Nacimiento del Río Pitarque, Natural monument and protected area in Teruel Province, Spain

The Nacimiento del Río Pitarque is a protected natural site in Teruel Province where water emerges from karst springs to form a clear stream. The resulting river flows through a canyon with steep vertical walls and adjoining forests of mixed vegetation.

The site was declared a natural monument by Law 217/2009 of the Government of Aragon on 15 December 2009, covering 114 hectares around the source of the Pitarque. It also forms part of the Maestrazgo Cultural Park and is listed as a Site of Community Importance (Muelas y estrechos del río Guadalope) and a Special Protection Area for Birds (Río Guadalope-Maestrazgo).

Locals call the spring El Ojo de la Fuente, and the river's flow regime is fluvio-nival, with a main peak in spring and a secondary one in autumn. In the 19th century the Aragonese botanist Ignacio Jordán de Asso y del Río visited and documented the area's plant species. The site also belongs to the Maestrazgo Cultural Park.

The hiking route begins in Pitarque village and follows marked paths through the surrounding vegetation to reach the river source. Wear proper walking shoes and be prepared for natural terrain that varies with the seasons.

The spring emerges at El Ojo de la Fuente with a flow of up to 1,500 litres per second. After heavy rain, water also gushes from a chimney-like opening, forming a waterfall. The Pitarque crosses the Fortanet syncline between the Sierra de la Cañada and the Sierra de la Lastra.