The lower Matarraña, in the far east of Aragón, is a drier, emptier country than the green upper valley. Here, the river flows through low hills of sandstone and limestone, with olive groves, almond trees and cereal fields, and the villages stand on hilltops, built of golden stone. Mazaleón is one of them, a small village above the river, with Maella and Calaceite nearby. Els Secans, a name meaning the dry lands, is a shelter with prehistoric paintings in the hills just outside the village.
The rock art of the Matarraña and the Bajo Aragón is part of the Levantine tradition protected by UNESCO, and the shelters here have some interesting figures of hunters and animals. The area is also rich in Iberian sites: the Iberians, who lived here before the Romans, built fortified towns on the hilltops, and the remains of several of them can be visited. Mazaleón has its own Iberian site, and Calaceite, nearby, has the excavated town of San Antonio. The region is a good place to understand how this landscape was settled over thousands of years.
Maella is a pleasant town with a castle and a museum dedicated to the sculptor Pablo Gargallo, who was born there in 1881 and became one of the key figures in modern sculpture, working with metal in Paris alongside Picasso. Calaceite, with its noble houses and arcaded square, is one of the most beautiful villages in Aragón.
The riding here is relaxed and quiet. The roads between Mazaleón, Maella, Calaceite and Nonaspe wind through the hills, with gentle bends and long views, and very little traffic. Further south, the roads toward Valderrobres and the Ports de Beseit are more mountainous. The surfaces are generally good, but watch out for gravel and agricultural vehicles. The cierzo wind can be strong.
Services are limited. Maella has fuel and shops, and Alcañiz, about twenty-one kilometres away, is the nearest larger town. Local food includes the olive oil of the Bajo Aragón, which has a designation of origin, lamb and cured meats. Spring, with almond blossom, and autumn are the best seasons.