Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park

Guided hiking in the canyons and valleys of Spain's most well-known Pyrenean National Park

Dates

From Mid-May to end of September

Level

3 - moderate

(see levels)

Guided

Accompanied by a professional guide

Accommodations

Day hikes sleeping in a hotel each night

6 Days/5 Nights

Can be longer or shorter

INTRODUCTION

Come with us to explore the ancient trails and magnificent vistas of the Parque Nacional de Cañones de Ordesa y Monte Perdido in the heart of the Central Pyrenees.

Established in 1918, this is Spain's 2nd oldest national park, a wonderland of high summits, glaciers, beautiful waterfalls, impressive canyons, and fertile lands of forests and meadows, offering a fantastic contrast of colours and landscapes – nature at its finest and a superb environment for any outdoor lover.

France’s Pyrenees National Park is just across the main ridge, and together they form a larger area designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and World Natural Heritage site spanning the border between France and Spain, centered around
Monte Perdido — Europe’s highest limestone mountain.

DAY 1 ARRIVAL IN AINSA.

Pickup in Barcelona (other options available) and transfer to Ainsa, one of Spain’s most beautiful medieval villages. Check into your charming hotel and explore the cobblestone streets. If time allows, go out for a short afternoon hike. We’ll also make time to visit the fascinating visitor’s center of the UNESCO Geopark to learn about the geology we’ll be seeing over the next few days!
Transfer time from Barcelona to Ainsa: approx. 3 h 15 min.

Overnight for next 3 nights – 3* family-run hotel in Ainsa

DAYS 2 & 3 HIKES IN THE WESTERN SECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PARK

Our expert guides will choose hikes to suit the weather and other conditions. Options include:

Pineta Cirque - explore the impressive walls and hanging valleys of this glacial bowl below the north face of Monte Perdido.

Escuain Canyon – the least well-known of the national park’s 3 main canyons, this area is famous for its views of the river below and the many birds of prey circling overhead and nesting in the canyon walls.

GR-11 - hike a section of this famous long-distance footpath that runs the length of the Spanish Pyrenees. There are multiple options to choose from depending on conditions.

Freedom Trail - follow an ancient path up to the France-Spain border. No passport required! These trails were used by Spanish Republican exiles escaping to France from the dictator Franco’s assault on the area during the Civil War.

DAY 4 TRANSFER TO TORLA. HIKE EN-ROUTE IN AÑISCLO.

We’ll stop en-route to hike in or above the impressive Añisclo Canyon, one of the biggest in Europe. This huge gash in the earth’s crust is truly impressive, especially when seen from above! Various route options.

Transfer time from Ainsa to Torla: approx. 1 h

Overnight for next 2 nights – 3* family-run hotel in Torla

DAY 5 WATERFALL HIKE IN ORDESA CANYON

One of the most classic hikes anywhere in the Pyrenees and a great way to end your trip. This circular route follows a “faja” – one of the typical ledge-like trails along the Ordesa Canyon walls, offering amazing views and an unforgettable experience, visiting many beautiful waterfalls in Ordesa Canyon en-route, among the highlights of Spain’s most famous Pyrenean national park. Shorter and longer options are available.

DAY 6 DEPARTURE

We’ll transfer you back to Barcelona or to your destination of choice.

AÍNSA - Days 1, 2 & 3: a 2-3* comfortable and characterful family-run hotel. One of the most historic and attractive towns in the Pyrenees, Ainsa is strategically located at the confluence of the Cinco and Ara rivers. The walled old town and castle sit atop a hill with impressive views of the central massif. A convenient base, Ainsa offers excellent access to the Eastern and Southern sectors of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.

NOTE: for those seeking luxury lodgings, a nearby 5* hotel in a renovated monastery is available and can be used as a base for the entire trip, including days 4 & 5.

TORLA - Days 4 & 5: a 2-3* charming family-run hotel. An attractive stone-built medieval village with winding cobblestone streets, Torla has a superb setting on the pristine Ara river, with views of the lower reaches of Ordesa Canyon. As the main gateway to the most popular hiking areas in the Western sector of the national park, including the famous Ordesa Valley and the most well-used approach to Monte Perdido, Torla is also home to the national park's principal visitor's information center.

We will be happy to provide specific details of our accommodations upon request.

Overall Level: 3 or "Moderate". Each day there’s are easier, shorter hikes and longer, more challenging ones. You’ll discuss the options with our guide to decide the best plan!

Distances: from 7.3 km/4.5 mi to 19 km/11.9 mi depending on route choice

Elevation gain: from +305m / +1001 ft to +810 / + 2657ft, depending on route choice

Time: from 2.5 to 7 hours, depending on route choice

Terrain: Mostly hilly with occasional steep and/or rocky ascents/descents (use of hands not required!). Typical walking surfaces include medieval “paved” paths and sheep drovers' trails, forestry tracks, grassy meadows & paths and rocky mountain trails.

Ainsa is approximately 3 h 15 min drive from Barcelona and 2 hours from Zaragoza. Torla is about 45 minutes longer. There are high-speed AVE trains from Madrid to Zaragoza, taking less than 2 hours.

We can arrange a private transfer between either Torla or Ainsa and Zaragoza train station, Barcelona airport or Madrid airport. Transfers can also be arranged to & from other areas of interest in northeast Spain such as Pamplona, Bilbao or San Sebastian.

We can also easily arrange a transfer across the border to a convenient town in France, such as Pau (approximately 2.5 hours from Torla or Ainsa) with a small airport or Toulouse (3 hours from Ainsa and 3h 45 min from Torla), which has a major international airport.

Ordesa and Añisclo are 2 of Europe’s largest and deepest canyons

Your overnight bases, Torla and Ainsa, are 2 of Spain's most beautiful medieval villages.

Hikes on ancient paths used over the centuries by hunters, smugglers, pilgrims and explorers.

A visit to this area affords a fascinating glimpse into age-old customs and ways of life that continue into modern days, where traditional pastoral landscapes down in the valleys and up in the high mountains, which were once widespread in the upland regions of Europe but now survive only in the High Pyrenees.

Delicious local cuisine based on fresh produce from the region’s agriculture and fine wines from the nearby Pyrenean vineyards.

Daily opportunities for observation of fauna, with likely sightings of various raptors including the Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, one of Europe’s rarest birds of prey, as well as marmots and perhaps even the nimble sarrio or chamoix.

Feast your eyes on glorious wildflowers in spring and summer, and riots of autumn colors in the forests.

BOOK, CUSTOMIZE OR CREATE

This sample itinerary has been designed to showcase just some of the main highlights of the Ordesa & Monte Perdido National Park. It can be booked just as described above, but it’s also 100% customizable and can be used as the foundation around which we can build a personalized trip just for you Make it shorter or longer. Add rest days or mix hiking days with other adventure or cultural interest activities. We operate in a variety of areas on both the Spanish and French sides of the Pyrenees as well as northern Spain in general, so we can easily craft a completely personalized trip, combining differing activities and experiences in various locations. We want to create a memorable travel experience just for you! No itinerary is too complicated for us to arrange…any number of days, at any time of year, for any size group. Pick this or another of our suggested itineraries and we'll customize it to meet your party’s criteria...or…let’s work together with you to craft a personalized, tailor-made itinerary to suit your interests, level of physical challenge or technical difficulty, and other criteria. Just send us an email or send in our contact form describing your idea in as much detail as possible and we’ll get back to you…and together we’ll start making your dream become reality!

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