Vallivana: Sanctuary, Sexenni and Dinosaur Tracks

Vallivana can be explored from three thematic perspectives: the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Vallivana, the historic routes of the GR 331 E13 and the dinosaur tracks at Barranco de Vallivana. Both cultural context and practical directions and timings can help with planning your trip. This makes it possible to consider each of these different highlights separately.

Sanctuary and devotion to the Virgin Mary

The image of the Virgin of Vallivana is a 25-centimetre-high terracotta figure. Baroque-style robes almost entirely cover the original figure. The sanctuary complex includes a hermitage and a guesthouse; both are currently open to visitors. Check locally before your trip to confirm access.

The Chapel of the Apparition is about 600 metres from the sanctuary. According to tradition, it marks the place where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared. The present-day chapel was built in 1922 on the initiative of the Colonia de morellanos ausentes. This traditional account and the year it was built give a visit its own historical and religious context.

The GR 331 E13 and historic routes

The GR 331 E13 starts at the Santuario de la Mare de Déu de Vallivana and follows old transhumance routes. In the past, these connected hostels, farmsteads and hamlets, including Salvassoria, which is now abandoned. The route thus highlights a former way of using the landscape. Those interested in historic connections between rural settlements will find a different focus here than in the sanctuary’s buildings.

The GR 331 E13 is also connected with the ZEPA L'Alt Maestrat, Tinença de Benifassà, Turmell i Vallibana bird protection area and the LIC Tinença de Benifassà, Turmell y Vallivana Site of Community Importance. Check trail conditions and the protected areas’ regulations before setting out.

Dinosaur tracks at Barranco de Vallivana

The Yacimiento Icnológico del Barranco de Vallivana consists of a sequence of lacustrine limestones. About 25 distinct three-toed dinosaur tracks can be seen there. There are also several partially preserved tracks, forming a clearly defined dinosaur trampling surface. The footprints were made by theropods. These features make the site a distinct palaeontological attraction alongside the sanctuary and the history of the routes.

The site has been prepared to make it easier to visit. The visit is considered an easy route and takes about 30 minutes. This makes it easy to distinguish its time frame from that of the hike on the GR 331 E13, for which no corresponding duration is given here.

Getting oriented and the Sexenni

The Sanctuary of the Virgin of Vallivana is about 20 kilometres from Morella, on the N-232 towards Vinaròs. The Sexenni of Morella forms part of the wider cultural context: it is celebrated every six years around the third Sunday in August in honour of the Mare de Déu de Vallivana. During the Sexenni, residents walk the 24 kilometres between Morella and the sanctuary. The distance from the road to the sanctuary and the walking distance during the festival relate to different points of reference.

If you’d like to plan your trip around the Sexenni, check the specific festival dates well in advance. The six-year cycle and the approximate timing around the third Sunday in August provide a general time frame, but do not replace planning for the dates of a particular edition.

Discover more destinations: Catí, Puebla De Arenoso, Santa Magdalena De Pulpis, Geldo, Alcalà De Xivert, Onda, Alfondeguilla, Palanques

For the general travel overview: Castellon.