La Hoya de Huesca includes most of the Sierra Natural Park and the Guara Canyons with their dramatic contrasts from the heights of Tozal de Guara (2,077 metres) to the deepest ravines in the mountain range. There is the Grallera Alta (nearly 280 metres deep) passing through gullies and gorges (“gorgas” in Aragonese) such as the famous Formiga and La Pillera gorges, Las Palomeras del Flumen and San Martín de la Val d’Onsera, not to forget the stunning beauty of the Ligüerri Synclines near the Vadiello dam, or the Salto de Roldán.
The Guara Park is spectacular because its countryside is so original, with strikingly beautiful canyons, gullies and gorges. Tourists from all over Europe visit it to explore its ravines; they are attracted by its intricate network of canyons and gullies forged by the fast-flowing waters of the Flumen, Calcón, Formiga and Guatizalema rivers. Gorge-climbing originated in the deepest parts of these mountains and, as long as you are properly equipped, you can explore the area sliding down the rapids or diving underwater into natural caves. The conglomerate walls that form the synclines, both in Vadiello and in the Salto de Roldán, are well-known all over Spain to amateur climbers.
Without a doubt, the greatest fauna wealth in Guara lies in particular in its birds of prey, which nest in the steep rocky walls of the territory. This Park is one of the few redoubts in Europe where you can sight the bearded vulture, threatened with extinction. If you follow this bird of prey you may also sight the Egyptian vulture (in Aragon this bird is called the boleta), eagles and a considerable colony of Griffon vultures. Don’t forget during your visit that this area has different elements for its protection, such as the ZEPA (Spanish initials for the special bird protection zone) or the Natural Park warnings.
For rules on climbing, gorge-descent and caving in the Park.
Close to the city of Huesca, this place was named in honour of one of the most legendary characters of the Middle Ages, the valiant French knight, Roldán. It has some imposing rock walls from which you can sight magnificent countryside and it is in the north-western sector of the Sierra Natural Park and the Guara Canyons. Legend has it that when Roldán, at the head of the rearguard of the Carolingian Army, withdrew towards France, pursued from the south, he was ambushed at the San Miguel Crag. To escape from his persecutors, he spurred his horse to jump (a salto) over the gorge, reaching the crag on the opposite side. The hoof prints are embedded in the rock.
The Salto de Roldán is formed by two impressive ridged wall faces - the San Miguel Crag and the Amán Crag; they are both steep conglomerate formations with the Flumen River at the bottom.The river eroded the synclines at different levels of the conglomerate deposits during the Tertiary period. All the synclines have varying degrees of hardness. Sometimes the rock fractures to form isolated synclines, as is the case of the Fraile Crag.
This type of geological environment, with its variety of air currents, is the favourite habitat of many birds of prey, in particular the Griffon vulture, that find refuge in the hollows of the rocks.
The Tozal is the highest summit in the Guara range and in the whole of the pre-Pyrenees; it rises to 2,077 metres. It is known as the Tozal or the Puntón de Guara.
Surrounded by several limestone peaks, mountaineers climb it the whole year round. You can reach its majestic summit allowing approximately 4 hours for the ascent and 3 for the descent, either on the northern face (from the Nocito Valley) or on the southern face (from Tejería-Fabana or Santa Cilia de Panzano). You will have an exceptional look-out from there to admire the Pyrenees mountains, the Iberian hills and the impressive plains of La Hoya de Huesca which slope downwards to the Ebro Valley.
The contrasting relief in this Park means that the flora there is varied. On the northern slopes there are gall oaks, wild pines, black pines and small beech woods; on the southern slopes the main vegetation is Mediterranean - the holm oak and wild pine. There are masses of boxwood and thorn thickets everywhere in this natural park.
This solitary, idyllic spot with the dam, the river and its gorges and the monumental ridged rocks surrounding it, is a must for anyone really interested in the Guara Natural Park. There you can drink in the silence of the countryside at only fifteen minutes from the city of Huesca. It occupies part of the River Guatizalema gorge, at the foot of the Ligüerri Synclines.
Close to the Dam you will find the Escomentué gorge, the Diablo, the Lazas and the Palomo Canal, where there are numerous eagle nests.
The visitor can trek to points such as the San Chinés rock cave hermitage or the caves at San Cosme and San Damián. Or he can watch the many birds of prey that live there. For the most daring, two exciting activities are to climb the synclines or to venture into the caves in the area.
In these unique, particularly beautiful surroundings, with the Vadiello dam in the centre, you can appreciate the conglomerate rock formations, great isolated vertical ridged walls, known as the synclines. The ones in this place are the Ligüerri Synclines and they are dominated by the Mitra and Puro monoliths, as well as the Isarre Gorge with the San Chinés hermitage. Another of the symbolic crags in Vadiello is the “San Cosme Egg”. The list is long: the Potato, the Pepes, also known as the Aliana Synclines, Lazas, the Borón Crests, the San Jorge Peak, as well as the Escomentué, Diablo and Lazas gorges, and the Palomo Canal, where there a great many Griffon vultures.
The formations in these synclines are rounded and form an ideal rocky mass for climbing enthusiasts.
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