La Pobla de Benifassà
Discover La Pobla de Benifassà
La Pobla de Benifassà lies in the north of the province, in the Baix Maestrat region, and is the capital of the Tinença de Benifassà. Its very rugged, mountainous territory ranges from 411 to 1,345 metres above sea level, creating a wide variety of climates and a landscape of great botanical value, with unique plants that shelter ibex, vultures, falcons and nightingales. The Sénia and Verde rivers and the Tenalla ravine, whose waters feed the Ulldecona reservoir, even allow trout fishing.
The municipality includes several hamlets, such as Bel, Boixar, Coratxar, Fredes and El Ballestar, whose most iconic sights are their churches and stone houses. Close to La Pobla stands the monastery of Santa María de Benifassà, the first Cistercian foundation in the Valencian Community, now home to Carthusian nuns.
Under Muslim rule, life in the area revolved around the castle of Beni-Hassan. After the conquest, King James I ordered the monastery to be built beside it, and its abbot held as a fief the Tinença or Setena de Benifassà, made up of seven villages: Ballestar, Bel, Boixar, Castell de Cabres, Coratxar, Fredes and La Pobla.
Today its economy is based on livestock, farming, construction and rural tourism supported by its accommodation and restaurants. La Pobla de Benifassà is an ideal destination for hiking, wildlife watching and getting close to untamed nature.
Festivals and holidays in La Pobla de Benifassà
🎉 Featured parties
San Antonio · Fines de semana próximos al 17 de enero
Saint Anthony in La Pobla de Benifassà is a very participatory popular tradition linked to farming and livestock. Its centrepiece is the barraca, built at the entrance to the village under the direction of a steward with the help of neighbours: a pile of firewood and dry branches around a large trunk, the mayo, symbolising the saint's refuge. The barraca is built and burned on the two weekends closest to 17 January, and the animals are blessed on the saint's day.
