National Geographic Traveller (UK)
FOUR TO TRY ARAGÓN ADVENTURES
The dreamy, desolate lands of Aragón often found their way into Goya’s canvases. It’s not all sweeping plains though — the city’s geologically varied surrounds offer all kinds of terrain for a day trip
Wetlands
The Ebro flows from Zaragoza into Galachos de la Alfranca, a protected reserve around 10 miles from the city. A dedicated trail traces the reserve’s forests, meadows and marshes, passing a 19th-century convent and the habitats of otters, wild boars and herons. Deeper into rural Aragón is Gallocanta Lake, a rain-fed saline lagoon that supports a festival of birdlife — migrating cranes are the big stars of autumn. Reach La Alfranca on the hourly 201B bus to Patriz, which leaves from the Avenida de los Pirineos in the city centre. laalfranca.com zaragozaguia.com
Mountains
It’s a challenging climb to the summit of Pico de San Miguel, the highest peak in the Iberian System at 7,595 feet. A medium-tough trail in summer and a snowy ascent for mountaineers in winter, the optimal route (and the only one for casual hikers) is around six miles long and starts at the Santuario del Moncayo monastery, where there’s a public car park. turismomalejan.es
Desert
Hire a car and head out on the A-2 for a slow day’s driving, taking in the dramatic, arid scrubland where abandoned farms and bullet-pocked trenches from the Spanish Civil War hint at the landscape’s former human activity. There’s plenty to stop off and see, however, including the mosaics of Carthusian monastery Nuestra Señora de las Fuentes, as well as the otherworldly rock formations of Los Tozales near Sariñena, and the giant sundial in Grañén. Check out Slow Driving
Aragon’s Desert and Carthusian Route for a detailed itinerary. turismolosmonegros.es slowdrivingaragon.com
Woodlands
As well as being the spiritual home of chocolate in Spain, the medieval Monasterio de Piedra is surrounded by a forest reserve of ash, elm, maple and walnut trees. It’s prime walking territory, all cooled by streams and cascades that drop down to the Piedra River. monasteriopiedra.com