Zaragoza is a city in the province of Aragon. There is no sea here, but there is the Ebro river. If only the local authorities would get the riverfront into shape, the way it has been done in Seville... it would be wonderful. As it is, below we show just one single stretch where it is worth strolling along the river, and even that is a rather "better than nothing" recommendation. Zaragoza feels like a city whose years of glory and development have sunk into oblivion, some 20-30 years ago or maybe even longer. The city rather makes you gloomy, although it has huge potential to become a real tourist gem! There are also a lot of immigrants in the city, apparently from Morocco and Africa. The attitude of the local Spaniards towards visitors is very different from that of the same Spaniards living on the riverfront. Here, in the streets and shops, nobody greets you or smiles; everybody is more embittered and weighed down by life. It is interesting to look at, but you clearly do not feel like staying here to live) On the riverfront, if you do not speak Spanish, any Spaniard will smile and talk to you via a translator, while here people simply turn away from you... The main plus is the closeness of a natural attraction - the Pyrenees mountains!
What to see in Zaragoza
Central Market of Zaragoza - Mercado Central de Zaragoza ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nothing special, but you can drop in on the way while walking around the old town. Just pay attention to the opening hours, especially the lunch break from 2 pm to 5:30 pm... which is quite inconvenient. The market itself is open from 9 am to 8 pm; Sunday is of course a day off, and on Saturday it closes early, at 2:30 pm.
El Corte Inglés Independencia + Hipermercado Carrefour ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Two places for shopping in addition to Zaragoza's central market. There is also the Puerto Venecia shopping mall - but it is a cluster of cheap "boutiques" and fast food like McDonald's, and there is nothing to do here... On a weekend it is madness - the whole city comes over and everybody just wanders back and forth... The parking lot is huge and free, and you have to hunt for a space... in other words, a real dump(
Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This park is one of the best attractions of Zaragoza! The park is big, beautiful, green and cosy, and there is plenty of room to stroll along the little paths. And what colourful fountains!!! A must-visit. All around the perimeter of the park there are small free parking areas, so it is enough to drive around it in a rough circle and you will surely find a spot. Several more gardens and other parks adjoin it, so it automatically gets bigger, but the central part - the most beautiful one - is marked on the map below. The map also shows a 40-50 minute walking route through the park - ideal at sunset...
Aquarium River of Zaragoza + Agua Luis Buñuel Park
Judging by reviews on the internet, the aquarium is very much "in the style" of Zaragoza - it is for people who have never been anywhere, especially to the aquariums of Valencia, Dubai and so on. What is more, according to the reviews, they keep monkeys and other animals in the aquarium!!! What is that supposed to mean?.. And the park... that is just a word, not a park... From the photos it is some kind of wasteland - an abandoned site. We gave our attention to neither the one nor the other.
Aljafería Palace + Parque de la Aljafería ⭐⭐⭐
It is essentially a palace where the local government holds its sessions, and for 5 euros you can also walk around it. Note that from 2 pm to 4:30 pm it is siesta time! There is no point in booking tickets in advance, they can be bought at the ticket office. The main thing is not to arrive right at opening time, otherwise you will have to stand in the ticket queue for about 30 minutes; later there is no queue at all) If you do book through the website, you can go to the ticket office and pay without queuing, which is also quite convenient. But, to be honest, there is more noise around this palace than it deserves) Allow 20, well, 30 minutes at most for the visit... The park around the palace is always open, it is free, and it is nothing special))) Visiting it takes 10 minutes) Like most of Zaragoza's parks, in fact)
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar + Stone Bridge (Puente de Piedra) + riverfront + pedestrian street C. de Alfonso I ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These are the best sights in the city of Zaragoza. The Basilica / Catholic church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar is so monumental that you need to see it standing right next to it, inside, and from the two opposite bridges over the Ebro) The map below shows the best stretches for walks along the riverfront and beyond. The pedestrian street is nothing special, but it is fine for a stroll. It is also a good spot for a walk and for a photo of the basilica from the side. Allow about 2-2.5 hours for the walk.
What to see near Zaragoza
Bardenas Reales desert with viewpoints: Balcon de pilatos, Cabezo de las Cortinillas, Mirador de Juan Obispo
But visiting these places is for real enthusiasts only, as you get there along a dirt road. The trip takes about 3 hours one way, just to look at sand and bushes... not our thing) We did not go)
Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido + Cañón de Añisclo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- picturesque panoramic views in the Pyrenees mountains
- Torla-Ordesa village - bridge of Bujaruelo
- HU-631 road - Ordesa viewpoints by bus
- Mirador del Cañón de Añisclo
Route in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
- From Zaragoza to Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido it is a 2-2.5 hour drive. Ideally, stay in the village of Torla-Ordesa for a day in order to do everything described below.
- From Torla-Ordesa you absolutely must drive up to the little bridge bridge of Bujaruelo (the blue section of road going up). It takes about 20 minutes one way. The road is narrow but quite good. The views along the way are beautiful. And at the end, by the bridge, it is simply delightful! If you wish, there are hiking trails here. Or you can have a snack with magnificent views)
- The map below shows the driving route through Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Note that the real route is the blue one from Ordesa viewpoints by bus to the village of Torla-Ordesa. BUT!!! Attention!!! It is accessible only on foot or by a special tour bus. The crossed-out blue section can be half driven by car through the forest and along a dirt road, but you should not do that: you would still have about 5 km left to the viewpoint... and there is no parking at the end. There are no views on the crossed-out section. In other words - the crossed-out section - let's forget about it) For the tour bus you must book tickets in advance through the website https://monteperdidobus.com or by phone +34 659 536 210 !!! The ticket price seems to depend on how full the bus is. The website says 12 euros per person, but on 14 June 2024 we paid 35 euros per person. However, there were only about 10 other people with us, i.e. the bus was practically empty. The schedule never changes: departure at 10 am from the Ordesa viewpoints by bus stop, the bus takes you along the blue route, stopping at the viewpoints, and finishes at 2 pm. You park your own car right there for free. The viewpoints are all located next to the road the bus travels on, and only one of them requires a walk of about 10 minutes uphill. The whole route is a real scenic drive and gorgeous, and the viewpoints are WOW!!! The park has about 5 hiking routes, but they are all 13 km or longer, i.e. not for the faint-hearted) Cars are strictly forbidden from entering the park. We saw the bus driver put a fine under the wipers of a car that we met on the way. By the way, the road into the park is not closed, there is just a sign saying that cars are not allowed)
- After visiting the little bridge bridge of Bujaruelo we return through the village of Torla-Ordesa, drive through the town of Sarvisé and turn onto the HU-631 road (the red route) - it is a narrow two-way serpentine road that leads to the turn-off for Ordesa viewpoints by bus and for Cañón de Añisclo. The drive takes about 1.5 hours.
- The HU-631 road, after the fork for Ordesa viewpoints by bus, has a branch onto a two-way road (blue on the map) that leads to Mirador del Cañón de Añisclo and the continuation of the HU-631, but one-way, with the direction shown on the map! However, in June 2024 this one-way section of road was closed - it is crossed out with crosses on the map below. The whole route along the canyon road takes about 40 minutes. Next we recommend visiting the Catholic sanctuary Santuario de Torreciudad, which is about 1.5 hours away along very picturesque roads!
Santuario de Torreciudad ⭐⭐⭐⭐- Catholic sanctuary and a picturesque panorama of the Grado I reservoir
The place is picturesque, and the sanctuary itself impresses with its scale. It is a convenient stop on the way from the Pyrenees back to Zaragoza. Allow about 1 hour for the visit. Right by the sanctuary there is a large free car park. From it you can walk to the ruined tower Torre de señales de Torreciudad, or drive almost right up to it. You can also park along the road there.
Parque Natural de la Sierra y Cañones de Guara - Cañón del Río Vero⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a suspended walkway along the river on sheer cliffs
The canyon is 1.5 hours' drive from Zaragoza. Below you will find a map and a 2-hour walking route along the canyon. The start is at Pasarelas del Vero - this is where the ticket office is. Then you go down through the forest by steps and walk along the suspended walkway above the precipice to Mirador del rio Vero, where the path turns uphill towards the town and the exit leads right to the church Iglesia parroquial de San Miguel Arcángel. After the walk it is also well worth stopping at the viewpoint Mirador sobre Alquézar, especially as it is only a 2-minute drive from the car park Parking pasarelas alquezar.
You can read more about the route and opening hours on the official website pasarelasdealquezar.com. The price is 5 euros per person. Parking is free - Parking pasarelas alquezar - coordinates 42.171974, 0.023186 - but note that there are not many spaces and in season it may be hard to find a spot. Although I think a 30-minute wait would solve the problem - cars rotate. There is also a car park from which you still have to walk... The route is quite easy, but take water and comfortable shoes with you.
Monasterio de Piedra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - a monastery and a magnificent park area with waterfalls and a cave, for a 2-hour walk!
In fact, visiting the Piedra monastery itself takes about 15 minutes here, but the park area around it is a real Spanish "Plitvice Lakes"! Allow at least 2 hours for the park area. Below is a map on which the blue arrows (start of the route) and red arrows (second part of the route) show the direction of travel. On your way you will see many beautiful waterfalls and a magnificent cave. The only downside, unlike the Plitvice Lakes, is that the colour of the water leaves much to be desired. On the plus side, there are not nearly as many people, because mostly only Spaniards visit this place. The name "Piedra Monastery" is misleading: in fact it is a real nature park, a reserve - call it what you like, but you must visit it! This place deserves 10 stars in a rating) The entrance ticket costs 19 euros per person and includes the park and the monastery. Next to the monastery there is a large free car park. The park is open until 7 pm, and you must leave the car park by 9 pm. Booking tickets was not required in 2024, but keep an eye on updates on the website monasteriopiedra.com. Dogs are allowed into the park. There are picnic areas in the park, and also a café for a snack.
Loarre Castle + Mirador de los Buitres ⭐⭐- castle ruins and a viewpoint
This region also has the viewpoint Mallos de Riglos viewpoint, but it is another hour's drive away. And it is located right along the road, so you will not really be able to enjoy the views.
- It is a 1.5-hour drive from Zaragoza. Loarre Castle itself is not particularly well preserved and looks much better from the outside than inside. Entrance inside is 6 euros per person. There is not much to do inside - the whole visit can be done in 15 minutes.
- Mirador de los Buitres - a beautiful view, but the road here is terrible. There are two routes in the navigator from Loarre fortress. The first one is what you might call "lights out"; the second is a bit longer and looks like asphalt at first, but then it also turns into a 5 km dirt road taking 30 minutes! In short, the game is not worth the candle...
Salto de Roldán + Mirador del Salto de Roldán - viewpoints
These locations can be combined with a visit to one of the attractions described above. Or you can set aside separate time. It is about a 1.5-hour drive from Zaragoza and then about a 20-minute walk to the viewpoint. But it is supposed to be beautiful) We did not go)
Pozo de los Aines - a "cave"?
Yet another location that is not worth visiting on its own. It should be combined with, for example, a visit to the Aragon desert, since the location itself is rather photogenic and nothing more. We did not go.
Zaragoza is the heart of the Aragon region and a great starting point for the magnificent mountain landscapes of the Pyrenees. In Zaragoza itself you should visit the Grande José Antonio Labordeta park and, of course, the Ebro riverfront with the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. Near Zaragoza there is also a superb natural park with waterfalls, Monasterio de Piedra, which deserves your attention too. All in all, travellers should put Zaragoza on their list)! Once again we see that Spain is good not only on the seaside!!!
However, Zaragoza gives the feeling of "travelling in a time machine" into the past, only everything new there has already grown old and fallen into disrepair) There is a lot of litter in the city, which is not typical for Spain in general. Zaragoza has many bridges, but they are all in such a deplorable state - they crack, crumble and nobody repairs them... The whole riverfront stinks of urine and carrion, everything is overgrown with grass, and the fallen old leaves and branches are not cleared away... The asphalt is either swollen and warped or missing altogether! The best stretch of the riverfront is near the basilica, and if you do not want to spoil your impression of the city, do not visit the rest of the riverfront)
On the map below there are arrows whose colours show how worthwhile a walk along each of them is:
- red - a must
- orange - recommended, but not essential
- yellow - this walk is not of much importance. Only if you have spare time.
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