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| Ski Adventure |
| Back | Ski resorts Part Two |
There is no doubt that the very fact of being in such an area of great beauty means that Tena Valley offers enormous possibilities for expansion as it is a customary stage on the way to Formigal, the most popular ski pistes in the Aragonese Pyrenees, with more than 60 kilometres for skiing. Due to the expansion that has taken pace, Formigal is a potential source of visitors.
At the crossroads of diverse points of natural and historical interest, with Romanesque art present everywhere, and the access to the National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido, the Valley has experienced spectacular growth as regards property and tourist investment, with newly built promotions, apartments and restored areas of cultural and natural interest, which otherwise would not remain today .
Made up of a number of very interesting locations, owing to its patrimony, this valley has known how to conserve all its charm during its diverse restoration and stages of growth. It has succeeded in blending in with the environment in spite of the speculative interests that are occasionally created due to the huge impact of property growth.
With incomparable natural beauty, the area is classified without a doubt as "a spectacular area" because of the thousands of visitors and tourists that go climbing there every year both in winter and summer seasons. Its summits in the high area of the valley with an altitude of almost three thousand metres will impress all those nature lovers who wish to go on excursions and practise trekking.
Finally, we must highlight the wide range of activities, not only for the practice of winter sports, but for all types of activities for all kinds of people and ages. You can visit an animal park such as "The Cuiacha" located in Tramacastilla de Tena, where children can observe different species in danger of extinction, like the wolf or the Iberian lynx.
It is worth getting lost in this area.
As a popular saying goes, “being Spanish is a source of pride, being Aragonese is a title, and being from Aragüés is superb”. Although this saying could be accused of little modesty, the fact is that this region is remarkable both for the bordas or grazing constructions scattered throughout the valley and for its particular folklore, centred around the Paloteau (dance with sticks), which still endures. In addition, the clear tourist vocation related to this village from the seventies, when a hotel of enormous size was built, should be mentioned. Unfortunately, this hotel is currently closed, not ensuring a capacity of accommodation which is quite unusual for a village of hardly 150 inhabitants.
One of Aragüés’ main attractions is the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, which dates back to the eighteenth century. A previous church, destroyed by the fire that devastated this village in 1601, was replaced with this building. The bishop of Jaca ordered the tower to be repaired in 1693. The works were not finished until 1704, as you can see on the main front of the church. Inside the building, there are three naves and apses, and the noteworthy large altarpiece.
In the area around the village, you can find the chapel of San Pedro, which houses a charming ethnological museum, and the so-called Llano de Lizara, located in the headwaters of the river Osia, in the southern hillside of the Bisaurín, at a height of 1,540 meters. During the season of the thaw, visitors can discover the fascinating waterfall of La Chorrota. In the surrounding area, you can also see an enigmatic stone circle, a possible tumulus and a dolmen located at the bottom of the valley that is lined up from the east to the west with the well-known Stone of the Cows.
On 5th August, Aragüés del Puerto celebrates its annual festival in honour of Our Lady of the Snows. Other important patron saint’s day is that in honour of the Virgin of the Rosary, which takes places on the first Sunday of October. Apart from these events, the PIR, a festival of Pyrenean culture and music, arrives at the streets of this village at the end of June or at the beginning of July once every four years. The villages of Hecho, Ansó and Jasa, together with Aragüés itself, organise this festival and take turns at celebrating it once a year.
After ten years of existence, this contest is consolidated and has become a reference point both in the list of scheduled festivals in Aragon and in the calendar of other folk contests throughout Spain.
It is very popular since it has been a completely free event until not long ago. This year, aiming at the economic self-sufficiency, the organisation has agreed on a reasonable amount (5 euros) for the concert on Saturday night.
Surrounded by peaks of more than 3,000 metres, different canyons form waterfalls which terminate in the Ibón de los Baños, a glacial lake found in the middle of the Resort. The altitude and situation lend the surroundings a purity found in few other locations.Panticosa Resort, formerly the Panticosa Spa, is an enclave intermingled with the history of Huesca’s Pyrenees, to which it has brought years of splendor and international recognition. It is the ideal spot to enjoy a few days of relaxation, no matter what time of year.
The changeover from spa to Resort became a reality thanks to the Nozar Group, owners of the Panticosa Resort, who since 1981 have based their business on a vanguard philosophy, aimed at quality of life in the property sector. The complex includes a large 5 star hotel, three restaurants, a casino, a thermal palace, three 4 star hotels, Nuestra Señora del Carmen church, a hotel to house sporting enthusiasts and a shopping centre.
In winter, visitors can go cross-country skiing on the Resort’s own circuit, or at the five Alpine ski stations found in the Huescan Pyrenees. Or they can choose to simply enjoy the silence of the natural surroundings in the magnificent Tena Valley.
In spring and summer, the options multiply. Hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, fishing, canoeing and all types of water and adventure sports are available in the mountains, paths, rivers and lakes. From this year onwards, golf lovers can also use the Las Margas Golf course, in Latas (Sabiñánigo), just 15 minutes from the Panticosa Resort.
The Tena Valley is an ideal place to for enjoy the Huescan Pyrenees, it is only minutes from the French border, from the Aragon Valley, Ordesa National Park and Monte Perdido, among some of the other magical spots in the Pyrenees and its environs.
The valley has different types of flora, with autocthonous pines, oaks and beech joined by non-indigenous species such as the Indian chestnut and poplars. Depending on the season, the forests offer a wide variety of wild mushrooms, strawberries, raspberries and sloes. On the higher slopes, there are Alpine fir forests. Wildflowers abound and on the highest summits, the Snowflower or Edelweiss grows.
There is no shortage of varied fauna either, squirrels, prairie dogs, chamois and various mountain birds of prey are just some of the animals which have made this beautiful area their home.
The Resort is well-connected with surrounding villages, as well as the national and international road network.
The nearest airports are those of Zaragoza and Pamplona in Spain, and Pau and Bordeaux across the border in France. There is a perfect road link with Madrid and Barcelona via Huesca and Zaragoza, and with the Basque Country and Navarre through Jaca. By rail, there is a high speed train currently being constructed between Madrid and Barcelona, which is linked to Huesca and which in future will be hooked up to Sabiñánigo, moving the Panticosa Resort even closer to northeast Spain’s great urban centres.
| Back | Ski resorts Part Two |