Aragon

Understand

Aragon is the heart of what was in the Middle Ages the Crown of Aragon, which also included Valencia, Murcia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Venice, the South of Italy, Sicily and some Greek colonies. In the 15th century, its King Ferdinand married Isabel of Castile and formed the Kingdom of Spain. Although it used to have its own language, Aragonese, and laws, over the centuries most of them were lost and Aragon became more like Castile.

Nowadays, Aragon, despite its large size, has a population of only 1.4 million, making it largely uninhabited, with the capital, Zaragoza, holding over half the population.

Get in

The Madrid–Barcelona high-speed railway line runs through Aragon.

Aragon is connected to France by roads and tunnels (Somport) but not by train. It has no coast, so it's not accessible by boat.

There is an airport in Zaragoza (), served by low-fare carriers offering flights to secondary airports in some European countries, as well as domestic flights. You can also use the airports in Madrid () and Barcelona (), which offer many more international and intercontinental connections.

See

thumb|Cathedral of Teruel, an example of Mudéjar architecture thumb|Monte Perdido thumb|Detail view of Los Aguarales de Valpalmas, a rare, fragile and dynamic geological phenomena near [[Valpalmas]]

Isabena valley – a beautiful but very desolate valley in the alta ribagorza Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon – ten UNESCO World Heritage Listed buildings around the region Monte Perdido/Mont Perdu – located at the border to France, it's the third tallest mountain in the Pyrenees and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List Visit the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Ordesa-Viñamala

Do

Rock climbing: Los Mallos for serious climbers.

Hydrospeed: Ideal time is April–May, as it requires much water in the rivers.

Whitewater rafting: Multiple operators and a kayaking school can be found in the town of Campo; some rafting can be found in Murillo de Gallego.

Hiking : routes can be found in Senderos turisticos de Aragon. Also, you might want to follow the guides of Sobrarbe geopark, where you can find a lot of hiking trails.

Canyoning: According to outdoor activities operators, Aragon canyons are the best in Europe (most long and intensive) and third in the world – and there are up to 150 canyons available in the region. In summer, about 16 canyons are in active use. May is ideal time for experienced canyoners: almost every canyon have just enough water, and water is warm enough. June–July and September is good for well-fit canyoners. August is a peak season for non-experienced canyoners looking for fun with minimal effort.

Canyons are both in Sierra de Guara and Pireneus. In the whole region, there's no places for horizontal abseiling (like moving over a rope above a river from one side of canyon to another). Most canyons were originally discovered and gone through in 1970s. Alquezar is the main starting point for canyons in Aragon.

Equipment to bring for commercial canyoning specific for this region: shoes for slippery stones.

Eat

Borraja:

Ternasco:

Trenza de Almudevar y Huesca:

Longaniza: Frutas de Aragón – Macerated and cooked fruits with chocolate around them.

Drink

Excellent wines of the region: Somontano, Cariñena, Borja, Paniza, Calatayud, Lecera and Valle de Jalón.

Go next

Catalonia – the economic heart of Spain with Barcelona as most popular tourist destination Valencia – to the south of Aragon, with a beautiful Mediterranean coastline Castile and Leon – the dry centre of Iberia Navarre – small province to the west of Aragon south of the Pyrenees