The first thing that will suprise visitors is its location, high on a hill of layered chalk, rising above the Violada plains and just a short distance from the large La Sotonera reservoir. The Sotón river runs near the village.
The village is home to the Parish Church of San Jorge, which features a Mudejar-style tower as well as a small sacred art museum inside. As in other areas that dot the region, scattered around the hill below the church are several cave homes and underground cellars, ethnological buildings of significant cultural value.
Located in the highest part of the village, a small viewpoint provides views of the Violada plains and its wealth of stunning scenery and wildlife, serving as the perfect spot for bird watching.
In terms of hiking, Alcalá de Gurrea is part of the La Sotonera birdwatching route, a tour designed particularly for bird lovers, who (with a little luck) can see kites, great blue heron, and depending on the season (February-March), cranes migrating back to northern Europe.
Other places of interest are La Fontaneta and the Fuente de las Pilas.
The village celebrates its annual festival on May 8th in honor of the Our Lady of Astón, and on August 24th in honor of St. Bartholomew.
Strolling through its streets and the remains of the village gives visitors the eerie sensation of walking onto a film set that has been abandoned. Its unique architecture, called “modernista de colonia”, can be seen in the two original neighborhoods that have been conserved. For most of the year the village is deserted, although the Tormos dam turns it into the perfect place for water sports during the busy summer months.
Other points of interest in Tormos are the nearby medieval ruins: the Chape of the Agudos and the remains of the Atalaya tower.
