Villages of Aragón
Aragon’s small villages are, perhaps, the region’s most surprising revelation, all of them unique but many sharing a similarly exotic time-stood-still atmosphere. Their settings – against a backdrop of Pyrenean peaks or hidden amid isolated southern canyons – are equally beguiling.
Albarracín
After several weeks of dissecting Aragon’s prettiest rural settlements, quite a few travellers are happy to award the Oscar to Albarracín. Something about its winding lanes of warped, pink-hued houses, agreeably ruined medieval watchtowers, lovingly resuscitated monuments and craggy backdrop just seems to click.
Aínsa
Stick a perfect grey stone village on a rocky eminence with the snow-doused peaks of the Pyrenees lined up in the distance. Add arguably Spain’s loveliest medieval plaza, an unadulterated Romanesque church and streets that haven’t changed much since Christians and Moors crossed swords. Call it Aínsa.
Alquézar
Activity centres are rarely this historic. Beneath the adrenaline-hungry exterior of Spain’s canyoning capital lies a tranquil sandy-hued village eerily redolent of a Tuscan hill town.
Sos del Rey Católico
Uniformly cobblestoned streets, the whiff of erstwhile Aragonese kings and wonderfully preserved old stone mansions make Sos a memorable stop en route to or from the Pyrenees.
Ansó
A warren of narrow streets lined by neatly trimmed stone houses, surrounded in all directions by beautiful mountain and forest vistas, Ansó is the perfect gateway to one of the most magical and remote Aragón Pyrenees valleys. Hecho, just a few kilometres away, is almost as quaint.