Teruel is a small provincial capital high on the Aragonese plateau, and its skyline is made of Mudéjar towers, built by Muslim craftsmen working for Christian patrons in brick and glazed ceramic tiles. The tower of San Martín, dating to the early fourteenth century, is one of the finest, a square tower straddling a street, so that traffic passes through an arch at its base. With the other Mudéjar towers of the city and the cathedral, it forms part of the World Heritage listing of Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon.
Local legend says that two Moorish builders, Omar and Abdalá, fell in love with the same girl, Zoraida, and competed to build the most beautiful tower. San Martín was finished first but began to lean, and its builder threw himself from it in despair, while El Salvador, the other tower, won the bride. It is a story, but it gives the towers personality. Teruel is better known for another romance, the Lovers of Teruel, whose mausoleum in the church of San Pedro draws visitors from all over Spain.
Teruel sits at over nine hundred metres, and winters here are among the coldest in Spain, with sharp frosts and snow. Summers are warm by day and cool at night. The air is dry, and the land around is a mosaic of eroded red badlands, ravines and juniper scrub.
For riders the city is a crossroads, not a destination for corners in itself, but what lies around it is excellent. The road to Albarracín, a medieval red stone town clinging to a ridge, is a must. The Sierra de Albarracín and the Montes Universales, south and west, are full of quiet, twisty roads with almost no traffic, and Gúdar-Javalambre to the east offers high mountain roads and ski areas. The A-23 motorway passes the city for quick links to Valencia and Zaragoza.
In the city, try jamón de Teruel, the protected cured ham, in one of the bars of the Plaza del Torico. Dinópolis, a dinosaur theme park, is outside town. Fuel and services are plentiful. Parking near the towers can be tight on old streets; leave the bike on the edge of the historic centre and walk.