El Valle De Ordesa

In Ordesa National Park, the cliffs soar high overhead while streams of water flow along the green valleys below. In the winter, El Valle De Ordesa turns white, covered by mounds of snow. If you are a fan of lush forests, giant limestone cliffs and everything alpine, you should definitely spend some time in Spain’s Ordesa National Park.

The best time of the year to visit this national treasure, which is located in Aragon region, is in the summer. If you arrive too early in spring or too late in the autumn, the snow will block your way. This park makes up a part of the Pyrenees Mountains, after all, which has a reputation for variable weather. Of course summer also mean tourist crowds, but at least you won’t have to deal with the bitter cold.

Ordesa National Park is actually comprised of several valleys, and hosts the mighty Monte Perdido (Lost Mountain) as well, the third highest peak in the Pyrenees. El Valle De Ordesa (Ordesa Valley) is the most spectacular valley in the park. It is a glacier-carved trough full of waterfalls, wildlife, rich meadows and tons of trees. Some of the animals that inhabit the park are the famed ibex, which is a kind of wild goat, plenty of bird species, boar, fox, deer and predatory eagles and hawks.

The hiking trails and views you get when touring through the valley and across the sides of the mountains in Ordesa National Park are truly spectacular. Limestone cliffs, deep canyons, wide forests, rough and tumble mountain goats and plenty of high peaks to summit await you should you choose to visit this wonderful part of Spain. Walking along the sides of the cliffs can be difficult, but very rewarding. There are different paths at differed elevations, depending on your stamina and fear of heights. If you are truly hardcore, you might opt for the Faja de las Flores, which is a path along the northern cliffs, which will afford you an elevation gain of almost 1200 meters. Make sure you bring along your best pair of hiking boots, so you can make it back down to the valley below.

Because of Ordesa Valley’s east/west orientation, it gets lots of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, making it one of the greenest areas in the typically dry Pyrenees Mountains. If you love Nature, and Spain, then a visit to Ordesa National Park and Ordesa Valley should make you very happy.