Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park Park

Address: Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido - main access via Torla-Ordesa, Huesca, Aragón, Spain

Website: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/red-parques-nacionales/nuestros-parques/ordesa/home/

Admission: Free to enter park; some guided services and parking areas may charge fees. Visitor centre services vary by season.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is a protected area in the central Spanish Pyrenees, in Aragon, established as a national park in 1918. The park is named for its central peak, Monte Perdido, a prominent limestone massif.

The park is known for its dramatic glacial valleys and high mountain terrain. Key highlights include wide valley floors, steep limestone cliffs and alpine meadows; the park’s main hiking routes access high passes and ridges around the Monte Perdido massif. Popular day routes follow valley tracks and lead to waterfalls and viewpoints.

The national park was created by royal decree in 1918 to protect its distinctive landscapes and biodiversity, and it later formed part of the Pyrénées - Mont Perdu UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the 20th century the area has been managed for conservation and mountain recreation, with trails and basic visitor facilities concentrated at valley gateways.

The park sits in the Ordesa and Monte Perdido massif of the central Pyrenees in Huesca province, Aragon. The main village and trailhead is Torla-Ordesa; surrounding terrain is high mountain plateaus, steep canyons and alpine summits.

• UNESCO status: Part of the Pyrénées - Mont Perdu UNESCO World Heritage Site shared between Spain and France.
• Access point: Main access and visitor services are based at the village of Torla-Ordesa, which serves as the usual trailhead for the Ordesa Valley.

What to See#

• Ordesa Valley: A deep glacial canyon in the park noted for steep limestone walls and high mountain trails; the valley floor is the starting point for many of the park’s main hikes.
• Monte Perdido: A 3,355 metre limestone summit that gives the park part of its name and forms the core of the central massif and high-country routes.
• Añisclo Canyon: A rugged, wooded canyon with waterfalls and narrow gorges on the park’s western side, less visited than Ordesa but popular with experienced hikers.
• Pineta Valley: A glacial valley on the eastern side of the massif valued for its alpine scenery and access points to high-altitude trails.

Torla-Ordesa is accessed by road from Broto and from the A-138 that runs through the Pyrenees. The nearest larger town is Benasque or Jaca; buses and guided shuttles run in peak season. The park is about a 2.5-3 hour drive from Zaragoza by car.

• Start at the Torla-Ordesa visitor centre for up-to-date trail and weather briefings.
• Hike the Cola de Caballo / Circo de Soaso route early in the day to avoid crowds and capture the waterfall in soft light.
• Bring layers and waterproofs-mountain weather changes fast and shade can be cold even on sunny days.