What to see and do in the Tena Valley
The Tena Valley is one of the largest valleys in the Aragonese Pyrenees . It is, without a doubt, one of our favorite places in the world where we have spent many summers walking the trails (many of them suitable for hiking) of this fascinating natural paradise . To try to convey the love we feel for this land, we have prepared a very extensive guide with the best things to see in the Tena Valley .
As you will see, this area offers many other plans beyond the hiking routes : picturesque mountain villages , a great cultural heritage , activities to get your adrenaline going and also to relax . We hope you love our guide with 40 essential things to see and do in the Tena Valley .
What to see in Tena Valley – I. Hiking Routes
In the first section of the guide we are going to tell you about the biggest attraction of the Tena Valley , its trails . We will talk about simple walks suitable for everyone, but we will also tell you about some more demanding excursions that we have done.
1. Anayet lakes
Of all the excursions we did in the Aragonese Pyrenees, this was probably the one where we were most amazed by the destination . At the foot of the ancient Anayet volcano (whose name means blueberries in Aragonese) and near the impressive Midi d’Ossau are the Ibones de Anayet . There are two options to start the excursion, we have tried both. The hardest one is starting from the Anayet Parking , while the route from the Portalet Parking is somewhat less demanding.
2. Espelunciecha Lake
It is much more difficult to pronounce the name of the Ibón de Espelunciecha than to take the excursion that reaches this small lake. This beautiful lake is located at the end of the Tena Valley and the route begins from the Portalet parking lot of the Formigal Ski Resort, very close to the French border. In less than an hour you can reach the lake without overcoming great slopes, it is another excellent excursion to do in the Tena Valley with children.
3. Piedrafita Lake and the Piedrafita Natural Arch
One of the most beautiful lakes to see in the Tena Valley and one of the most easily accessible is the Ibón de Piedrafita . This lake is of glacial origin and is located at the foot of the impressive wall of the Peña Telera . The excursion to get there begins in the parking lot of the Lacuniacha Wildlife Park (past the town of Piedrafita on the road that leaves the main road in the valley). It is an ideal route to do with the family, but if you are looking for more of a challenge, you can extend it to the Piedrafita Natural Arch .
4. Beato Forest
One of the most pleasant walks (especially on hot days) that you could do with children is a route through the Betato Forest . This is a magical forest that, in addition to being beautiful, has legends of witchcraft . It is said that the witches of the valley met among the trees of this forest to hold covens.
5. Escarrilla Jump
The Tena Valley hides several beautiful waterfalls and one of the routes we liked the most was the excursion to El Salto de Escarrilla (O Saldo de Escarrilla). To get to the waterfall you will have to start the route in the town of Escarrilla and you will have to go up part of the Garganta de Escarra . It was so hot on this route! But this beautiful waterfall with its natural pool was worth it.
6. Orós Bajo Waterfall
Two waterfalls (one of 30 and the other of 16 meters) make up another of the natural wonders to visit in the Tena Valley, the Cascada de Orós Bajo . In this waterfall, beyond the beautiful waterfall and the natural pool that forms below, we would highlight the rocky surroundings . The geological formation that you can see is a flysch in which you can perfectly see the strata of sandstone , clay and marl that were formed and folded over millions of years. To get to the waterfall from the parking lot, the route is quite short, but through quite rugged terrain where landslides are quite common.
7. Panticosa Viewpoints
Panticosa is one of our towns in the Tena Valley because of the number of routes that start from here. If you want to familiarize yourself with the area, you can take one of the routes to the different viewpoints in the area . In just half an hour you can go up to the Mirador O Calvé which offers magnificent views of the town and its surroundings or to the Mirador de Santa María with wide views of the Búbal Reservoir and the mountains that surround it (the latter is part of the path called “Ruta de los Miradores”. If you are looking for a slightly longer excursion , you could go up – passing through a beautiful path in the forest – to the Mirador de la Peña del Medio .
8. Panticosa footbridges over the Caldarés River
The Panticosa Footbridges were only opened a few years ago, but they soon became one of the most popular excursions in the Tena Valley. The route, which is just 700 metres long , is done along footbridges above the ravine formed by the Caldarés River . The views from above are truly amazing , they took my breath away. To access the route, you will have to buy your ticket (there is a limit on the number of people who can access the footbridges at the same time) from a machine located in the car park of the Panticosa ski resort (or online). Children under 7 years old cannot access the route due to the risk of falling.
9. Lakes of Asnos and Sabocos
A great and fairly easy route even with children is to visit the Ibón de Sabocos and the Ibón de Asnos . Both lakes are beautiful glacial lakes surrounded by the large peaks of the area. Although the lakes are well above 2,000 meters, access to the lake area is quite easy using the Panticosa Cable Car .
10. Ripera Valley – Green Corner Route and Sabocos Viewpoint
The Ripera Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the area. You can get there from Panticosa on foot along a path or by taking the El Sarrio train that we have just explained to you. In the valley you can take different walks, the one we liked the most was the path that runs through the entire valley to a fantastic viewpoint from where you can see the Ibón de Sabocos and a good part of the Tena Valley.
11. Yenefrito’s Finger
One of the most magical places you can visit in the Tena Valley is the Dedo de Yenefrito . It is a huge rock shrouded in many legends . Legend has it that a giant’s finger turned into this rock. To get to the Dedo de Yenefrito you have several options: walk the path between Panticosa and the Valle de la Ripera and continue through the Valle de Yenefrito to the finger. If this route seems too long, you can shorten it by taking the Tren de Sarrio (we will talk about it later) to the Valle de Ripera and continue walking from there.
12. Catieras Lake
We have talked about several ibones (glacial lakes) to see in the Tena Valley, the Ibón de Catieras (2240 m) was one that fascinated us the most. It is a beautiful lake (one of the few in the area without a dam) that is accessed from Panticosa . The route from the town is long with quite a slope , but you can shorten it if you use the Sarrio Train to the Ripera Valley.
13. Baños Lake and the Caldarés River Waterfalls
Baños de Panticosa , located just above Panticosa, is an ideal place for both easy excursions with children and more challenging hiking routes . You can, for example, take a walk around the Ibón de Baños located here or follow the path that goes up the Caldarés River. On this route you will find several waterfalls , the most beautiful of which is the spectacular Salto del Pino , popular among canyoners, too.
14. Bachimaña Ibones and the Blue Ibones
One of the most emblematic routes in the Tena Valley is the route from Baños de Panticosa to the Ibones de Bachimañana . It is one of the most varied routes in the area where you will pass by the beautiful Cascadas del Río Caldarés and then climb a fairly steep section (the Cuesta del Fraile) to reach the refuge next to the Ibones de Bachimañana, which are about 2,200 metres high. If you still want more, you can continue from here to the Ibones Azules or the Embalse Pecico .
15. Brazatos Lakes
Another relatively easy route also starts from Baños de Panticosa, even though it allows you to reach a considerable altitude : the route to the Ibunes Brazatos . Although the Brazatos Bajo (2,370m) and Brazatos Superior (2,450m) are at almost 2,500 metres, the route is not very difficult, as it is quite gradual without any big climbs. The views from the upper lake are simply spectacular, with the three-thousanders of Panticosa such as the Gramo Negro or the Arnales that are almost touching.
