Mountain hamlet
Calatañazor is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2010 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 70 inhabitants. The municipality is named after the tiny fortified city on top of a hill.
Also situated in the municipality are the hamlets Aldehuela and Abioncillo. Abioncillo used to be abandoned like many forsaken hamlets in Spain, but in the 1980s was turned around by a few dedicated teachers into an educational center.
In the valley between Calatañazor and Abioncillo, the Battle of Calatañazor took place in 1002. This place is still named el valle de la sangre (the Valley of Blood). Almanzor, the ruler of Muslim Al-Andalus, is by some historians said to have died in the battle and was buried in Medinaceli. There is a statue of him in Calatañazor.
A certain kind of juniper tree, the Juniperus thurifera (Spanish juniper), grows in a close forest in the nature reserve of El Sabinar de Calatañazor. Some are the biggest to be found in the whole Iberian peninsula. Some more are found close to an underground river, the Abión, which surfaces at the Fuentona de Muriel, a natural heritage site. The Fuentona (spring) is often visited, especially by advanced cave divers. The locals call this spring El Ojo de la Mar (the eye of the sea). In the vicinity of Abioncillo, some 4000-year-old drawings are found in La Cueva Maja.
Both in the center of Abioncillo and Calatañazor, some centuries old elms can be found, as in Celt-Iberian times were an important symbol.
The name Calatañazor comes from the Arab Qalat al-Nusur which can either mean "Castle of Azure" or "Castle of Vultures".
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
The essentials for getting around Calatañazor without surprises: how to get there, municipal facts and when it's most worth coming.
Coordinates: 41.6996° N, 2.8176° O
By bus: check the regional bus timetables, they change by season. If you come without a car, confirm the last service back before you leave.
We only list verified numbers. The town hall itself will give you the number of the clinic or the pharmacy.
There are no events in Calatañazor's calendar yet, so any month works. Ask us about the local festivals: almost every village has one.
Spring
Thaw and green fields. Some mountain access can stay tricky until May.
Summer
Long days and cool nights. The best time for hikes.
Autumn
Forests at their best and far fewer people.
Winter
Serious winter at this altitude: snow likely and chains in the car. Check the state of the roads before heading up.
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