Ebro River Spain

Day 16 Saturday 30 May 2026

Today we travelled west, mainly following the Elbro River via gorges and fertile valleys. We saw a salt mine, an ancient tower and a medieval village, then finished the day again in the shade on the banks of the Ebro River in Valdenoceda.

After a bit of a sleep in (for us) we left our tranquil spot on the banks of of the Ebro River around 9am. We chose the back road route to our first destination, ANANA, taking us about an hour. 

The road to the motorhome parking was a bit narrow (it’s possible that the GPS chose the wrong way). Anyway we make it in one piece, park up, have breakfast and then venture off to have a look at the salt mine.

Its one of the oldest salt factories in the world. The oldest evidence of salt extraction at the valley dates from about 7000 years ago, in the Neolithic. The evaporation of water was achieved by heating the water in ceramic pottery. During Roman times, salt ponds for evaporation were introduced. A unique and extensive network of wooden channels distribute the water to the most remote corners of the Salt Valley. Its prized salt is completely pure, as it comes from springs from an ancient sea of more than 200 million years. 

During the early 20th century, new materials like concrete were introduced, while the number of ponds increased. The profitability of salt production fell drastically in the second half of the 20th century. This led to the near abandonment of salt production, and the structures of the valley fell into disrepair. It is now a tourist attraction. You can view it from the street or pay €10 for a tour. Unfortunately there were no English tours today.

Another fly screen door idea… squished aluminum wine bottle caps…

Not far away was The Varona Family's Palace-Tower. The origin of this tower dates back to the end of the 14th or start of the 15th century. The tower stands out on one side of the complex. The whole building is defended by a crenellated barbican and walls with arrow slits, as well as a wide moat filled with water. Unfortunately it was closed today… 

So we continued on to FRIAS, is a historic medieval town on a hill above the river Ebro, and has been a strategic point to cross the river on routes leading to the Cantabrian Sea. It’s a lovely drive there as we follow the Ebro River via the Sobron gorge.

As we approach it’s not hard to see FRIAS as it is perched on a rocky hill.

 It appears to be a popular tourist destination. We eventually find ourselves in the overflow carpark and make our way UP into the village. We admire the view of the castle from the street below.

Then we popped in for a bite to eat and drink in one of the numerous bars. 

We were then ready to tackle the rest of the village making our way to the top where a church and the castle reside. We enjoyed the views of the surrounding countryside and then found out the castle was closed between 2-4pm… so we admired the castle from the outside.

There’s Bluey… in the lower carpark

We strolled back down out of the village to a lookout that the houses built on the edge of the cliff and what they call the ‘hanging houses’.

 As we drive away we stopped to have a look at the medieval bridge, originally a Roman structure. It is 143 meters in length and has 9 arches. It was refurbished in the 14th century when a defensive tower with arrow-holes and battlements were built in the center. This tower also functioned as a medieval toll point.

Although it wasn’t as hot as the last couple of days, we still went in search of a shady spot. After a failed attempt we stuck it lucky in Valdenoceda. We couldn’t really get any closer to the Elbro River. A few locals came to also enjoy the lovely picnic area as the cool change came later in the evening.

146km today