Aragon
5
Day Itinerary •
Spain
Aragon is one of Spain's most diverse and overlooked regions. From the highest peaks in the Spanish Pyrenees to the ochre badlands of the south, via Moorish palaces, medieval cliff villages, extraordinary Romanesque art trails and one of the most dramatic and undervisited cities in the country. Five days lets you explore the full sweep of Aragon. Zaragoza's hidden Moorish masterpiece, the Ordesa canyon and Pyrenean villages, the pre-Pyrenean Romanesque trail, the extraordinary cathedral city of Teruel with its unique Mudéjar towers, and the wild medieval villages of the Maestrazgo plateau that time has completely forgotten.
Best Time To Visit
May to October (mountains best June to September)
Getting There
Fly into Zaragoza (ZAZ) or Barcelona (BCN)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 65 to 105 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
ZARAGOZA
MORNING
ALJAFERIA PALACE, THE HIDDEN MOORISH MASTERPIECE
A spectacular 11th-century Moorish palace built by the kings of the Taifa of Zaragoza, containing some of the finest Islamic architecture outside Andalusia. Unlike the Alhambra it receives a fraction of the visitors and often has the extraordinary courtyard and golden prayer hall almost to yourself. Entry approx 5 euros. Arrive when it opens for near-solitude. Drive: 15 min walk to old town
MIDDAY
ZARAGOZA'S HIDDEN MOORISH QUARTER
Zaragoza's Moorish heritage runs much deeper than the Aljaferia. The old Jewish quarter contains medieval synagogue foundations and hidden courtyards. Find the extraordinary Mudéjar towers of San Pablo and La Magdalena, UNESCO World Heritage Sites largely ignored by visitors. The Mercado Central is one of the finest covered markets in Spain. Drive: 10 min walk to El Tubo
AFTERNOON
EL TUBO TAPAS DISTRICT AND THE ROMAN FORUM
Dive into El Tubo, a dense network of medieval streets containing some of the finest tapas bars in Aragon. Then visit the Museo del Foro de Caesaraugusta underground, containing remarkably preserved remains of the Roman forum. Entry approx 4 euros and almost never visited despite being extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The underground Roman forum below Plaza de la Seo is one of the most complete Roman city centres preserved anywhere in Spain. Four interconnected museums reveal the ancient Roman city of Caesaraugusta almost entirely intact. A combined ticket for all four is approx 7 euros and gives a remarkable portrait of the ancient city below the modern one.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe near Plaza del Pilar Terrace cafes on the Plaza del Pilar serve excellent coffee with views of the basilica. | Lunch: Restaurante Baltasar Outstanding modern Aragonese restaurant in the old town. Local products, excellent wine list. | Dinner: El Tubo tapas bars Bar hop through El Tubo. Bar Dorado for the finest gambas al ajillo in Zaragoza.
DAY 2
ORDESA AND THE PYRENEES
MORNING
ORDESA CANYON, THE GRAND CANYON OF THE PYRENEES
The Senda de los Cazadores trail climbs from the valley floor up the canyon wall to the Cola de Caballo waterfall viewpoint. The canyon walls rise 1,000 metres on both sides. Start early as the car park fills by 9am in summer. The Circo de Soaso above the valley has one of the finest waterfall landscapes in Spain. Drive: 30 min drive to Broto
MIDDAY
BROTO AND THE ARA VALLEY VILLAGES
Broto is a beautiful pre-Pyrenean village at the entrance to the Ordesa valley, largely overlooked by tourists. The arcaded main street, the medieval bridge over the Ara river and the Romanesque church tower are all extraordinary. The Thursday market in the plaza has operated since the Middle Ages. Drive: 20 min drive to Ainsa
AFTERNOON
AINSA, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MEDIEVAL VILLAGE IN ARAGON
A perfectly preserved fortified village perched above the confluence of the Ara and Cinca rivers. The enormous arcaded Plaza Mayor is one of the finest in Aragon. The 11th-century church tower can be climbed for views over the entire valley. Consistently ranked one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Circo de Soaso above the Ordesa valley contains the Cola de Caballo waterfall dropping 70 metres into the cirque floor, surrounded by 2,000-metre walls on three sides. The walk takes 2.5 hours from the valley floor and is the finest walk in the Aragonese Pyrenees.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Torla village Coffee in Torla, the last village before the national park. Fuel up before the canyon walk. | Lunch: Restaurante El Rebeco, Ainsa Outstanding restaurant. Local lamb, truffle dishes and excellent Somontano wines. | Dinner: Bodegon de Mallacin, Ainsa Most beloved restaurant in Ainsa. Traditional Aragonese cuisine with views over the valley.
DAY 3
PRE-PYRENEAN VILLAGES
MORNING
ALQUEZAR, THE CLIFF VILLAGE ABOVE THE CANYON
One of the most dramatically sited villages in Spain. Perched on a limestone cliff above the Vero river canyon. The collegiate church at the summit has 360-degree views. Walk the canyon path below the village for the extraordinary view of the cliff settlement from below. The Vero river canyon walk is one of the finest in Aragon. Drive: 30 min drive to Serrablo churches
MIDDAY
THE SERRABLO ROMANESQUE TRAIL
The pre-Pyrenean foothills contain a concentration of 11th-century Romanesque churches known as the Serrablo group, considered among the finest Romanesque buildings in Spain. San Juan de Busa, San Bartolome de Gavín and San Pedro de Lárrede are the most spectacular. Most are free to enter and completely unvisited. Drive: 20 min drive to Boltana
AFTERNOON
BOLTANA AND THE SOBRARBE CANYON WALK
A beautifully preserved medieval town in the Ara valley with a ruined castle and extraordinary Romanesque church. Walk the gorge path downstream through the limestone canyon for the most beautiful evening light in the Aragones foothills.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Canon del Vero below Alquezar contains the Cueva de la Fuente del Trucho, the most important Palaeolithic art site in Aragon. Guided visits available in summer from the Alquezar tourist office for approx 6 euros. The canyon walk itself is free and extraordinary at any time of year.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Alquezar Excellent cafes in the village square with views over the canyon. | Lunch: Restaurante Callizo, Ainsa One of the finest restaurants in Aragon. Local produce, wild mushrooms and Somontano wines. Book ahead. | Dinner: Fonda de Boltana Traditional village restaurant serving outstanding Aragonese mountain cuisine.
DAY 4
TERUEL
MORNING
TERUEL, THE FORGOTTEN MUDÉJAR CITY
Teruel is the most overlooked city in Spain. The capital of the least visited province in the country, it contains four extraordinary Mudéjar towers that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and arguably the finest in existence. The towers of San Martín, El Salvador, San Pedro and La Catedral each have a distinctive ceramic tile decoration from the 12th to 15th centuries. Teruel receives barely 1 percent of the visitors of similar heritage cities despite its extraordinary architecture. Drive: 15 min walk around old town
MIDDAY
THE LOVERS OF TERUEL AND THE MAUSOLEUM
Teruel is famous throughout Spain for its tragic medieval love story. Diego de Marcilla and Isabel de Segura died within a day of each other in 1217 after being separated by her family. Their mausoleum in the church of San Pedro contains two alabaster figures reaching toward each other for eternity. The story predates Romeo and Juliet by 300 years. The church interior is extraordinary and entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 30 min drive to Dinopolis
AFTERNOON
DINOPOLIS, THE WORLD'S BEST DINOSAUR THEME PARK
The Teruel region contains the most important dinosaur fossil sites in Europe and the extraordinary Dinopolis park brings them to life. Not just a theme park but a serious paleontological museum built around actual excavation sites. The Fundacion Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel is one of the finest dinosaur museums in the world. Entry approx 26 euros adults but completely unlike anything else in Aragon.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Acueducto de los Arcos in Teruel is a 16th-century aqueduct built on a series of arches that tower over the lower town. Most visitors walk straight to the cathedral and miss this extraordinary engineering feat entirely. Free to walk beneath and offers one of the finest views of the Mudéjar towers from below.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Teruel old town Several excellent traditional cafes near the cathedral. Local pastries and strong Aragonese coffee. | Lunch: Restaurante La Menta, Teruel Outstanding restaurant in the old town. Modern takes on traditional Aragonese cuisine. Local black truffle when in season. | Dinner: Meson Ovalo, Teruel Most beloved traditional restaurant in Teruel. Local lamb, game dishes and excellent Carinena wines.
DAY 5
THE MAESTRAZGO
MORNING
CANTAVIEJA, THE CAPITAL OF THE MAESTRAZGO
Cantavieja sits on the edge of a 1,200-metre limestone escarpment with views stretching across the vast Maestrazgo plateau. The arcaded Plaza Mayor is one of the most perfectly preserved medieval squares in Spain and completely unknown outside the region. Walk the town walls and find the mirador at the cliff edge for the most vertiginous view in the Aragon mountains. Drive: 25 min drive to Mirambel
MIDDAY
MIRAMBEL, THE MOST PERFECTLY PRESERVED MEDIEVAL VILLAGE IN SPAIN
Mirambel is consistently voted one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. An entirely walled medieval village so perfectly preserved it has been used as a filming location for multiple historical productions. Every building within the walls is from the medieval period. The village has 130 inhabitants and no modern development inside the ancient perimeter. Entry through the original town gates, free. Drive: 35 min drive to Valderrobres
AFTERNOON
VALDERROBRES, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWN IN ARAGON
A perfectly preserved medieval town on a river bend, crowned by a 14th-century castle and Gothic church that are among the finest in Aragon. The stone bridge, castle and church reflected in the river below is one of the great photographs of inland Spain. Consistently ranked one of the most beautiful small towns in the entire country.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The road between Cantavieja and Valderrobres passes through the Riu Bergantes gorge, one of the most spectacular and completely unknown natural landscapes in eastern Spain. A narrow road follows the river through dramatic limestone cliffs for 20km with virtually no other traffic. Stop at the Mas de la Roca viewpoint for the finest gorge panorama.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Cantavieja The village bar opens early and serves excellent local coffee and homemade pastries. | Lunch: Hostal Balcon del Maestrazgo Best restaurant in Cantavieja. Traditional mountain dishes, local lamb and superb views from the terrace. | Dinner: Restaurant La Torre, Valderrobres Finest restaurant in Valderrobres in a medieval building near the castle. Local game and Aragon wine list.
Where To Stay
Zaragoza, Night 1 Hotel Palafox, finest hotel in Zaragoza near the old town. Approx 90 to 150 euros per night. Ainsa, Nights 2 to 3 Hotel Los Arcos de Ainsa, inside the medieval village walls. Approx 80 to 130 euros per night. Teruel or Maestrazgo, Nights 4 to 5 Parador de Teruel or rural casa rural in Mirambel. Approx 70 to 130 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Ordesa car park fills by 9am in July and August. Arrive before 8am or take the shuttle from Torla.
2. The Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza is best visited when it opens to experience it near-empty.
3. Ainsa medieval village is pedestrianised. Park outside the walls and walk in through the gate.
4. The Serrablo Romanesque churches are often locked. Contact the local heritage office for key access.
5. Alquezar canyon walk requires non-slip footwear. The river crossing can be wet in spring.
6. Somontano wine from the Barbastro area is Aragon's finest. Order it at every restaurant you visit.
Total Budget
70 to 115 euros/day