Bezas Lagoon

The Bezas Lagoon is a freshwater mountain wetland, the largest in the Sierra de Albarracín, located between the municipalities of Bezas and Albarracín, in the surroundings of the Pinares de Rodeno Protected Landscape. It is located at an altitude of 1,200-1,235 m and, when it is full, it reaches about 4 hectares in surface; its shape and extension vary greatly depending on rainfall and snow, because it depends on natural contributions without permanent upwelling. What makes it unique is the combination of water sheet, pine forests of oak and junipers that surround it, in a very representative landscape of the Iberian System of Teruel. In the lagoon aquatic and wetland plants develop, and it is common to observe aquatic birds such as the common coot, as well as other species linked to these environments, along with amphibians and fauna associated with shallow waters. Its visitable interest is twofold: scenic and biological. From the shore, the contrast between the water mirror and the wooded hills of reddish sandstone can be appreciated, and from the nearby heights there is a complete view of the wetland framed by the odeno. The place has been described as the great wetland of the sierra and appears frequently in routes and hiking guides for the Sierra de Albarracín. In addition to its natural value, the lagoon has environmental relevance for being integrated in a protected area of the odeno, which helps to preserve an enclave very sensitive to climatic variations and pressures on water. Its local interest is also supported by its character as an emblematic place of the municipality, well known by visitors looking for quiet nature and inland scenery.