Aragonese Pyrenees
A canyon with thousand-metre walls crowned by a 3,355 m summit, golden-stone villages and vultures by the hundred: the Spanish side of the Pyrenees is drier, wilder — and emptier.
Suggested stay — 3 nights
The Ordesa and Monte Perdido national park is the grand canyon of the Pyrenees: from the Pradera de Ordesa, the trail climbs the glacial valley between tiered ramparts to the Cola de Caballo waterfall, beneath Monte Perdido (3,355 m) — a 17 km round trip with no technical difficulty, the most beautiful 'accessible' day's walk in the range. In summer and on big weekends, the Pradera road closes to cars: compulsory shuttle from Torla, the stone village guarding the park's entrance.
All around, Aragon multiplies the marvels within reach of the wheel: the vertiginous, narrow road of the Añisclo canyon (one-way loop in places, forbidden to campervans, tunnels carved into the cliff), the medieval citadel of Aínsa with its arcaded square, and lower down the Mallos de Riglos, red conglomerate organ pipes where dozens of griffon vultures wheel above the climbers. It is Spanish mountain country at its most generous: grandiose up high, gourmand down below — grilled lamb and Somontano wines.
Don't miss
- The Ordesa valley up to the Cola de Caballo, starting from the Pradera
- The Añisclo canyon road and the viewpoint over the río Bellós gorges
- Aínsa, its arcaded medieval square and the view of the Peña Montañesa
- The Mallos de Riglos and their ballet of griffon vultures, late afternoon
Our tips on the ground
- From July to mid-September (and at Easter), the Torla-Pradera road is closed to cars: paid shuttle from 6 am — take the first one to walk the valley empty and meet the chamois before the crowds.
- Drive the Añisclo road in the Escalona-Sarvisé direction on the one-way section: check the current direction before committing, and give it a miss in a campervan or anything wide.
- Sleep in Torla or the villages (Aínsa, Fiscal) rather than deep in the valley: the evenings are lovely and the early starts for the shuttle become a 10-minute affair.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Spain on Your Own Terms”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Aragonese Pyrenees
Is the Cola de Caballo hike doable with a family?
Yes, from about 8-10 years old for walking children: 17 km round trip but on a wide, steady path with no exposed sections, and natural staging posts (the Estrecho and Cueva waterfalls) that let you turn around at any point still feeling you have 'seen' Ordesa. Allow 6-7 hours with breaks. The Faja de Pelay variant, on the other hand, is for those at ease with drops.
Ordesa on the Spanish side or Gavarnie on the French side?
Both are worth the journey and face each other across the border — the same massif, UNESCO-listed together. Ordesa wins on the length of the show (a whole valley earned on foot) and on sunshine; Gavarnie on the knockout punch of the immediate cirque. On a road trip, linking the two via the Bielsa tunnel or the Pourtalet pass settles the dilemma elegantly.