- RegionAragón, Spain
- From Zaragoza~1 h 45
- Best forHistory, tapas, base
- Stay2–3 nights
Set on a terrace above the River Aragón, Jaca has a compact old centre packed with tapas bars, a big student and army population, and easy access to valleys and ski resorts in every direction.
What to see
- The Ciudadela, a pentagonal fortress begun in the late 16th century and still surrounded by its moat, where deer graze.
- The Cathedral of San Pedro, one of the earliest Romanesque cathedrals in Spain, with a diocesan museum of medieval wall paintings.
- The medieval San Miguel bridge over the River Aragón, on the pilgrim route.
Day trips
- The cliff-sheltered monastery of San Juan de la Peña (about 30 minutes).
- The grand international station at Canfranc (about 30 minutes).
- The red towers of the Mallos de Riglos (about 1 hour).
- Ordesa and the Tena valley.
Camino Aragonés
Jaca is the first major stop on the Aragonese branch of the Way of St James, which crosses the Pyrenees at the Somport pass and joins the Camino Francés at Puente la Reina.
Winter
Astún and Candanchú are about 30 minutes north, and Formigal-Panticosa about 45 minutes away.
Stay near Jaca
Compare prices and free-cancellation rates.
Top sights near Jaca
Monastery of San Juan de la Peña
A Romanesque monastery tucked beneath a huge rock overhang, linked to the legend of the Holy Grail.
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Canfranc International Station
A monumental 1928 railway station in the mountains, now a hotel, with a spy-novel past.
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Mallos de Riglos
Red rock towers up to 300 m high, vultures overhead and one of Spain's top climbing walls.
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Formigal-Panticosa
Aragón's biggest ski area: four valleys at Formigal plus the pretty slopes of Panticosa.
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Camino de Santiago
Cross the Pyrenees on foot like pilgrims since the Middle Ages, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or the Somport pass.
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Bilbao
The Guggenheim, a lively old town and a gateway airport for the Basque and Navarrese Pyrenees.
Read guide →Header photo: Photo: Juan Carlos Gil, CC BY-SA 3.0 es
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