Hiking in the Ordesa National Park, the eight natural wonder of the world!

The Ordesa National Park was recognised as an area of outstanding natural beauty by the Spaniards as long ago as 1918 when it was designated as a protected area. Since 1997 these stunning lands have been awarded UNESCO world heritage status.

The original Ordesa valley was known as a national park from the Royal Decree of 1918. The park had its territory extended in 1982 when it was official titled, The Park National of Ordesa and Mount Perdido.

The park sits in the Huesca region of the Aragon province and is easily accessible from Catalonia and Southern France. Any driving that the visitor has to suffer is definitely a small price to pay to see this eighth natural wonder of the world! Because of this, hiking in the Ordesa National Park is an absolute must.

There are some supreme hikes in the Ordesa valley, en par with any to be found on earth. Most of these hikes take a full day so the usual preparations should be made for the duration of the task. The degree of difficulty varies enormously with each route but there is a hiking in the Ordesa National Park route available across the spectrum of human ability. Here in the land of the Golden Eagle spectacular sights abound.

The Valley Floor Hike

This is the easiest and most popular hike in the park. Allow yourself 6 – 7 hours to complete this beautiful walk of 16 kilometres. The route begins at the Pradera car and takes walkers up the well-marked path through birch and silver fir woods with steep cliffs either side. Several magnificent waterfalls are passed on this route, which terminates at the Circo de Soasa below the towering mount Perdido, which dominates the landscape at 3355 metres.

Faja de Pelay

Whilst not as easy as the valley floor walk the Faga de Pelay takes the path on the Southern side of the valley. The hiker must be fit enough to gain 800 metres of height and complete the 22 kilometre trail which will take approximately 8 – 9 hours. It goes without saying that the views on this walk are simply mind-blowing.

Faja de Racon

The Faja de Racon route takes walkers on the Northern side of the valley, directly under the cliffs. There is a good chance you’ll spot chamois or the rare Lammergeier on this walk. The route is 11 kilometres in total and should be completed in about 5 – 6 hours.

Faja de las Flores

This is an airy route indeed and should only be undertaken by those with a good head for heights! Chains and pitons are placed in certain difficult places in order to assist the hiker (climber?)

The path is a kilometre high and follows a natural fault line in the cliff face. This perilous track is only one metre wide in places and the drop is way over 1000 feet! The route is only 11 kilometres but you will need 9 -10 hours to finish it. Upon completion great elation will be felt.

There are other routes in the valley and of course it is also possible to climb Mount Perdido with an overnight stay in the only mountain refuge in the valley. Refugio Goriz should be booked in advance especially in high summer. Although, be warned, Mount Perdido does actually mean ‘Mount Lost’ so always try to stick to the designated paths.