Horta de Sant Joan

Horta de Sant Joan, in the Terra Alta region, is a medieval town located on a hill at an altitude of 542 metres, with a population of over 1,000 inhabitants, but which can triple this figure in high season.

The municipality of Horta de Sant Joan covers 11,922 hectares, of which 9,051 are mountainous and 5,443 are within the Els Ports Natural Park. The remaining 2,871 hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of vines, almonds, olives, cereals, and sweet fruits, especially peaches and cherries.

The city is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Caseres and Arens de Lledó, to the south by those of Paüls and Alfara de Carles, to the west by those of Arnes and Lledó, and to the east by those of Bot and Prat de Comte. The municipality is bordered by the River Algars, which forms a dividing line with the province of Teruel in the west, the River Estrets, which drains the southern sector, and the River Canaleta in the eastern sector. All these rivers are tributaries or sub-tributaries of the River Ebro.

Horta has an inland Mediterranean climate, with very cold winters and fairly hot summers. In winter, you can enjoy the snow, weather permitting, as its mountains are over 1,000 meters high. The town's main economic activities are agriculture, mainly dryland farming, livestock farming, construction, clothing, and, more recently, services, particularly linked to the growth of tourism.

Places of interest

The old town of Horta has been declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest, in the category of Historic Site, by the Generalitat de Catalunya. Although there are no longer any vestiges of the old Orta Castle, mentioned in Saracen times, it gives its name to the highest part of the town. The parish church dates from the 13th century, made of ashlars with a single nave with a pointed vault and large Gothic windows. Later, it was lengthened at the heart, and in the 18th century, the entrance through the main façade was built. The church square is in the Renaissance style, having been built in the 16th century, at the same time as the town hall and the main noble buildings that surround it. In the streets leading off the square, we also find interesting buildings such as Casa Pessetes, Casa Manuel de Joaquin, or Casa del Delme on Carrer de Comanda, which is a Lleida-style palace, with a gallery in the attic and a sentry box at the end. Outside the town, the Galindo Tower is a very peculiar medieval defensive tower. The narrow, steep streets, along with the Picasso Center, the Cap del Ecomuseum of Ports, the old Orta prison, the Convent of San Salvador at the foot of Santa Bárbara Mountain, and the Els Ports Natural Park, form a truly attractive area that we recommend visiting.