Aragon is a mountainous area in Spain’s northeast. While it is well-known for its unique Moorish-style Mudejar architecture, it also boasts many lesser-known sights that will encourage you to go off the beaten road.
Explore Aragon’s towns and historic villages, known for their castles straight out of a fairy tale, fantastic tapas bars, and relaxed way of life.
Alternatively, explore the region’s national parks, where visitors may find stunning natural sites rarely visited by visitors, glimpse endangered species and birds, and engage in unique outdoor experiences—Discover Spain’s most underappreciated area with our list of the top places to visit in Aragon.
Albarracin:
Albarracin is a little medieval town situated magnificently on the east-central Spanish cliffs. Albarracin was built on a strategic site above the Guadalaviar River, crossing the three ancient kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, and Valencia. You may still find evidence of today’s Berber, Islamic, and Christian control.
The city of Albarracin, known for its defensive walls, Moorish architecture, old archaeological sites, and steep, winding alleyways, has a lot to offer to those who are up for an adventure. Explore the labyrinth of cobblestone streets and rose-colored buildings around Albarracin’s wall.
Casa del Chorro, Casa de la Julianeta, and Casa de la Calle Azagra are three of Albarracin’s most well-preserved historic townhouses. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, guided tours are an excellent way to view the highlights of this maze-like settlement.
Other noteworthy features are the Albarracin Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor, the city’s pumping heart. On your way along Calle Portal de Molina, don’t forget to capture a shot that’s fit for Instagram!
Zaragoza:
Zaragoza is one of Spain’s most underappreciated capital cities; it’s the fifth-largest city, but you don’t know. It is located on the Rio Ebro and is home to more than half of Aragon’s population. Here you’ll discover some of the top tapas bars!
Romans, Moors, and Christians have controlled Zaragoza for 2,000 years, and each has left its mark. The old city center has some outstanding examples of Moorish architecture outside Andalusia – yet it is almost traffic-free!
Explore the Roman foundations of the Teatro Romano, the 11th-century Aljaferia Palace with its beautiful Arabic arches and detailed carvings, Mudejar-style churches, and the baroque-style Basilica of Nuestra Senora del Pilar.
Zaragoza is an art lover’s paradise. It is the ideal location to see the paintings of the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, who was born in the surrounding area. There are 15 of the artist’s most significant paintings on display at the Goya Museum.
Teruel:
Teruel is one of Spain’s smallest capital cities, with approximately 35,000 permanent inhabitants. However, it makes up for its lack of tourists with its wealth of historic sites and monuments. The city is well-known for its Mudejar architecture, dinosaur fossils, and other historic structures.
Visit the Teruel Cathedral, built in the 12th century, with a unique painted ceiling representing life in the middle ages. This cathedral is an outstanding example of Mudejar architecture.
Visit the Convent of San Francisco to see 17th-century paintings, the Diocesan Museum to see excellent wood sculptures, and Dinopolis to see one of the world’s most prominent geological museums.
But that’s not the end of it. La Plaza del Torico is the real pulsating heart of the city, with live music, dancing, and various activities available all day. Don’t forget to climb the Torre de San Salvador’s bell tower for beautiful views of the city.
Ordesa National Park:
Ordesa National Park, open since 1918, was the first protected area in Spain, with good cause. This stunning Pyrenean environment is packed with lush, wooded valleys, roaring rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and grassy meadows. But above all else, there are some magnificently unique species of animals and birds!
The primary activity available in the park is hiking. Due to the diverse topography, there are trails available for hikers of all skill levels. If you’d instead view it all from the luxury of your automobile, there are forest tracks and buses. However, their reach is more restricted than the pathways.
The park has four deep canyons cut into the limestone: the glacial Ordesa and Pineta valleys and the river-formed Anisclo and Garganta de Escuain valleys. The most prominent is the Ordesa Valley, with its towering cliffs reaching toward Monte Perdido, the Pyrenees’ third-highest peak.
Keep a watch out for Griffon vultures and uncommon Bearded vultures (sometimes with two-meter sizes) – the Spanish Pyrenees have Europe’s most significant population! The park has several nesting pairs of Golden eagles and endangered Sarrios (Pyrenean Chamois). The park’s centerpiece is the Cola de Caballo Waterfall, sometimes known as the ‘horse’s tail.’
Alquezar:
Entering Alquezar, a historic town constructed around an 8th-century Moorish hilltop and accessible by a Gothic gate, seems like going back in time. There is a historic town with cobblestone streets and curving stone homes.
Christians took over the town in the 11th century, and the collegiate church of Santa Maria la Mayor was afterward established there.
The town is also well known for the ancient rock art that can be seen in more than 60 of its caves. The Casa Fabian Ethnological Museum, which teaches about the region’s history and winemaking customs, is well worth a visit.
However, the enjoyment does not stop at the town’s boundaries. Alquezar is situated in the Sierra y Caones de Guara natural area at the foot of the Pyrenees and is surrounded by an eternal view. It is an excellent location for various outdoor activities such as hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, rock climbing, and canyoneering.
Calatayud:
Calatayud is the fourth-largest town in Aragon, located on the Jalon River and surrounded by the Sistema Iberico mountains. It was constructed as Augusta Bilbilis in Roman times on the site of a Celtiberian city but was soon abandoned.
Around 716 CE, the Moors constructed the present city as we know it, near the Ayyub fortress. The old town square of Calatayud is now a lively market and charming shops. It also has some of the best examples of Mudejar architecture in all of Aragon.
Explore the Santa Maria Church and its Mudejar-inspired bell tower, La Parraguia de San Andres, and the leaning building of San Pedro of the Franks Church.
Other fascinating attractions include the Collegiate Church of St. Mary Major, a brick church constructed on the site of a historic mosque, the Terrer Gate, which dates back to the 16th century, and the deserted cave homes cut into the rocks above the city. Don’t miss the remains of Blbilis, founded in 40 AD by Martial, a great poet. Old Bilbilis is home to five beautiful castles encircled by defensive walls that are well worth seeing.
Loarre Castle:
Loarre Castle is one of Spain’s oldest and most spectacular medieval castles. It is situated dangerously on a rocky slope near the southern foothills of the Pyrenees. It was included in the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven.
The castle was constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries at a strategic site on the boundary between Christian and Moorish domains. Because it was built on a cliff, it had to be made in sections encircled by reinforced walls. A monastery was constructed afterward beyond the castle walls.
Today, the castle is recognized as Spain’s most significant Romanesque fortification, with various hidden tunnels, dungeons, and semi-circular towers. It is primarily known for its irregular floor plan, the closed Church of San Pedro, and the ‘Queen’s Tower,’ which is inspired by Lombard and Mozarabic architecture.
Look for the monkeys carved into the gate pillars, which represent ‘hear no evil, see no evil, and say no evil’ – one of the castle’s rules specified that all interior workings had to be kept secret from the outer world.
Jaca:
Jaca, affectionately known as the “Pearl of the Pyrenees,” is a bustling city and major tourist destination along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage path. Jaca, located between Astun and Candanchu, provides a peaceful base for a winter skiing vacation in the Aragon Pyrenees.
Many characteristics distinguish this Spanish city, which dates back to the third century BC. The Jaca Citadel, a pentagonal castle built in the 16th century, houses the Museum of Military Miniatures.
The 11th-century San Pedro Cathedral, with its Romanesque and Gothic murals, the 15th-century Gothic Clock Tower (or Prison Tower), the Benedictine monastery, and the San Miguel Bridge, are among the other noteworthy things to see in the old town.
Conclusion:
The Aragón region is the biggest in Spain’s northeast. Furthermore, it is between Catalonia to the east, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Valencia to the west, and Valencia to the south.
This area offers a variety of attractions, including mountains, attractive national parks, architecture, and ancient medieval villages.
