Discover San Blas on the Guadalaviar

San Blas is a district of Teruel. The Guadalaviar shapes the area’s attractions: the Camino Natural del Guadalaviar runs through the river canyon, alongside the riverside landscape, a signposted mountain biking route and archaeological traces. If you are looking for hotels in San Blas, these features can help you decide whether trails and scenery or cultural history better match your travel interests.

The Camino Natural through the canyon

The Camino Natural del Guadalaviar runs through the canyon between San Blas and the Embalse del Arquillo. It starts on the outskirts of San Blas, in an open area with an information board and the first footbridges beside the remains of an old mill. In the rocky canyon, up to eight wooden bridges follow one after another. Both the starting point on the edge of town and the sequence of bridges are distinctive features of this route.

An upper alternative climbs about 100 metres along a zigzag path. From there, you can see slopes covered with junipers and grain fields. The Camino Natural ends with a view of the Sabinar de San Blas, which is designated as a Site of Community Importance, or SCI.

Riverside scenery and other routes

Wildlife is also part of the Guadalaviar Canyon’s landscape: species found there include golden eagles, Egyptian vultures and griffon vultures. At the Embalse del Arquillo, the dam releases water continuously to ensure the flow needed to preserve river biodiversity. Birdwatching in the canyon and the importance of a steady river flow thus represent two different aspects of the landscape.

In November 2025, Teruel City Council completed repairs to the Guadalaviar Riverside Walk. The section in question runs from the Fuente de la Señorita in the San Blas district to the Embalse del Arquillo. The work aimed to improve usability and safety, and enhance maintenance.

Cycling also features in local route information. A municipal route description from October 2024 shows the signposted mountain biking route from El Campillo to Villaspesa, passing through Teruel to the San Blas district, then through the Guadalaviar floodplain and on to Teruel. The municipal mountain biking programme includes route descriptions, GPX files and four information boards. This route can be distinguished from the Camino Natural option: it is described as a mountain biking route and follows its own sequence of places and landscape sections.

According to the 2026 fishing plan, the San Blas fishing area on the Guadalaviar extends for twelve kilometres. It runs from the dam at the Embalse del Arquillo to the confluence of the Guadalaviar and Alfambra rivers.

History by the river and in San Blas

The remains of a small, abandoned medieval dam have been preserved in the rocky canyon. They point to a layer of history beyond today’s riverside landscape. Archaeological finds from San Blas date back even further: the bifaces are considered the earliest documented human settlement in what is now the province of Teruel and are traditionally attributed to the Lower Palaeolithic.

A quartzite biface from the terraces above the Guadalaviar near San Blas is attributed to the Early Acheulean of the Lower Palaeolithic and dated to around 300,000 years ago. This date is approximate; it connects the find to a very early period of human history in the region. The Roman milestones of San Blas are another historical trace. They are examples of features used to mark ancient roads. Together, the canyon, dam remains, archaeological finds and milestones show how different periods are reflected in the area’s attractions.

Discover more destinations: Moscardón, Jabaloyas, Obón, Andorra, Allepuz, Lledó, La Fresneda, Valbona

For the broader travel overview: Teruel.