Estels del Sud

My brother and I hiked part of the Estels del Sud, a multi-day hiking trail through the National Park del Ports mountain massif. Estels del Sud, meaning Stars of the South is a circular crossing that runs through 2 autonomous regions of Spain, namely Aragon and Catalonia. In Aragon, the mountainous area is called Puertos de Beceite; in Catalonia, it is known as Els Ports. The full crossing through is usually done in five days and has a distance of about 107 km. It passes through the villages of Beceite, Arnes, Paüls and also includes an overnight stay in 2 mountain huts in the middle of the national park (Refugio Font Ferrera and Refugio Caro). As the route is circular, you can decide where to start.

Besides a 5-day trek, doing a 3-day circular hike with 2 overnight stays is also a possibility. My brother and I did this 3-day alternative of about 71 kilometers total in late April/early May 2024. Our starting point was Beceite, from where we walked to the Refugi Ferrera for our first overnight stay (about 19 km). The next day we continued through the mountain massif from Refugi Ferrera to Refugi Caro (about 18.5 km). Our last hiking day consisted of a route that is not officially included in the Estels del Sud trekking but allowed us to return from Refugi Caro to our starting point Beceite (about 25 km).

The route can be challenging, i.e. there are a lot of altimeters (between 700 and 1,200 per day) but also a lot of descents. The number of kilometers per day are quite high and the constant up and down makes the route somewhat difficult at times. Fortunately, we carried small backpacks as we stayed overnight in the 2 mountain huts (instead of camping). During the trekking a lot of diversity can be observed in terms of nature and views. One moment you walk through the forest on small paths, the other on somewhat wider dirt roads. You stand on a mountain peak with views over the whole massif and even down to the sea and the next day the path winds along the river Río Ulldemó where you can swim in several places. We ended our trek in La Pesquera, a beautiful area near Beceite with all different pozos (pools) to swim in. Along the way, you can choose to include one of Beceite’s most famous spots (El Parrizal) in the hike, a trail along the Matarraña River via wooden footbridges and crystal clear water. In addition, the highest point of the massif (Mont Caro, 1441 meters) can also be included in the hike.

Practical information: It is recommended to book the mountain huts in advance since they don’t open everyday and have limited spots. A night’s accommodation is booked including dinner and breakfast (lunch can be booked optionally, but we brought our own lunch for 3 days. If you eat vegetarian or vegan, please inform the hut in advance when booking and mention it again on arrival. You only need to bring a sleeping bag liner and a pillow cover, there are blankets in the huts you can use. Don’t forget a head-torch. Should you want to do the 5-day trek you can book an extra nights in Beceite, Arnes or Paüls. If you come by car you can park in Beceite, Arnes or Paüls but also near Refugi Caro. As an alternative, you can also decide to camp along the route.

We walked the Estels del Sud in early May and were treated to rain, wind, cold, sun, and heat. In other words, prepare for all the different sorts of weather. Warm clothing with a hat and gloves is recommended for some moments. Then again, our last day was quite hot, should you want to swim bring swimwear. Water can be filled in the huts before you leave in the morning, there are almost no places in the mountain area where water can be grabbed. The route is fairly well signposted, but a GPS tracker on your phone with the route is highly recommended.

We did the trekking by ourselves, but if you want to do the route organized with a guide you can do so through the Estels del Sud organization, see the link below.