Free walking tours in Avellà and what to see

Must-sees

L'Avellà is an isolated sanctuary in the hills of Catí, in the Alt Maestrat, at around 960 metres. Everything revolves around a spring that rises from the limestone and which, according to tradition, restored an old woman's sight in the mid-16th century. Above the spring stands a small chapel decorated with a tile mosaic of the Virgin, and beside it are the church, known for its frescoes, and the old sanctuary house. Many people still come up to fill bottles with its water.

The complex is completed by the old inn, now rural accommodation, and the Casa de Banys, which has gone back to being a bathhouse. A few kilometres away, Catí is worth a visit: its old town, a protected heritage site, keeps stone houses with Gothic windows, such as the Casa Miralles, the 15th-century Lonja and the church of La Asunción, with a frescoed Communion chapel.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours or regular guided visits at L'Avellà; you can explore the sanctuary on your own in a short time. If you want something broader, the practical choice is to combine the visit with Morella or other Maestrazgo villages, reached by car on mountain roads.

How long to spend

The sanctuary and the spring take an hour. If you add Catí's old town and lunch in the village, you have a good half day. With a full day you can also do one of the local walks, for example towards the river gorges, or visit Morella in the afternoon. To explore the Maestrazgo at a relaxed pace you need two or three days.

Where to stay

Staying at the sanctuary itself is the quietest option, as the old inn works as rural accommodation and the Casa de Banys offers its waters and rest. If you'd rather have bars and shops to hand, Catí is very close and has rural houses in the old town. Morella, a good half hour's drive away, has more on offer and works as a base for Els Ports and the Maestrazgo.