression that literally translates to "until seeing you". It is used as a farewell greeting and means something like "see you later", "see you later" or "farewell". The routes under the umbrella Hasta la Vista have in common that they all head towards the Spanish sun and along the way you will encounter the (almost) forgotten sights again, refresh your memories and revive the fun.
This Hasta la Vista tour goes from Tortosa to Cortes de Arenoso.

The historic centre of Tortosa is located very close to the Ebro, a river that has always been a natural entrance from the sea to the interior of the Peninsula. For this reason, Tortosa has become a city linked to river trade and cultural exchanges. Saracens, Jews and Christians lived there for a time and left their mark on a rich historical and artistic heritage that can still be visited today.

After leaving Tortosa, you will drive through the Tinenca de Benifassà Natural Park. The natural park is home to two heritage sites: the rock carvings and the Real Convento de Santa María de Benifassà. The rock carvings are located on a cliff face near the reservoir and are part of the Rock Carvings of the Mediterranean in the Iberian Peninsula, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The monastery was one of the first to be founded in the Valencian Community.

Despite the fact that Vallibona has only 81 inhabitants, there are many interesting sights to discover. Among its heritage is the parish church of la Asunción de la Virgen. It is an excellently preserved example from the second half of the 13th century, with pointed arches and a saddle roof with tiles. There are also several museums to visit; in the former prison in the town hall there is a charcoal museum and in a chapel of the church there is a museum about medieval roofs. After exploring, there is an opportunity for coffee.

In the Maestrazgo region, the border area of the regions of Valencia, Aragon and Catalonia, you will find yourself in a completely different world where hardly any tourists come. It is a beautiful, lonely highland with mountains, hills, valleys and wild gorges, sometimes almost desert-like. The landscape is rugged and there are beautiful panoramas everywhere. Eagles and vultures fly with you during your trip and ibexes walk on the steep rocks. Here you will find authentic, quiet Spanish villages with a medieval atmosphere, which are part of the cultural heritage and are on the list of protected monuments and/or on the list of most beautiful villages in Spain! Many villages are deserted, but in the inhabited villages you will always find a restaurant, terrace and café. The unique landscape has been the setting and inspiration for the surrealist films of the Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel who was born here in the Maestrazgo. This was once the territory of the Moors who were driven out in the 11th century by Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid during the Reconquista. In order to control the area, the Order of the Templars and the Knights of Montesa built settlements in well-defended places, for example against steep rocks.

An example of such a settlement, Morella, situated high on a conical mountain (1000m), crowned with a robust castle and surrounded by the rough landscape of the Maestrazgo. Due to its strategic location (between the Ebro and the coastal plain of Valencia), the national hero El Cid often fought battles here to take Morella. The village has been declared a Cultural Artistic Heritage and is on the list of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain, Los Pueblos mas Bonitos de España". Above all, it is a pleasant, (very) touristic village, with numerous restaurants, bars and terraces, which are mainly visited by Spaniards. With a visit to Morella you get a good impression of old Spain. The authentic town is characterized by many narrow streets and old buildings.
In the center you will find a number of important historical sights: The Santa María church is called by many the most beautiful Gothic church in the Valencia region. The church was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. Both the outside and the inside of the church are beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The Convento de San Francisco is a monastery from the 14th century. This building in Gothic style is also a beautiful example of architecture and one of the most important sights in Morella. You can admire a church, chapel and murals. At the highest point of the city you will find the castle of Morella. To reach the castle, you have to climb a bit. The castle has a long history that goes back to 300 BC and in which many peoples have been the inhabitants, from Romans to Muslims and Christians. The castle walls are 2.5 kilometers long and have fourteen towers and six gates. These fortress walls were built with the aim of protecting the city. The castle consists of several parts, from towers to prisons. From the castle you have a beautiful view of the surroundings. The Morella Aqueduct is located next to the old town and has two sections of stone arches that stretch for 120 and 140 meters with heights of up to 14.5 meters. The structure shows the medieval engineering capabilities in the Valencian Community, with round and pointed arches combined with masonry. It was built between the 13th and 14th centuries in the Gothic style, but most of it was destroyed when the main road was built in the mid-20th century. With so much to see here, there is extra time to visit the town after lunch.

One of the most interesting sights in Cinctorres is the Torre de los Moros, a medieval tower whose construction date is unknown. The chapel of Sant Lluís houses beautiful frescoes of angels playing music around Sant Lluís Beltrán. The council building, known locally as "Casa de la Vila", is also worth a visit. The old hospital, which now houses the Museo Etnográfico, is also an architecturally interesting building.

The town centre La Iglesuela del Cid is dominated by the Torre de los Nublos (13th century), the former keep of the Templar castle, connected to the town hall (16th century). This building is characterised by its unique windows and pointed arches. Next to it is the Church of the Purification, a former medieval church with extensive Baroque renovations. These two buildings, together with the Blinque and Matutano-Dauden mansions, mark the boundaries of the unique Church Square. In addition to this beautiful square, La Iglesuela has several notable buildings. The most striking are the group of mansions (Guijarro, Aliaga, Dauden, Matutano, etc.), the city walls and the San Pablo Gate. There is also the fountain, the bridges and the numerous chapels. Of these, the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Cid stands out, about 3 kilometres from the town centre, next to an Ibero-Roman city. However, if there is one thing that makes this city special, it is the impressive landscape of dry stone architecture, one of the most beautiful in all of Aragon and Europe.

You will stop here for a drink on a terrace in Puertomingalvo. The medieval town was inhabited since ancient times by Iberians, Romans and Arabs, but the castle was only built during the Christian rule. A wall was built around it to protect it from the Moors. The hermitages of San Bernabé, Dornajo, Pilarica and Santa Bárbara also make the centre of Puertomingalvo a monumental tourist attraction. You can also visit some of them and enjoy the surroundings.

Then you will have reached your final destination in Cortes de Arenoso. A small town with a few sights to see, such as the parish church of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, Rincón del Portal - once the gateway to the village - Portal de la calle Herrerías and the old wash house. You should definitely see the Moorish oven, now the Museo del Pan (the bread museum) and the beautiful ceramic panels. In August there is a pilgrimage to the latter. Also do not miss the beautiful cross of Peirón de San Isidro and also Los Morrones I, an archaeological site where an Iron Age settlement of great historical importance has been found. If you are in Cortes de Arenoso during the festivals, especially the Fiestas de San Antonio Abad, Fiestas de San Vicente in San Vicente de Piedrahita, Fiestas de San Isidro and the festival of the patron saints, you will be in luck.