Stage: Barracas - Caudiel

This stage, over 24 kilometres long, starts in the town of Barracas in Castellón, where it is possible to visit the Church of San Pedro Apóstol and the fountain and Shrine of San Roque. We start our route leaving the town behind us on the left, where a few metres later on the same side we see the Barracas station of the railway line currently in use, which runs parallel to the Nature Trail.

A little further on, at the next kilometre marker, there is a signpost indicating the direction to take if we want to take a detour to visit the village of El Toro, located some 6 kilometres off the route of the Nature Trail. At the same point, a metal signpost shows the distance to different points along the route: Llano rest area, 2.5 km; Torás station area, 8.3 km; and Masadas Blancas, 14.6 km.

The route continues in a straight line in a southerly direction, reaching a new kilometre marker. The route is flanked by a dry-stone snow wall, as indicated by a metal sign, originally built to protect the railway line from bad weather.

After another kilometre, we reach the Llano de Barracas rest area, equipped with tables with benches and bike racks, and a small poplar tree (Populus nigra) that in summer provides much sought after shade.

Barely two kilometres later, the straight line to the south is abandoned and the old railway line is also temporarily abandoned. At this point, a stretch shared with motor traffic begins and although all the necessary signage is in place, caution is required. Shortly afterwards, the route turns to the left, crossing a subway over the railway line currently in use, which as usual runs parallel to that of the old mining railway.

It is time to ascend, following the signs, zigzagging between the wind turbines of the Alto Palancia II Wind Farm, dotted with copses of holm oaks(Quercus ilex) in scrubland. A little over a kilometre later, the route returns to the old mining railway line, bringing the section shared with motor traffic to an end.

At the end of this ascent, the route continues downhill through scrubland and Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera). At the next crossroads, we reach the route of the GR-7, a long-distance footpath this is part of the Senderos de Gran Recorrido network, which heads towards Tarifa, some 2,132 kilometres away, as indicated by a signpost.

After passing another kilometre marker, a new crossroads offers the chance to take a quick 200-metre detour to see the ruins of the Masía de la Cerrada farmhouse. The writer, painter and traveller Antonio Ponz Piquer was born here in 1725. A short while later, the old Torás-Bejís station comes into view, which belongs to the railway line currently in use, and then the old Torás station is reached, included among the infrastructures of the old mining railway line. A rest area has been set up here now to allow visitors to recover their strength and enjoy these two abandoned infrastructures in peace and quiet.

The Aleppo pine forests (Pinus halepensis) alternate with almond trees (Prunus dulcis) along the path to the Ragudo viewpoint, which offers stunning views of the Sierra Espardà Natural Park. From here, an area of trenches dug into the natural rock begins. Stay alert, as an old sign warns of the danger of landslides.

After a new kilometre marker and an excavated drainage gallery with a signpost, we come across a tunnel. This first tunnel is followed by two others. All three are equipped with lighting, although it is recommended to carry a torch all the same.

The Masadas Blancas rest area awaits one kilometre further on. This is an ideal spot for a break surrounded by old railway buildings, before continuing on towards a small viaduct. The single-arch construction crosses a small riverbed and behind it a metal sign tell us it is 8.5 kilometres to the town of Caudiel.

The kilometres pass us by, as we continue parallel to the modern railway, as almond groves start to dominate the landscape rather than the Aleppo pine forests. At a crossroads, wooden signs invite you to visit the town of Viver, which, although technically not the route, is worth a detour to stroll through its streets and enjoy its architecture heritage. That treasure trove includes the Plaza Mayor, the Church of La Virgen de Gracia, built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier mosque, and the Huertos Gate, with robust masonry walls and ashlars dating from 1606.

Back on the trail, we can fully enjoy the surrounding landscape thanks to the easy terrain. After reaching another kilometre marker, La Fuensanta Viaduct comes into view, which, with its 125 metres in length and its 8 arches, passes over the riverbed that flows downstream into the Barranco del Cascajar ravine.

After a gentle curve and a few more kilometres in the legs, we reach the ruins of an old railway building, some of the walls of which are still partially preserved today. In less than a kilometre, we reach the old Caudiel station. The complex consists of a pretty well preserved and walled building, as well as a rest area where we can take a final breather ahead of the final stretch of the stage.

After passing through a tunnel, equipped lighting, the route reaches the town of Caudiel, where this exciting stage of the Santander-Mediterranean Nature Trail comes to an end. A beautiful town in which the Aníbal Tower, the Church of San Juan and the Convent of Las Carmelitas Descalzas stand out.