The uninhabited map, the journey through a country that never was, told by the writer Sergio del Molino in the essay La España vacía (2020), has become, against all odds, the setting for authentic, sober and quiet luxury. .
In the Matarraña region, a half-discovered spot in Teruel, there was an abandoned 18th century farmhouse that belonged to the Marquis of Santa Coloma, with 200 hectares of mountains where vineyards, pine groves, olive groves and almond trees grow today. Preserving part of the façade and its strong stone walls, the old house reappeared in the summer of 2020, converted into a biosustainable building, where a 21st century luxury hotel is housed, with all the comforts expected from a five-star service. , the first in Teruel, endorsed by the Small Luxury Hotels quality seal.
Silence is one of the traces that are perceived here of empty Spain. The Torre del Marqués hotel seems to be designed to repel noise from the depths of the Monroyo mountain, a region with just 385 inhabitants. Here time seems stopped and, as internet coverage is not perfect – another sign that we have arrived in empty Spain – disconnection occurs organically. Its founder and general manager, Óscar García Arano, says that there are people who complain on the first day about how bad the internet is, but on the second day, they are grateful for the involuntary detox and happily go off to discover the trails of the Puertos Natural Park. de Beceite, very close to the hotel.
From any of its 18 rooms, the traveler’s view will be lost in a natural environment where almost everything is grown or raised, which is then eaten at the La Atalaya del Tastavins restaurant, where only local products are cooked and local gastronomy is rescued. with wines and oils from the region, which sell very well and win prizes around the world but which we are learning to know here. Its spa, with a water area, sauna, massages and treatment area with Natura Bissé products, can be closed for the exclusive use of clients who request it.
Another surprise of the hotel is the Dog Room. It’s not just that it’s a pet-friendly establishment, but if someone wants to pamper their pet, they can give them a room with a bed, food bowls and an automatic water dispenser. The space has 24-hour surveillance monitors.
But if the traveler still wants to get out of this paradise, the hotel organizes hiking or cycling routes. Depending on your physical condition, you can choose the difficulty, from 15 to 60 kilometers. Gourmet picnics with jeep access are also prepared. You can reach the crystalline waters of Parrizal de Beceite, one of the most beautiful villages in the Maestrazgo, and take a walk in the neighboring medieval towns of Valderrobres or Calaceite.
Less than an hour from the hotel, and still in empty Spain, the traveler can choose to sleep in an authentic castle, the imposing Matutano-Dauden Palace, presided over by Iglesuela del Cid, a small town in the heart of Teruel’s Maestrazgo, where you can still find traces of the splendor that the area had in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
No matter how unimpressive the entrance to the palace with its monumental and perfectly preserved pointed arch may be for the traveler, it will make them feel that they have arrived at a majestic site, or that they are the special guest of some notable in the area. In its 35 rooms you fall asleep with the weight of history, silence and several centuries. Its no less grandiose restaurant, Torre de los Nublos, prepares a careful gastronomy with raw materials from the Maestrazgo, for example, special attention is paid to mushrooms and truffles.
By the way, to have a total immersion in the culture of the region, it is worth letting yourself be drawn into the truffle harvest, a delicate process that is done with the help of a dog, and that is useful to understand, among other things, the high price that the black truffle reaches in the market.
Walking through the narrow streets of Iglesuela del Cid, or visiting the nearby chapel, also known as the Church of Purification, where Christian, Catholic and pagan rites coexist, and where winds and strange energies blow, will just expel you from your time.
Returning home the impression will be to have been in another world. Having lived with the rhythm of two centuries ago, but with all the luxuries of modern tourism. Having been to strange and precious places, having tasted the best oil (it’s called Diezdedos and it’s grown on the Finca de Cretas) or the best village bread you can imagine… and having slept, once again, like a child. And you didn’t know it, but all this magic was very close to you. A stone’s throw away. By car, a few hours from Barcelona. Paradise really was very close to his world.
