TÍA CHULA AND TEHE RESERVOIR DAM CUEVA FORADADA Classification: Circular path. Time: 1 hour. Difficulty: Easy. Environmental interest: Rock paintings, Cueva Foradada reservoir.

ASOCIACIÓN PARQUE CULTURAL RÍO MARTÍN. C/ Planillo, s/n 44549 ALACÓN ()

This is a short and easily accessible path. The route starts on a narrow road, before crossing the bridge over the Martín river in the direction of Alacón. The road ends at the reservoir dam of Cueva Foradada, which was built at the beginning of the last century, and which can be reached by car. The reservoir facilities are accessible during working hours. 272 steps hollowed out in the stone allow us to reach the top, from which we can observe the reservoir all the way to . There, a large colony of griffon vultures have found a safe place to live, between the stacks of the Malvín hill and the steep walls of the Sanchoabarca mountain range. The mountain range and stacks channel the river in whose strait the dam was built. During the breeding period we can see some Egyptian vultures and, if we are lucky, even some eagles. There are usually plenty of aquatic birds prowling the quiet water of the reservoir, but their observation is recommended at the end of the reservoir, in Alcaine.

Going back to the road towards , less than 15 minutes from the reservoir, we will get to a water channel that crosses the Martín river. Water is channeled from a ditch to the fertile Oliete fields. There, a path starts on the right (on the left if we come from Oliete). The wooden arrows and other indications will take us around the foot of the mountain range to the Tía Chula ravine, less than 500 meters from the farmyards of Oliete. There, at the ravine, we can find the "Tía Chula ravine's rock paintings," which are a World Heritage site. An information board there will help us learn more about them, and about the valley.

How to get there?

Go from Zaragoza to Hijar and Alcañiz on N-232 and take the junction towards when near Híjar on A-222. This will join A-1401, and lead to Oliete through Ariño.

Another option is to go from Zaragoza to Lécera A-222 and take A-223 at the junction in Lécera to Albalate del Arzobispo; or, alternatively, take Zaragoza to Lécera and then take A-1401 at the junction in Muniesa to Oliete.

Any marked path in the Park will allow visitors to access places of great ecological and environmental value and to see a number of rock paintings - World Heritage sites protected by law.

Please remember that everyone has not only the right to enjoy nature but also the obligation to preserve it.

The shelters with rock paintings and archeological sites feature a protection fence. Authorized guides are required for visits. Contact phone numbers can be found in the town halls, tourist offices or interpretation centers of the villages which constitute the Cultural Park.

Please contribute to the preservation of rock paintings. Don't touch or throw water on them and respect the protection fences. Please remember, they are part of the unique but frail heritage of the past; we have to protect them if we want to continue to enjoy them in the same environment in which they were created thousands of years ago.

Archeological and/or palaeontologic prospecting and excavation without the necessary permits is strictly prohibited, according to law 3/1999 of the Aragonese Cultural Heritage. Please contribute to the preservation of the historical, cultural and ethnographic heritage of the Park.

Please keep the place clean. Do not discard any garbage or waste material.

Please remember that lighting fires, throwing away cigarette butts and glass or any other objects that can cause fire is prohibited.

ASOCIACIÓN PARQUE CULTURAL RÍO MARTÍN. C/ Planillo, s/n 44549 ALACÓN (Teruel)

Please respect the environment. Do not uproot plants, do not dirty the water, and do not bother or attempt to capture any of the birds and animals. Many of them nest here.

If you intend to follow one of the routes, please remember to wear comfortable footwear (trainers or hiking boots). Although the trails are quite accessible, appropriate footwear will allow you to walk more confidently, avoiding falls and sprains.

Please bear in mind you are in a natural park and, although the routes have been adapted for visitors, do not forget to take precautions. Do not leave the marked path and pay attention when crossing areas with rocks or water, especially if traveling with children.

ASOCIACIÓN PARQUE CULTURAL RÍO MARTÍN. C/ Planillo, s/n 44549 ALACÓN (Teruel)