What to see in the Aragonese Pyrenees in 5 days

We had been planning for some time to travel to the Aragonese Pyrenees In summer, we had already been skiing in Formigal and we were curious to know the area without snow, although at the same time we were a little afraid of not knowing exactly if we could do all the ski runs routes We had to depend on how the weather and the rain would treat us.

Nothing could be further from the truth, our route through the Aragonese Pyrenees has been one of the best nature trips we have done. We have enjoyed landscapes that have stayed in our memory forever and if you don't believe us, go see the photos below.

If like us, you love hiking and walking in nature, you know where you have your next destination. The Aragonese Pyrenees, which is one of the perfect destinations to disconnect from everything, in addition, we have found that you can give the walks the intensity and duration you want and then get to the village where you are staying and enjoy a quiet dinner, you can not imagine the variety of dishes and restaurants throughout the area.

We chose the first days of July to start the adventure and after reading a lot about the candidate villages for the lodging, we decided to stay in Jaca, for being a large municipality, with a population of about 13,000 inhabitants and for being the capital of the Jacetania region. We are we stayed at the hotel real spa jaca and we loved the hotel, the location and the reception staff.

There are also other good options to stay in Jaca that we detail in our article with the best places to stay in Jaca. best hotels to sleep in Jaca.

Day 1. Jaca and the Route to Mount Oroel

When we arrive at a new place, we usually spend the rest of the day after arrival getting to know the town and its surroundings. Since we had arrived relatively early at the hotel, we decided to take the nearest route to Jaca which was the ascent to Mount Oroel.

Mount Oroel is well known for being visible from anywhere in Jaca, being an essential place to visit because it has wonderful views of the whole area. It is possible to park in an esplanade at the height of the Parador Refugio Mirador de Oroel which was closed that day.

Although it is an easy route, it has some steep sections. The ascent is well indicated and is through a path that winds its way through a forest of pines and firs.

We climbed up the north face through a path escorted on both sides by a dense forest of pines that later become firs by the height reached. Once the forest is over, the path becomes a little more complicated due to the loose stones that you find as you ascend.

On the summit, where there is already little vegetation, we find the Oroel Cross From here you will find beautiful views of the Jacetania region, and you can also see how vultures and bearded vultures spread their wings to let themselves be carried away by the wind.

On our way back, at a crossroads, we descended a trail that led to the Hermitage of the Virgin of the Cave The distance is short and quite steep, if you are tired and you have already had enough route we do not recommend doing it because it does not bring too much. It is also important to note that from the chapel all the way uphill.

It is a landscape difficult to forget so we will return without hesitation. When we arrived at the car, tired and very thirsty, we decided to sit on a terrace in Jaca, Terrace of the Mountain House where there were many people seated, having a cool drink.

The first night we went out in Jaca to walk around the city and look for a place to have dinner. We found a place called, 19 tapas and 500 wines is a place for tapas and portions to share. We tried some scrambled eggs, grilled vegetables, Andalusian style squid, bacon, bacon confit and grilled beef tenderloin. Everything was exquisite.

If you would like to see photos of the meal and learn more about the best places to have lunch or dinner in Jaca go to see our article.

Day 2. What to see and do in the Tena Valley

Tour the spectacular Tena Valley Zip Line.

For the second day, we had planned to visit part of the Tena Valley and we had previously reserved four places in the Tena Valley Zip Linewere 20 euros per person. For this we had to travel to Jaca Sickle where there is one of the longest double zip lines (we could jump two at a time on two parallel cables) in Europe, in addition to jumping with the zip line during the day, there are scheduled night descents, which if they coincide with full moon nights, can be more than spectacular.

We parked the car in a small square, and from there we could enjoy the wonderful views of the area. We went to the hut where the office is. there they take your information and provide you with the harnesses and helmet to access the zip line and already equipped we went a few meters up until we reached the place where the adventure began, the viewpoint of Hoz de Jaca.

You can't describe the feeling, you have to experience it. You fly over a reservoir of deep blue waters, the Bubal reservoir and as you glide at high speed along the approximately 950 meters You can admire the scenery until you reach the end of the adventure, where they are waiting to pick you up and take you in a van to the place from where you started the descent and where our car was parked.

See Hoz de Jaca, a small town with lots of charm

At the end of the zip line tour we recommend that you take a walk through Hoz de Jaca, it won't take you more than half an hour but it's worth it to get lost in its streets and if the day is clear, enjoy the views of the whole valley.

Enjoying the walkways of Panticosa

We had also planned for this day to see the Panticosa footbridges These are walkways hanging on the edges of a gorge where you can walk admiring the scenery and watching the water flow. It takes a short time to walk them but you can not miss them.

Once you have finished the tour, you take a path that leads to a wooded area, until you reach a crossroads where you can choose two options to continue the tour. If you choose the path on the left, you will reach the O'Calvé Lookout You will find the remains of shelters and bunkers that were built during the Second World War along the Spanish-French border to prevent a foreign invasion through the Pyrenees.

From the viewpoint you can enjoy spectacular views of Panticosa and all the surrounding mountains, after this just follow the signs that will direct us back to Panticosa and parking.

Short route Panticosa - El Pueyo - Panticosa

We ate in the parking lot where there is an esplanade from where the chairlifts leave, luckily we were able to park the car under the shade of a tree. We took a walk around the area and decided to make the Panticosa-El Pueyo-Panticosa route It was very hot and quite steep, so if you do not have much time, you can not do it, you will gain in rest.

Visit the Panticosa baths, the Ibón and its waterfall.

Before leaving the area, we drove up a road to the Panticosa Baths where we parked and strolled along the Ibón de los Baños and the impressive Argualas waterfall.

When we arrived back in Jaca, we had dinner at the Tasca de Ana is a very well known place among the people of the area, we chose some rodolfitos which we loved, goat croquettes, chistorra sausage pan, broken eggs pan, patatas bravas, torreznos, and for dessert, chocolate coulant.

Day 3. Jaca and San Juan de la Peña

What to see in Jaca

The third day dawned rainy and we took the opportunity to walk around and see the city during the day citadel But in the end we only saw it from the outside because we found out that it took about two hours to visit. The schedules vary according to the time of the year and the day of the week, so it is best that you consult them in the official website of the Citadel of Jaca. Here are the prices. Guided tour:

• General: 10 ¤ / Reduced: 6 ¤.
• Visit at your own pace: General: 8 € / Reduced: 5 €.
• You can also hire a guided tour around Jaca for 12€.

We enter the cathedral, which is one of the oldest and most characteristic Romanesque buildings in Spain. The entrance is free, but during the celebration of the mass the visits are not allowed.

San Juan de la Peña Monastery

After a refreshing beer on a terrace near the cathedral at a bar called Cathedral Corner we paid a visit to the monastery from San Juan de la Peña The old monument, covered by the rock from which it derives its name, is almost hidden by the fog, and the new monument has been used on occasion for political and cultural events.

Parking to see the new monastery is not difficult, as there are several parking areas, and there is even a small cafeteria. However, find parking Near the old monastery is another story, we left the car on the side of the road, but depending on the people it can be complicated and you may have to walk for a while.

It is worth dedicating part of the day to visit the monastery and the surrounding area. From there there are several routes of varying difficulty. We could not do any of them because the fog did not allow it.

Visiting Santa Cruz de la Serós

After touring the monastery area, you can stop by to visit Santa Cruz de la Serós A typical village of the Pyrenees area with some places to eat, ideal for a walk and continue to know the area quietly. We recommend a stroll through the village and visit the church of Santa Maria and the church of St. Caprasius You can't miss it, you will see that it is very small.

Day 4. Astún Lakes

On the fourth day we went to the Astún lakes We parked on the esplanade from where the ski lifts were taken at a very reasonable price. We parked on the esplanade from where the ski lifts were taken at a price of 12 euros per person (ascent and descent included). We recommend bringing some warm clothes even if the weather is good because we were cold at the beginning, remember that you will be in the high mountains.

We arrived at the top eager to visit the lakes, the scenery is spectacular, you are immersed in the depths of the mountain, you are walking along dirt paths and stones, it is not easy to describe the landscape, you have to go and see it in person.

Below is a photo of the sign with the available routes that you will find at the end of the lift. We went to the refuge that is marked, ate there and turned around. Following this route you will see most of the lakes in the area, we break it down below:

• Descend from the Los Lagos chairlift
• You come to see the Ibón de las truchas which is just behind the chairlift operator's hut and turn around.
• You take the opposite direction to continue along the red road to the Ibón de Escalar.
• Once there, you take the blue road you go to Collado Monje and you will reach a cross in which you can visit the ibones of Casterau y Paradise. 
• You return to the crossroads and follow the green road towards the Bersau lake and continue to the Ayous shelter.
• Here you can eat while contemplating the Gentau lake and that of Miey.
• At this point we decided to turn around after resting for a while in order to get to the chairlift before it closed. Keep in mind that after lunchtime temperatures usually drop quite a bit.

Regardless of the route you choose, do not forget to keep track of your time so that you can get to the ski lifts before the last descent (in our case at 17:30h). Also keep in mind that you may be tired and that it may take you longer to get back than it took you to get there.

⚠ Danger for Sunday drivers.
Regardless of the route you choose, don't forget to keep track of your time so that you can get to the ski lifts before the last descent (in our case at 5:30 pm). Also keep in mind that you may be tired and that it may take you longer to get back than it took you to get there.

A succession of lakes to surround and admire appear along the trail. Ibones the first two are: the Ibón de Trucha and that of Climb The road continues on to the remains of the old town, but you will find several more lakes surrounded by mountains. Spanish-French border. It is essential to stop and from one of the many stones that look into the void, take a picture with the infinite landscape behind.

That day we had dinner in Jaca, on the way back, at a Crepería Otal pizzeria where they offer you homemade pizzas that they make at the moment.

Day 5. Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park.

Horsetail Route

We dedicated our fifth day to visit the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park This massif is the highest limestone mountain in Europe, with 3355 meters above sea level. From Jaca, it is relatively close, about 60 kms full of curves and a curious tunnel.

In order to get to Ordesa National Park, it is first necessary to go to Torla where the bus to access the park's meadow. For the past few years, private vehicles have not been allowed to enter the park because of the massive influx of people and the danger of landslides on the road. The car you can park in a parking lot on the village road where you can get your tickets (5 euros/person) to catch the bus that takes you to the Ordesa meadow.

From the meadow we started the hike to the Horsetail (route of 17.5 kms) which is one of the best known routes in the Pyrenees, during the tour we can admire the valley, enjoy the waterfalls of the Arazas River: the Arripas waterfall the Estrecho waterfall the Soaso bleachers,... A spectacle that we discover in some of the following photos.

During the first part of the route we walk along an easy trail through the valley, crossing pine, beech and meadow forests. From the Soaso bleachers and even the Horsetail The path is narrower and crosses beautiful mountain meadows. The descent is done exactly the same way, retracing the steps.

This route can be crowded during the summer months, although we were fortunate and did not encounter too many people. When you are about to arrive, you can already see the large waterfall of water imitating the shape of a horsetail. When you arrive, if you sit on a rock and contemplate the wonderful view in front of you, you can dip your feet in the icy water and take a picture with the waterfall in the background while eating a snack.

🥵 ¡Hydrate yourselves!
It is essential to carry water as it is a very long route. Do not plan to do it without carrying anything.

When we went down and arrived at the starting point, still in the meadow, we found the bar open so we took the opportunity to have a well-deserved cold beer that you can enjoy sitting in the bar terrace from the one right next to the bus stop.

Once in Jaca, we had dinner again at the Tasca de Ana We repeated the huevos rotos frying pans and tried the huevos rotos with boletus, and huevos rotos with picadillo, as well as lamb cannelloni, rodolfitos, fried potatoes and a tomato salad.

The truth is that if you have 5 days to get to know the area, we guarantee that you will be surprised by the landscapes that you will find and you will be more eager to know what you have left unseen and to return on your feet to repeat the adventure.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement What to see in the Aragonese Pyrenees in 5 days you can visit our posts about Huesca.