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Although much of Huesca is taken up by the Pre-Pyrenees,
as the foothills are called, it is decidedly a mountain province,
with 50 of the 129 peaks of over 3,000 m that exist in the
Pyrenees.
The biggest concentration of these is found in the Benasque
area of the Esera
Valley, including the two highest mountains in the Pyrenees,
Aneto
(3,404 m, 11,168 ft) and Posets (3,375 m, 11,073 ft) which
form part of a subrange with the dramatic name of the Montes
Malditos, Cursed Mountains. Which seems like a good cue
to remind you that these mountains deserve real respect, and
no-one should undertake a climb, trek, hike, maybe not even
a walk here without adequate preparation and clothing and
proper equipment, even if the weather seems good. I wouldn't
go for a leak behind a rock without a map and compass, myself.
What to see
In the south-east, the historic towns of Fraga,
Monzón
and Barbastro
(birthplace of the recently and controversially canonised
José
María Escriva, founder of the thoroughly sinister
Opus Dei sect). The city of Huesca
has a nice mediaeval centre, including a curious cathedral
and the interesting "San Pedro el Viejo" church.
The castle of Loarre
is one of the most spectacular in the whole of Spain. The
Mallos
are curious sugar-loaf rock formations found in this area,
notably looming over the village of Riglos. The town of Jaca
was and is an important stop on the Aragonese
Camino de Santiago, which does not join the more
famous French Way until Puente la Reina, Navarre. Jaca is
now the main jumping-off point for the Pyrenees at all times
of year, and is likeable and enjoyable in its own right, with
a nice casco viejo, cathedral and an interesting ciudadela,
fort. The monastery of San
Juan de la Peña makes a worthwhile visit, while
the railway station of Canfranc, once a major border crossing,
is a magnificent construction from the nineteen-twenties,
sometimes used as a film location. The Hecho
and Ansó valleys and the villages of the same names
are popular with walkers and weekenders, as is the village
of Siresa. Ordesa y Monte Perdido
National Park is one of the oldest in Spain, and has fabulous
landscapes and surprising wildlife, including golden eagles
and the Pyrenean chamois, mountain goat. The National Park
of Guara is tame only by comparison, while serious mountain
climbing is centred around the village of Benasque in the
Posets-Maladeta Nature Reserve (and I mean serious, though
I was amused to learn, here,
that "the Posets was climbed for the first time more
or less accidentally by the English tourist Mr. Halkett who,
with a local mountain guide (whose name was never recorded),
reached the summit one day in August 1856. This achievement
received very little acclaim as the Posets had not then been
identified as the second highest mountain in the Pyrenees").
There are also plenty of treks and walks of varying difficulties.
The mountains here are also notable for their glaciers.
What to do
Winter sports, especially skiing.
Adventure
sports: rafting, canoeing, ravining, canyoning... Biking
and horseriding. Birdwatching
and nature observation. For climbing or trekking, you are
either an expert or will use a guide, especially in the Benasque
area, while hikers and walkers can look out for the paths
identified as pequeño recorrido (PR)
by yellow and white markings, though most sections of the
longer, red-and-white-marked gran recorrido (GR)
paths are also suitable for properly prepared casual walkers
— but do be very careful, especially with GR11.
Where to stay
Hotels, hostals and pensions abound, but planning ahead
is advisable for peak season. In Ordesa,
the village of Torla
is the most convenient place to base yourself, though by no
means the only possibility; the nearby Broto is one alternative,
especially if you have not booked ahead. For Posets-Maladeta,
Benasque
itself (click 'alojamientos' for an accommodation list) will
almost certainly be your first choice. Mountain
huts and refuges will be your only possibility on many
treks and hikes. And Aragón has a number of official
Camino de Santiago refuges
and hostals, for bona fide, card-carrying pilgrims only;
some of them are free (though, not unreasonably, they expect
a donation), others charge a nominal fee.
Eating and drinking
Huesca is not a great gastronomic centre, but it is Spain,
after all, so you are unlikely to go hungry — just don't
expect to find a McDonald's in the middle of a national park.
As you would expect, good, filling mountain fare is the order
of the day: roast meat, game (of both the furry and feathered
kinds) and the like. In Jaca, El Mesón
El Rancho Grande is said to be of interest for its
regional cuisine, and La
Cocina Aragonesa is considered to be Jaca's best restaurant.
In Huesca, Restaurante
Navas is the top-rated establishment.
When to go
Except for winter sports lovers and outright masochists, spring
and summer are the best bets.
Getting there
Huesca is not easy to get to and the mountains are even less
so. Most train
connections to Jaca or Huesca itself run only once a day,
so buses (to Jaca,
Huesca,
or Benasque)
will probably be more feasible, and you may have to allow
for changing at Saragossa, overnighting in Huesca, and so
on. To get into Ordesa without a car, you need to catch the
daily bus to Torla from Sabiñanigo
(which also has the nearest railway station to Ordesa, tel.
974480062), which again may require an overnight stop, even
though it is only an hour away. If you are coming from Catalonia,
there are 4 buses a day from Lerida and, in the skiing
season, I am fairly sure coaches run from Barcelona, especially
at weekends (but don't take my word for that: check, then
tell me about
it).
More about Aragón
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