Specifications .PDF file

Information request

Dates & Prices

On the paths of history in the Natural park of the Rio Vero
7 days/6 nights

Above all famous for canyoning, the Sierra de Guara also provides a habitat for hidden treasures we offer you to discover.

This itinerary will take you from cave paintings to hermitages built in the days of the Reconquest . The former transhumance paths (migration of livestocks to summer pastures ) will lead us down the trail of history around the famous village of Alquezar and its overhanging collegiate church which was built on the remains of a Moorish tower.

From these paths, overlooking canyons with emerald waters =, we will discover wild outdoors that will offer to our dazzled eyes the view of landscapes with jagged and ragged reliefs lit by a palette of colours which will make us aware of the fact that beyond the Pyrénées we are at « the gates of Northern Africa ».

• Lodging : in the same accomodation for the whole week.
• Destination : Spain, Sierra de Guara Provincia de Huesca in the heights of Aragon.
• Difficulty : medium.
• Altitude of the holiday : between 700m and 1200m.
• Average difference of altitude : between 500 and 800 metres a day.
• Rucksack : you'll carry a day bag with the pic-nic.
• Group : between 8 and 16 participants.
• Transport : on a 9 seat minibus driven by your guide.

D1 : Reception at 9 AM in the SNCF train sation in Pau and will drive to Spain. Walk around the Salto de Roldan (jump), following the ledges that dominate the rio Fulmen . We will visit the ruins of the old castle and its chapel. We will have the opportunity to observe one of the most vital populations of griffon vultures in Europe . There is a legend that tells us that here the courageous Roland de Roncevaux and his steed jumped over the walls that dominate the rio Fulmen in one fantastic leap and thus escaped his enemies.

D2 : On this day we will give you the opportunity to discover through a round trek the hermitages and rock shelters decorated with cave paintings that date as early as 3000 BC ; caves of Malllata Balanduy , hermitage of "la Choca". This trek will allow you to walk along the Rio Vero that winds through high ocher grey cliffs.

D3 : A day in the hermitage of the Val de Onsera . A place completely forgotten by the general public ; we will undertake the discovery of one of the most famous sites in the Aragonese culture. Still today only the sound of the steps and the christian chants quiver and break the silence that reigns over these magical places where we will discover the hermitage near which water gushes out a spring and is said to be loaded with curative and spiritual qualities.

D4 : Round trek by a ledge that follows the cliff, we will walk down to the Rio Alcanadre, cross a ford between two turquoise water reaches which will enable us to walk up to the hermitage of San Martin. The chapel coiled up at the foot of a large ochre cliff ; which is the favourite nesting grounds of the griffin vultures that majestically soar above the canyon offering us a moment of tranqillity in this place steeped in history. We will reach the plateaux, dotted with one hundred year old almond and olive trees, by the former transhumance path (seasonal migration of livestock to summer pasture),called the Canada Real.

D5 : Sierra de Sevil :a fantastic panoramic view of the biggest canyon of the Sierra de Balced at the bottom of which flows the river Isuala. Discovery of a snow well and of the ruins of the « Castillo de los Santos » : a solitary watchguard from the past that keeps an eye on the now deserted high plateaux. For the most courageous participants, a short drive will allow them to visit the cave paintings of Chimiacha, and in particular the copy of a splendid deer...

D6 : From the village of Alquezar with its overhanging collegiate church ,built over an old muslim fortress , we will walk down the Rio Vero .At the bottom of the canyon we will cross Villatancal antic bridge to reach the canyon de Truco. We will discover rock shelters and the painted cave of Arpan. Trek back by paths on crests which will allow us to catch a splendid view over the city of Alquezar.

D7 : Return to France ; we'll make a stop in the village of Larrede to visit a « mozarab » church.. Saying goodbye in Pau around 5.30 PM

NB : this program is given as an indication, the guide reserves the right to modify it without notice in the event of bad weather conditions or for the safety of the group.