Camping in Huesca: the green heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees
The province of Huesca has most of Aragon's camping on offer, and that is no coincidence. Its northern half is dominated by the Pyrenees in all their glory: glacial peaks, deep valleys, mountain lakes, rushing rivers and ski resorts that become bases for hiking and climbing in summer. It is a province where camping is almost always a destination in itself and not just a place to sleep.
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park defines the Aragonese Pyrenean imagination. The Ordesa canyon, with the Cola de Caballo waterfall at its end as the most iconic goal, or the vertical walls of Añisclo and the Escuaín gorge, offer hiking routes from easy to demanding that satisfy every kind of walker. The campsites around Broto, Torla-Ordesa and Bielsa are ideal starting points. Further east, the Benasque valley has several well-equipped campsites for tents, caravans and motorhomes, with mountain guide services, mountain bike hire and access to the Aneto glacier in summer.
The western valleys of Hecho, Ansó and Zuriza have a more secluded and authentic character. They are perfect for those seeking the stillness of the forest, the sound of water and villages of Pyrenean architecture without the bustle of the busier valleys. The Western Valleys Natural Park protects beech woods, firs and high mountain meadows of unhurried beauty.
The Pre-Pyrenees of Huesca add the Sierra de Guara, a world benchmark for canyoning, and a string of towns with singular charm: Alquézar, with its Romanesque collegiate church on a limestone crag; Aínsa, a walled medieval town considered one of the prettiest in Spain; Roda de Isábena, the smallest place in Spain with a cathedral; and Boltaña and Broto, gateways to the great massifs. The Mallos de Riglos, near the capital, are conglomerate columns that defy gravity and attract climbers from all over Europe.
The capital, Huesca city, has a quiet old town with the cathedral and the Museo de Huesca, and serves as a logistical base for reaching the Pyrenees in under an hour. Upper Aragonese cuisine (longaniza from Graus, Benasque cheese, lamb chiretón, Somontano wines) accompanies each day outdoors with artisan-made, locally sourced produce. Camping in Huesca is an experience to repeat in every season: snow and snowshoes in winter, alpine flowers and canyoning in spring, hiking and high mountains in summer, and the colours of the beech woods in autumn.
