The town is of Roman origin although its population was closely linked to the Arab castle given in 1245 by king Jaume I to the Calatrava Order. In 1268, 110 men of the Alcañiz command received the Bexix (Bejís) “Carta Puebla”, a document containing the concessions and privileges granted by the government to those who were going to populate any town recently conquered from the Moors or newly created ones.

The town would become an important centre for the kingdom’s decisions as shown by its representation in the Valencian Parliament.

The old quarter and the chapels
Let’s start our journey at the castle. Only a few storage pits, cisterns and the remains of the wall of the primitive Roman fortress, subsequently adapted by its Muslim and Christian inhabitants await us today. So under the beady eye of an ancient watchtower, the town shows through the Portal its steep, narrow streets, reminders of its Arab past.

Next to the Portal we find the Virgen de Loreto chapel. Of special significance too is the famous Infante Barn, a former lodging house with two beautiful coats of arms, together with the Ethnological and Archaeological Museum.

Tourism and nature
Amongst the attractive landscapes that can be found in Bejís are the Resinero and Quiñón gullies. In Quiñón visitors can also access the baths premises. Another option is the leisure area at Fuente de los Cloticos or a walk following the GR-7 or PRV-80 paths.

The leading parts in the festivities
On February 3rd the main character is San Blas. His festivity has a strong food component through the “San Blas chicken”, an enormous roll decorated with cakes and pastries. Our Lady of Loreto and Saint Martyrs Victorio and Peregrino are honoured on the patron-saint festivities between the 1st and the 7th of September.