Aragon Guide

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  Panticosa

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  Jaca Citadel

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  Pastry Shop

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  Jaca Cathedral

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  Five Elks Terrace & Bar, Formigal

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  Lanuza

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  Panticosa Ski Resort

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  Formigal

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  The Aragonese Pyrenees

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  Sallent de Gallego Architecture

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  La Casueña Hotel & Lanuza Lake

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  Destinations in the Aragonese Pyrenees

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  El Privilegio de Tena Spa & Hotel, Tramacastilla de Tena

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  Panticosa Spa

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  Las Margas Golf, Latas

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  Maiberal Restaurant & Bar in Anso

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  Photo Source: Bodegas Irius

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  Lacuniacha

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  Sallent de Gallego City Hall

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  San Juan de la Peña Monastery. Photo Source: Gestora Turística de San Juan de la Peña

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  Panticosa Square & Statue

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  La Tasca de Ana Tapas Bar in Jaca

Ainsa & Boltana. Ainsa is the historic capital of the Sobrarbe region. Located between the Ara and Cinca rivers, points the access to Broto and Bielsa valleys. Ainsa main square is one of the biggest and well conservated of Spain. Boltana is located 7 kilometres from Ainsa, on the banks of the Ara River. The village of Boltana is the capital of the region of Sobrarbe, where the natural parks of Ordesa and Monte Perdido are found.

Ara & Anisclo Valleys. The River Ara source is at the foot of Mount Vignemale, flowing freely until it meets the River Cinca in Ainsa. This river is the longest in the Pyrenees, going through the Bujaruelo valley, and the countryside of Torla, Broto, Fiscal and Boltana.

Aragon Valley. The Route to Santiago, European Cultural Itinerary, passes through this area. Jaca is the largest town in the valley, rich in cultural and artistic heritage and equipped with top quality tourist infrastructures. Villanua offers the possibility of visiting its imposing grottos. Canfranc is impressive for its noteworthy international ski station, Candanchu and Astun for their snow tourism range.

Valleys and peaks over three thousand metres high can be visited, such as El Aspe, Balaitus and Vignemale, as well as the naves of Romanesque churches and cathedrals such as those in Jaca and Santa Cruz de la Seros, and the marvellous cloisters in the monastery of San Juan de la Peña, visiting the vault of the Aragonese Royal Family.

Barbastro And Somontano. Somontano is a county in the Province of Huesca, in Aragon, north-eastern Spain. In recent years the area has come to enjoy world renown as one of Spain's finest viticultural regions, earning it Denominación de Origen certification. The name Somontano actually means "Under the Mountain". The region is gorgeous with green fields and hills, wildflowers, medieval hamlets, and lonely hilltop monasteries. The principal wine town is Barbastro, with most of the wineries close by. The cathedral, the episcopal palace, the seminary, and the college of the Clerks Regular of the Pious Schools, or Piarists, are among the most noted buildings in the city.

Near Barbastro we find Alquezar, one of the best monumental ensembles in Aragon, built around a rock where the Castle and the Collegiate Church stand. The castle (11th Century) conserves part of the walls, the watch-tower, part of a tower and rests of the church of Santa Maria Magdalena.

Benasque Valley. Situated in the northeast of the province of Huesca, in the old county of Ribagorza, it is mainly formed by the valleys surrounding the river Esera, with the highest peak in the Pyrenees rising from its La Maladeta massif, El Aneto, at 3,404 m. Its orography, the wildest of the Aragonese Pyrenees in the high areas, becomes gentler at lower heights to form unique landscapes.

The modern centre of Benasque has an excellent tourist infrastructure. Cerler can be seen from Benasque. In the valley, it is possible to enjoy all kinds of winter sports: Alpine skiing at the station in Cerler (the highest in the Pyrenees) and cross country skiing in Los Llanos del Hospital.

Bielsa & Parzan. Bielsa village was founded in the 10th century. It has a privileged location where the Cinca and Barrosa rivers conflude. This typical Aragon Pyrenees town still mantains all its most singular traditions: the "belsetan", a variety of the Fabla dialect spoken in the region, and its carnivals.

Broto Valley. Lucien Briet was the main impulsor of the declaration Ordesa as National Park in 1918, one of the first in Spain. In the last years the economy orientation has changed radically, from a "survival" agriculture to the touristic sector, with its main engine as Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. The new initiatives are trying to stop the area abandonment process. The most unusual building in Broto (4 kilometres of Torla) is “The Prison”, which is a 16th century tower overlooking the Gothic bridge over the river Ara.

You can visit the hermitage of Jesus Nazareno in Fiscal as well as the stronghold tower with its battlements and crenels are in good condition. You can also admire the church and the 13th century Romanesque doorway of Janovas’ church, which was taken to Fiscal to save it from the threat of being sunk by the planned reservoir.

Chistau Valley. Chistau is located in the side of the Cinqueta River. In the "villa" of Chistau you can find the Church of San Vicente Martir, built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Inside the city you can enjoy the two defensive towers, part of the "casa fuerte" or fort house, from the 16th century.

The main town of the valley is Plan, a municipality with an eminently mediaeval layout, which is notable for its parish church. San Juan de Plan is a raditional village with the interesting Romanesque church of San Juan Bautista and an Ethnographic Museum. The small village of Saravillo has well preserved old quarter of solid stone houses.

Hecho & Anso Valleys. These valleys can be accessed from Huesca, either through Ayerbe, Riglos and the port of Santa Barbara or around the Arguis reservoir, through the port of Monrepos and Sabinanigo. Both lead to Puente la Reina and enter the valley of Echo that saw the start of the county and later kingdom, of Aragon. The road straight ahead leads to Echo, a town noteworthy for the beauty of its local architecture and the open-air contemporary sculpture exhibition.

On one of the paths of the Route to Santiago is the 11th Century Romanesque monastery of San Pedro de Siresa and, ultimately, landscapes as attractive as the Boca del Infierno, la Selva de Oza, the valley of Aguas Tuertas and the Pyrenean lakes of Acherito and Estanes. Along a winding road from Echo is Anso, a typical town that celebrates the traditional fiesta of the "old Anso Valley dress exaltation". Not to be confused with Canfranc-Pueblo to the South. Canfranc Estacion is, as they say, the end of the line.

The Old Monastery of San Juan de la Pena is considered the sacred ground where Aragon Kingdom was originated. The village of Santa Cruz de la Seros is famous for its traditional architecture, with its houses made of stone and finished with the typical roof of slabs and the spectacular trunkconic chimneys. The Santa Cruz de Seros Monastery was founded in 922. At the beginning it was used as feminine Monastery reserved only to the kings and the principal Aragonese nobles' daughters.

The oldest entrance to Aragon through the Pyrenees was the Roman road that crossed the Palo pass and went down Echo Valley, where the Carolingian Monastery of Siresa was built. The important Romanesque church has been conserved and has a single nave and an apse. The name of the village of Canfranc Pueblo is from Campus Franci, literally the field of foreigners. It was originally a small market village, as well as providing pilgrims on the Arles route of the Way of St. James their first respite after the difficult crossing of the Pyrenees over the pass of Somport.

Huesca City. The founding times of Huesca, capital of the Aragonese Pyrenees, are lost in the mists of prehistory. It stands on a hill overlooking the rich orchard lands of the river Isuela. Next to old buildings, there are other of modern construction, which were built following the example of civil Aragonese renaissance architecture. As a result the urban picture as a whole is nicely balanced. Among the most important sights there are San Pedro El Viejo and the 13C cathedral.

Jaca & Around. From Jaca the Romans established an important control of the ways and paths of the region, increasing the trade. In the 10th century the Aragon Count Galindo Aznarez II conquered the Echo valley and the Aragon river territories. The counts became Aragon Kings, started important agricultural explotations that produced big incomes and allowed them to control the transit of goods through the Pyrenees.

Many skiing competitions are arranged in the close winter stations of Candanchu, Formigal, Astun and Panticosa. Every year in the first week of August is made in Jaca an interesting world folkloric or traditional music festivals, with representatives of the 5 continents.

Ordesa Valley & Torla. The Ordesa valley is a spectacular cannon created for centuries for the Arazas River (It has been compared with the Colororado one). This is one of the most visited areas of the Pyrenees because of its diversity. The Ordesa & Monte Perdido National Park was declared World Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and in 1988 Special protected area for the birds. In 1997 was declared World humanity heritage by the Unesco together with the French glaciar side.

Pineta Valley. The beautiful and big Pineta Valley is one of the most well known and visited places in the Aragon Pyrenees. The valley V form is because its glaciar origin. Its 14 kilometers in length through the Sucas and Espierba mountain ranges. At the beginning of the valley you can find Monte Perdido (Lost Mount), one of the most emblematic Aragon Pyrenees peak.

Sierra de Loarre & Mallos de Riglos. The Loarre Castle raises some thirty-five kilometers to the north of Huesca towards Ayerbe, whose flat cakes are delicious. Loarre is the best preserved Romanesque castle in the world and hs been used as filming locations in films including Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. The Loarre castle is part of the Reino de los Mallos, a kingdom with outstanding geological formations, which raise majestically, a paradisefor vultures and mountaineers of the entire world. Impressive, the stone-walls of Mallos de Riglos, the ones of Aguero and Murillo, the Gratal Peak and lakes like the Ardisa o Sotonera, ideal to do nautical sports.

Ayerbe was an important centre, especially at the Middle Ages, because of its location in the way to the Pyrenees. Although it was a fortified town, only the Arab castle ruins remain. Riglos, which enjoyed the status of an independent kingdom in the Middle Ages (in the 12th Century), owes its name to the remarkable geological features which rise majestically over the surrounding land, providing a perfect home for vultures and acting as a magnet for rock climbers from all over the world.

Sierra de Guara. This protected natural space since 1991, contains the Guara mountain range, between the Guatizalema and Alcanadre rivers. The main characteristic of the park is its many wild rivers (like the quick Flumen, the majestuous Guatizalema or the amazing Formiga) that go through, creating spectacular stone structures.

Sobrarbe and Ribagorza Valleys. Both are accessed from Graus. The valley of El Noguera-Ribagorzana are heading towards Benabarre, a town known for its castle, its interesting centre and the Plaza Mayor, or main square. Also from Graus and passing through Capella and Lascuarre is the heart of the valley of El Isabena, with its beautiful landscape. The Romanesque cathedral of Roda de Isabena is particularly noteworthy, founded very early on and reconstructed between 1053 and 1067.

Tena Valley. Through the route of El Serrablo with beautiful Lombardy-style Romanesque churches, such as those of Larrede, Olivan or Gavin, is Biescas, a town with outstanding tourist infrastructures. At the end of the valley, Escarrilla, Panticosa and Sallent de Gállego are also top quality tourist towns and, of course, the Alpine ski stations of Panticosa (also cross country) and Formigal.

The Pirineos Sur (South Pyrenees) Festival is held on a floating stage every year in the Lanuza reservoir, watched from the banks of the attractive restored village. Following a turning from Panticosa is the Spa with its old luxury hotels, its walks and casinos and what was a holiday destination for royalty in the past.

Tramacastilla de Tena is located at 1.224 meters of altitude, in the valley of Tena, in Pyrenees of Aragon, it is a small typical mountain town that rests in a sunny slope that dominates the bottom of the valley. Between large houses of family of noble bearing, a small Romanic church of 12th century was discovered.

Sallent the Gallego is consider the head of the Tena Valley. Its privileged location at 1305 metres of Altitude, makes it the starting point of numerous excursions to Piedrafita Circus, Picos del Infierno (Hell Peaks) and Anoyet lake. These routes offer exceptionally quiet paths where you will enjoy wonderful cliffs, lakes and landscape views. It represents a typical Aragonese Pyrenees village that offers a wide net of services from hotels and restaurants to shops.

Monzon And The Cinca Medio. Monzon is the capital of the Cinca Medio comarca. The Roman heritage, still palpable in different remains, the permanent Moorish influence in toponomy and in the way the peasants work the land, the shadow of the knight Templars, floating upon the Castle of Monzon and its surroundings. King James I "The Conqueror" was kept under guardianship by the Knights Templar in Monzon. Monzon was the birthplace of Joaquin Costa, One of the greatest men of the ‘’Regeneracionismo’’.

Moncayo. The Moncayo is the mountain “par excellence” of the Zaragoza Province landscape. Everyone attempts to see its mythical summits from any high spot of the province, and children learn very early on how to distinguish its silhouette, which rises solemnly up between steppes and valleys. For centuries, the most important town of its foothills has been Tarazona. The Moncayo was considered to be a magical mountain in Olden Times, and is housed in the Nature Reserve of Dehesa del Moncayo.

Fraga and the Baix Cinca. On the banks of the Cinca river, there is Fraga, of Iberian origin, where important Romanesque churches of the 12th century are preserved as is a series of residential buildings in the picturesque layout of the streets. The village of Mequinenza is situated within close proximity of both the Rio Segre and Ebro. The village is steeped in history dating back to the Arabic occupation. Both the Rio's Segre and Ebro boast an excellent quality of Catfish and Carp fishing.

Natural Park of Posets Maladeta. From the high mountain tops to the last foothills of the outer mountain ranges, the magnificent mountain landscape plays a leading role in Ribagorza, the most eastern area of the Aragonese Pyrenees. The granite massifs of Posets and Maladeta, declared a Natural Park with a surface area of 33.267 hectares, house half the mountain tops of more than three thousand metres high of the Pyrenees and the greatest heights of the mountain range: Aneto with 3404 m, Maladeta with 3308 m, the Perdiguera Peak of 3222 m or Posests with 3375 m.