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Explore the natural wonders and culture of Huesca, Aragon

Guarded by the high peaks of the Pyrenees, Huesca province opens a window onto the past – and the impact of ongoing climate change on its magnificent nature

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Words by Esme Fox

Tucked into the north-east of Spain lies a rural region dominated by dramatic mountains and studded with quaint hilltop villages stretching down to the vast basin of the Ebro River: Aragon. With the Pyrenees forming its northern border abutting France, Aragon is flanked by Catalonia to the east, Valencia to the south, and Navarre, La Rioja, Castile and León, and Castilla-La Mancha to the west. And each of its three provinces has its own distinct personality. Huesca, in the north, is a playground of Pyrenean peaks; the mighty Ebro snakes through the central province, Zaragoza; and Teruel, the southernmost, is renowned for its medieval Mudéjar architecture, blending Jewish, Moorish and Christian influences.

Adventurous travellers head into the high Pyrenees to roam one of Spain’s wildest, most dramatic protected areas, the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park. Here, waterfalls cascade from snowy peaks, rocky mountains scrape the sky, and lakes and rivers glint in wide, green valleys. It’s also home to the highest peak in the Pyrenees, Spain’s third-tallest: Aneto, soaring to 3,404m.

 

The park is criss-crossed with hiking trails leading to scenic highlights. Most demanding is the GR11 or Senda Pirenaica, the long-distance hiking trail winding some 840km south-east along the full length of the Pyrenees from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean. Another popular walk is the testing four-day Route of the Three Refuges circuit, linking the mountain huts of Estós, Viadós and Ángel Orús. For a gentler stroll, try the 4.5km route to the Forau de Aigüalluts, one of the park’s most striking waterfalls, a relatively easy two-hour out and back walk from La Besurta parking area.

 

As well as hiking, a number of experiences immerse visitors in the natural and cultural history of the park and the wider Pyrenean region of northern Aragon. While enjoying a deeper experience of this remarkable environment, you’ll also be supporting local communities.

Person climbing over a rock to get closer to the waterfall

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Where to go stargazing

Led by a biologist and guide specialising in mountain ecosystems, PiriNature Experiences’ Liquenometría (Lichenometry) excursion in the Vallibierna valley is a hiking adventure, a voyage of discovery and a scientific investigation all in one. On an early morning hike, your guide will point out patches of lichen growing on the rocks, and explain how studying these enables experts to estimate the rate of glacial retreat and explore the story of those once-expansive ice masses.

 

Contribute to the research using a magnifying glass and measuring device, observing evidence of climate change for yourself and helping track its progress. Along the way, marvel at jaw-dropping views of Aneto and sample traditional Pyrenean produce including goat cheeses and patés.

A group of hikers standing for a picture under the rocky mountains in the background

(Gobierno de Aragón)

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Meet the women of the Aragonese Pyrenees

Mundo Ara Travel’s three-day Huellas (Footprints) experience shares with visitors the stories of Pyrenean women as told by those remarkable individuals. Stay in a sustainable rural home and join daily guided excursions and activities to learn about the healers, washerwomen and witches of days gone by, visiting peaceful towns and villages, such as Guaso, Boltaña and Aínsa, where local crafts are still made using traditional methods. You’ll also support and learn about various sustainable projects being spearheaded by Pyrenean women.

 

Spend the morning on the mountain with shepherdess Sara and her sheep and goats, then learn about plans for her cheese factory. Discover how biologist Azpe is helping to repopulate abandoned villages, and tasteMaite’s vegetarian cooking, focusing on seasonal produce and the circular economy. Nature and sustainability are the core values embedded in each activity during the tour.

Chief putting the final touches on the dishes in the kitchen

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Drink in a Pyrenean panorama

Take a 4WD journey to one of the finest mountain viewpoints in Aragon, accessing remote, rugged areas in the Parque Natural de los Valles Occidentales in the far north-west. The excursion, offered by adventure company Ojos Pirenaicos – owned by local nature guide David Ruiz de Gopegui – traverses a wild track leading up to the Mirador del Pirineo, with your guide introducing local flora and fauna en route. The journey climbs to 2,000m and a natural balcony affording one of the most spectacular vistas in the Pyrenees range.

At the top, take a stroll to admire the views and to absorb the natural spectacle revealed from this lofty eyrie. Vultures soar on air currents above, mountain goats leap from rock to rock, and delicate edelweiss flowers bloom on the mountain’s edge. During the colder months, there’s also an option to strap on snowshoes and tramp around the heights.

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Need to know

When to go

Spring, summer and early autumn are the best times to visit the Aragonese Pyrenees; higher trails can be blocked by heavy snowfall in the colder months. Though summer is high season in much of Spain, the Pyrenees largely remains peaceful and crowd-free – and exploring the mountains is a great way to escape the stifling heat in cities and lower areas.

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Getting there & around

Ryanair (ryanair.com) operates the only direct flight to Aragon from the UK, flying to the regional capital, Zaragoza, five times a week in just over two hours. From Zaragoza, the best option is to hire a car and drive three hours to reach the Pyrenees. Alternatively, the French city of Toulouse is a three-and-a-half-hour drive south across the border.

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Event

The Pyrenean Folk Festival, held in the town of Jaca every other August (next in 2025), features performances from folkloric groups from around the world, as well as exhibitions, workshops and gastronomy.

 

Fiestas del Pilar is a week-long series of events held in Zaragoza on and around 12 October. These honour the Virgen del Pilar, the city’s patron saint, with parades involving gigantes (giants) and cabezudos (‘big heads’) plus fairs, concerts and puppet shows.

(Gobierno de Aragón)

Glossary

The quality of being able to continue over a period of time, or the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance (Camrbdige Dictionary).

This refers to ‘the variability of living organisms, between and within species, and the changeability of the ecosystems to which they belong’ (The Convention on Biological Diversity).
According to the Responsible Tourism Partnership, ‘Responsible Tourism requires that operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists take responsibility, and take action to make tourism more sustainable. Behaviour can be more or less responsible, and what is responsible in a particular place depends on environment and culture’. The concept was defined in Cape Town in 2002 alongside the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The process of protecting an environment and returning it to its natural state; for example, bringing back wild animals that used to live there (Cambridge Dictionary).
A movement reducing the distance between producers and sales and consumer establishments to a radius of under 100 kilometres, with the aim of minimising the effects that large-scale industry have on the planet, including soil erosion, water pollution, and habitat loss for wild species.
Being ‘green’ is used to describe actions or initiatives that are conducted in a sustainable way, in an attempt to reduce impact on planetary resource limits. However, the word can be used to describe actions or initiatives that do not actively do this, but rather convey an ethos of being planet-friendly; eg being outside, walking or riding a bike. This can be considered ‘greenwashing’ (when an individual or company paints an action as credibly sustainable when, in fact, it is an action that beenfits them, or that should be considered the bare minimum).