El Figueral surrounded by National Parkland and located in the Baix Ebre county of Catalonia is not just a holiday venue, the 80,000m² Finca (farm) nestling in the picturesque Ebro valley overlooked by the sierra del Cardo is a working Finca producing mandarins, pears, lemons, peaches, olives, cherry, almonds and of course a 200 year old fig tree, hence the name El Figueral. conveniently positioned, 170 km south-west of Barcelona, 80 km south-west of Tarragona and 45 km from the Delta del Ebre and its un-spoilt beaches located on Spain's Costa Daurada.

A farm house or masia has been on this site for the last 300 years and in the hands of the previous owners family for over 400 years. In the Spanish civil war the finca was used as a forward look out post when the (International Brigades) opposing armies were camped on either side of the Rio Ebro during the "Batalla del Ebro" and indeed the masia (house) suffered damage from artillery fire. Thankfully it is now repaired and with a few modern day necessities added, like gas, mains electric, water and  swimming pool!

The nearest village Benifallet is a small village 2.5 km away from El Figueral, facilities include a supermarket, shops, bank, and a selection of good restaurants and bars. From  the village you can take a boat trip on the River Ebro, visit the Meravelles Caves or walk up the steep village streets full of Spanish character to the Old Hermitage.

Up stream is perhaps the most photographed village of the area, Miravet. The village is one of the most picturesque and typical of the region with an important history and art heritage: the Templars Castle, the Old Church, watermill, shipyard, pottery and the ferry.
You can cross to this historic town built on the side of the river by way of one of the last fluvial ferries the "Paso de la Barca". The ferry crosses the river using only the rivers current. It ferries up to three vehicles and has recently been restored, although it conserves its ancient characteristics.

If you enjoy wine then one of the best wine producing areas of Spain is on your doorstep, The Terra Alta, one of the most picturesque parts of the area producing strong white wines that are full-bodied and have a high alcohol content. The full-bodied beautiful reds are produced by mixing three varieties of grapes: Macola, Garnatxa Negra and Gartnaxa peluda. Wander around the many small vineyards and take advantage of their unique offerings or visit the beautiful "wine cathedral" of Pinell de Brai, Cèsar Martinell’s most beautiful modernist cooperative building. This is the area were Picasso started out on one of his most fruitful stages, cubism, in the village of Horta de Sant Joan.

A large number of traditional arts are represented in villages near by such as El Pinell de Brai knowm known to make items with palm leaves and Ginestar which make recipients such as jugs and pot-bellied jars.

Benifallet

History
The mountains and valleys of Benifallet have been  inhabited for many ages and the ancient  inhabitants have left us a few clues as to their culture and life style. The cave painting of "Cueva de Culla" dates from Neolithic period and shows two very thin human bodies in black. in the "Cueva de Aunidiella", pieces of ceramics, cave pictures, a bell-shaped vase and stone tools have been discovered.
The first documented habitation of a village dates back to the 7th century b.c. by the many pieces of  Phoenician ceramics. In the Iberian period the Castellot de Roca Roja  (Castle of the Red Rock) was built and part of the wall is still visible at the east point of the entrance to the village.
The area did not escape the Romans and their remains, necropolis, some remains of the village and a dam can still be seen today.
The Current site of the village was probably established during the 1st Crusade, as "in 711, the Moors army began its conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom and a new country - al-Andalus - came into being. For four centuries, the lands of Balaguer, Lleida, Tarragona and Tortosa were part of the Islamic world, an economic and religious community that stretched all the way to India". The name Benifallet is thought to be of Moors origin and the first documents recognising the village were discovered as a result of the conquest of Tortosa that " took place in the month of December, on the vigil of St. Silvester in the week after the Lord’s Nativity, 1148" during which "the Saracens of the city immediately fulfilled their promise, placed the banners of the Genoese and of the count on the Zuda, and unconditionally surrendered the city to the Genoese and to the count".  However the more accepted account is that the Scarecens surrendered to Ramon Berenguer IV, count of Barcelona the saint (c1113-August6, 1162) and is most know for effecting the union between Aragon and Catalonia.
During the Civil War, Benifallet was occupied by the Spanish Republican army during the "Batalla del Ebro" (the Ebro's Battle) the most bloody battle of the civil war. El Figueral at this time was used by soldiers of the International Brigade as was evidenced by the graffiti left behind on the walls. The battle was fought between July 25th-November 16th , 1938. The Nationalist army commanded by Queipo de Llano and Francisco Franco put 80,000 men into the battle against the 100,000 men of the 2nd Republican Army commanded by Juan Modesto and Enrique Lister. The loosing republicans suffered 30,000 dead, 20,000 wounded and 19,563 captured while the Nationalists suffered 6,500 dead, 30,000 wounded and 5,000 captured. The defeat destroyed the Republican Army as a fighting force.

Fiesta: A very Spanish affair that can't be missed, all around Spain villages celebrate and party together, Benifallet is no exception:

FIESTA DE REYES:
It is celebrated in the 5th. of January. This tradition started many years ago, and for the children (and also for the adults) it is one of the most expected days in Benifallet. The Jóvenes Asociados de Benifallet (Youth Association), with the help of the A.P.A (Parent-teacher Association), prepare this celebration. The Feast starts with the collection of the presents. During the night, they are given to the children by the Reyes Magos de Oriente. They meet with the children at the Casal Municipal, which is decorated as a Belén (Nativity scene) with live figures.
Benifallet is the only village in the counties near the Baix Ebre that has this kind of celebration and attracts many visitors to Benifallet to join in this spectacular day.

FIESTA DE LAS CUEVAS:
In 1994, the Town Council of Benifallet started to do commented visits to the Caves. This proposal was so well accepted that is was decided to dedicate one Day to the tourists of the Caves of Benifallet. The chosen day was the 1st. of May, and the first year that was celebrated was in 1995.
The Town Council organizes the feast, and there are many volunteers that help and prepare a big meal for all the people. This meal is free for all the inhabitants of Benifallet, and for the visitors that have the tickets of entrance to the Caves.
The area outside the caves is full of people that spend this nice journey. Sometimes, moreover than the lunch, there is also a popular dinner for all of them. In the meal, they prepare toasts with garlic and olive oil, wine, "butifarras", sausages and coffee.
All the people that celebrate this day, use to visit the Caves after the meal.

VERBENA DE SAN JUAN:
The Verbena (fair) de San Juan is one of the most important feasts in Cataluña, and in Benifallet it has been celebrated since ever.
The feast starts on the 23rd. of June, in the afternoon. The young people of Benifallet prepare a kind of dolls that are called "Muñecos de San Juan". From 1997, there is a competition prepared by the Jóvenes Asociados de Benifallet (Youth Association) to choose the best ones. The Muñecos are made of old dresses full of sawdust, and they are burnt at the beginning of the night. They represent the bad feelings, and the fire is used to clean all the worst thoughts, etc. It is fairly common to jump over the ashes, because it is said that this helps to eliminate your worst things. After this, the music and the feast start.
The Asociación de Mujeres Maravillas (the Women Association) prepares the Verbena (fair). It invites to everybody (Benifallet people and visitors) to dance and have fun during all the night.

FIESTAS MAYORES:
The Fiestas Mayores of Benifallet start on the 7th.of September and finish on the 11th. of September (day of the Diada de Catalunya).
The Culture alderman is the person in charge of preparing them, although there are some associations that use to help him with some activities.
They are one of the most popular feasts of Catalunya. It is calculated that there is a mean of 300 visitors every day in Benifallet (which is a very high proportion related to the population of the village)
In the Plaza Mayor, there are some traditional dances, conserved for many years in Benifallet. One of this dances is the "Jota", that is danced all the afternoons during the feasts. In the 8th. of September, the single young women show their dance, and dance with the visitors. They are dressed in wonderful dresses, called "Mantones de Manila". The 9th. of September is dedicated to the children, and the next day is for the eldest people.

FIESTAS DE LOS QUINTOS:
The "Quintos" are the young men that have to go to the Army, to make the service that the State requires. They celebrate this day so as to gain some money to spend during this service. The days of this feast are the 25th. and 26th. of December. Nowadays there are not many young men that really start the service when they are eighteen years old, but they still celebrate it.
The "Quintos" choose a "Madrina", who is one of their best friends. She has to be good and beautiful, and she uses to dance with the "Quinto" that makes the service in the farest region. When he departs, she is in charge of writing him some letters and she takes care of him so that he does not feel alone in his destination. The "Quintos"sell the tickets for two fairs, and keep the money with them until they start making the Service and need the money, in case they do it.

 

Templar Castle

In 1153, Raymond Berenguer IV conquered the last Andalusian bastion of the Ebro area, Murabit, and granted it as a fief to Pere de Rovira, Knight Templar master of Hispania and Provence. It was a vast estate comprising almost all the current counties of Ribera d’Ebre and Terra Alta. It was called the Ribera District, a large territory halfway between a commandery and a province, on which 27 houses and, later on, the Horta and Ascó commanderies depended.

Miravet controlled the river and land pass to the inland, at the same time it worked as an important administrative and political centre. At the end of the 13th century, the province master lived in Miravet, where the treasure and archives of the Crown Order were kept. During the dissolution process, it was one of the most important Templar resistance centres and heroically defended against a siege lasting more than one year, between 1307 and 1308.

The Templars turned the Andalusian ‘hisn’ into a new castle inspired by the Syrian and Byzantine ‘ribats’. A true transition Romanesque-style crusader castle of Cistercian architectural formula combining the solidest military concept and the purest conventual spirit.

The monumental set conserves 14 outbuildings arranged around a central courtyard in three levels (porter’s lodge, rain-water cistern, refectory, cellar, silos, treasure tower, atrium, temple, commander room, etc.) and it can be considered the prototype that served as a model for future military orders’ fortresses.

The walls extend over a crag on the river. Below is the old Muslim farmstead, with the old church and, in the outskirts, the boat pass and the potters’ quarter, where this craft so deeply rooted in Miravet is still performed.

 

Restaurants And Bars

The Terra Alta

Tortosa

Delta De Ebro

Costa Daurada