For years, the Pyrenees of Spain have drawn me back, so let me share a quick summary of the most beautiful places to visit in the Spanish Pyrenees.
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Best Places to Visit in the Spanish Pyrenees
Visiting the Spanish Pyrenees every year
The Spanish Pyrenees is a must-visit destination on any Spain bucket list and, on a personal note, one of my favorite travel spots in the country. At least once a year, I try to plan a new getaway to the mountains and secretly dream of buying one of those fairytale-like wooden houses in the Pyrenees. It would be the perfect excuse to visit the region even more often. In the meantime, you can check out all my trips and itineraries under the hashtag #Pyrenees.
While many people associate the Spanish Pyrenees with hiking or skiing, the region offers so much more – otherworldly landscapes, adventurous activities, magical forests, charming medieval villages, dreamy castles, and unique national parks.
The Spanish Pyrenees stretch across four autonomous communities: Aragon, Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Navarra (although the majority of the mountain range is in the first two). The Pyrenees are also divided into numerous valleys (or valles in Spanish), with the most famous being Valle de Ordesa, Valle de Aragón, Valle de Benasque, Val d’Aran, and Vall de Boí.

How to get to the Spanish Pyrenees
The best way to explore all the beautiful places in the Spanish Pyrenees is by car. Although the closest airports are Girona and Reus (in Spain) and Lourdes and Toulouse (in France), many travelers visit the Pyrenees from Barcelona. Additionally, the popular train station in the region is Estación de Canfranc. However, most of the iconic landmarks and hiking trails cannot be reached by public transport.

Where to stay in the Pyrenees
During my first visit to the Pyrenees, we stayed at Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña. It’s one of the best hotels with a spa in the Pyrenees, known for its spacious rooms and reasonable prices (considering the quality of the services). For my most recent weekend in the Pyrenees of Catalonia, I booked a budget-friendly Apartamentos Chuandervera in the small town of Laspaules.
You can find a few cute boutique hotels in Ainsa, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Spain, like Alojamientos Ainsa Sanchez and Los Siete Reyes. I also really like these hotels: Hotel Boutique Mediodía & Apartments, Casa Lascorz, and Casa de San Martín. Next time in the Pyrenees, I plan to check out Camping Valle de Bujaruelo.

Books about the Pyrenees
If you are looking for more visual inspiration or historical/practical data on the Pyrenees region, there are a few books you might find handy – Shorter Treks in the Pyrenees, Explore Pyrenees Like A Local or Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees (focused on the French Pyrenees). Planning to read something about the Pyrenees on the road? – Check Footprints on the mountains, Boundaries, The Savage Frontier, Cruel Crossing, and If you only walk long enough.
Alternatively, you can pick something from the contemporary Spanish bestsellers or Wanderlust Books. If you know Spanish, check: Pirineos. Mas allá de las montañas, Los Pirineos, Leyendas de brujas en el Pirineo fantástico, Pirineos: 50 joyas del arte románico, Pirineos : montaña sublime, and 101 Lugares de los Pirineos sorprendentes.
The most beautiful places to visit in the Spanish Pyrenees
1. Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is one of my favorite Spanish national parks and definitely one of the most beautiful places in the Spanish Pyrenees. It is divided into four main valleys: Ordesa, Añisclo, Escuain, and Pineta. The park’s most unique landmark is Monte Perdido (or “The Lost Mountain” in English), which is the highest limestone massif in Europe.
I had such an amazing time exploring Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park during my Spanish Pyrenees road trip, and I can’t wait to return. It’s known for its many beautiful hikes in Spain, including Tozal de Mallo, La Cascada del Estrecho, Gradas de Soaso, Bosque de las Hayas, Cañón de Añisclo, Cola de Caballo, and Gargantas de Escuain.


2. Alquezar & Sierra y los Cañones de Guara Natural Park
Alquezar always comes up as one of the first in all of the rankings for the most beautiful small towns in Spain. It was such a discovery during my first trip to the Spanish Pyrenees. Even after 15+ Expat years in Spain, Alquezar is still one of my favorite Spanish medieval towns ever.
The name of the village Alquezar comes from the Arabic Al-Qsar, which means fortress. The panoramic views of the city (once you approach it by car) are absolutely stunning. Besides the unmatched rural charm, Alquezar is known for its famous hiking trail Pasarelas de Alquezar, one of the top Pyrenees hikes. It goes all the way through Sierra y los Cañones de Guara Natural Park. You can see my whole experience of Pasarelas de Alquezar via IG Reels and TikTok.
For more hiking trails in Sierra de Guara natural Park head to this post.


3. Val D´Aran & Baqueira Beret
Val d’Aran is a popular weekend trip from Barcelona, and it’s also one of the most beautiful spots in the Spanish Pyrenees. Here, you’ll find Baqueira Beret, one of the top ski resorts, which gained fame when the Spanish royal family used to ski there.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Val d’Aran both in winter and early autumn, and it was equally enchanting in each season. During my first family trip, we stayed in a cozy wooden house with a charming fireplace, tried dog-sledding, and ventured to Santuario de Montgarri on snowmobiles. It truly felt like a winter wonderland. On my second trip, we explored the Uelhs de Jueu waterfall and wandered through one of Spain’s magical forests, Bosque de Carlac, which even made it onto my list of Secret Spanish Trails. Our weekend getaway took place in October, so we enjoyed summer-like weather combined with the vibrant colors of fall foliage. On my next visit to Val d’Aran, I plan to explore the Sauth deth Pish waterfall and hike the Ruta por el Circo de Colomers.


4. Valle del Aragon & Astun
I visited Valle del Aragon during my last 4-day Pyrenees Road Trip. The two absolute highlights of it were: hiking 7 Lagos de Astun (one of the top trails in the Pyrenees) and visiting San Juan de La Peña, one of the secret and beautiful monasteries in Spain.
The hiking trail in Astun is known by a few names – Ruta de los 7 Ibones de Astun, Ruta de los 7 Lagos de Astun, or Ruta de Lagos de Ayous. This route is still at the top of my list of Spanish hikes. It starts at the Astun ski station and takes you through the 7 glacier lakes along the Spain-France border. You can check more details via my IG Highlight Pyrenees.
Other must-stops in Valle de Aragon are Cuidadela de Jaca, Cuevas de las Guixas, and Canfranc train station.


5. Vall de Boi & Romanic Churches
The Vall de Boi region is known for two gems of the Spanish Pyrenees – Aguestortes National Park and the Romanic Churches declared a UNESCO World Heritage. You can read more about both in this post. If you enjoy discovering and exploring secret villages in Spain, Vall de Boi also has something to offer here: do not miss Barruera, Boi, Durro, Taull, Erill la Vall.
By the way, one of the most unique Spanish festivities, Las Fallas de la Vall de Boi, is celebrated across Vall de Boi during the summer solstice every year.



6. Valle de Tena & The Zipline
Valle de Tena is another beautiful region of the Spanish Pyrenees worth visiting. It is known for its beautiful villages, like Biesca, Lanuza, Sallent de Gallego, El Pueyo de Jaca, Piedrafita de Jaca, Tramacasilla de Tena, and Hoz de Jaca. Although avid hikers will love the trails Ibón de Espelunciecha, Ibón de Piedrafita, Vuelta al pantano de Lanuza, and Paseo del camino de las Palizas.
Valle de Tena holds a special place in my memory box. I tried the Tirolina Valle Tena zip line for the first time (it’s the longest double zip line in Europe). It’s definitely one of the most adventurous activities in Spain. The ride turned out to be less scary than I initially expected, but the views were absolutely breathtaking.


7. Ainsa & Valle de Cinca
Aínsa is one of Spain’s top medieval towns and is officially considered one of the most beautiful places to visit in the Spanish Pyrenees. Thanks to its well-preserved architecture and stunning mountain setting, Aínsa is a popular destination for tourists. When visiting, make sure not to miss local landmarks such as La Plaza Mayor de Aínsa, Castillo de Aínsa, and Iglesia de Santa María. The last time I visited Aínsa at sunset, it became one of my favorite sunset spots in the world.
For breathtaking views, head to Mirador Balcón de Aínsa and Mirador del Cinca. By the way, just 18 km from Aínsa, there is another spectacular panorama at Castillo de Samitier. Other must-see stops in the Valle de Cinca area include Salinar de Naval, Torre de Abizanda, Atalaya de Tou, Tella, and Garganta de Escuaín.


8. The Castle of Loarre
The Castle of Loarre is one of the most enchanting castles in Spain, located in the Hoya de Huesca region. It was built in the 11th century and declared a Spanish National Cultural Heritage Site in 1906. The Castle of Loarre is considered one of the finest examples of civil and military architecture in Europe. Like many other castles in Spain, it contains traces of Roman influence on the Iberian Peninsula. Historians believe it was built on the ruins of the local Roman city of Calagurris Fibularia.
Although the castle lacks furniture or lavish decorations inside, I still found it to be an incredible experience. Last time I got to visit Loarre on this Aragon road trip.

9. Congost de Montrebei
Congost de Montrebei is a stunning gorge located between the Spanish regions of Aragon and Catalonia. The canyon reaches a height of 500 meters and is the only gorge in Spain that is easily accessible to visitors. The natural beauty of Montrebei Gorge offers several spectacular hiking trails with unmatched views. You can read more about my hiking experience at Congost de Montrebei in this post.

10. Birdwatching in the Pyrenees
The fans of wildlife & birds of prey should prepare the basic birdwatching gear (a spotting scope or binoculars) for the Pyrenees trip. Many of the hiking trails in the Pyrenees are popular for birdwatching in Spain (in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National park you can spot Lammergeier, Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle, and Booted Eagle).

Read more about the Pyrenees
- Top Adventurous Things to Do in the Pyrenees (read it)
- Beautiful Small Towns in the Spanish Pyrenees (read it)
- Exploring The Pre-Pyrenees of Spain: A weekend in Sierra de Guara (read it)
- Cogost de Montrebei: The Most Adventurous Hike in Spain (read it)
- Epic 7 Days in the Pyrenees of Spain (read it)
- 10-Day Pyrenees Itinerary: An Ultimate Road Trip from Madrid (read it)
- Hiking Trails in The Pyrenees You Can Not Miss (read it)
- Exploring the Pyrenees of Catalonia (read it)
- 5 Epic Reasons to Visit the Pyrenees with Kids (read it)
- Top Romantic Things to do in Andorra (read it)
- The Spanish Pyrenees Road Trip 4-Day Itinerary (read it)
- Skiing in Spain: Our Baqueira Beret Family Getaway (read it)
- Top Things to Do in Andorra (read it)
- Best Foods in the Pyrenees of Spain (read it)
- 3 days in the Pyrenees of Aragon with Seniors & Kids (read it)
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For more Spain travel tips check out my Pinterest board Spain Travel Collection and Flipboard Travel to Spain.

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Wow! I’ve been to the Pyrenees in the Catalonia area but see I have a lot more to explore. That dog sled activity was really unexpected!
Ooooh lovely! I was SUCH a fan of Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Ainsa and Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, but there is sooo much more to see in Spain. I was really impressed with the hiking infrastructure (such great signs and trails!) We wanted to get to Pasarelas de Alquezar, but we ran out of time.
Fab post 🙂
I would spend all my time chasing waterfalls in this region – but the zip-lining in Valle de Tena looks like an absolute dream too!
Lovely post! I have been to the French Pyrenees and quite liked it all, pretty low key and relaxed, no traffic jams, not jam packed… Would love to see the Spanish side at some point!
This guide really inspired me to visit Spain! Thank you for the great ideas 🙂
What a nice glimpse at a side of the Pyrenees that I have not explored yet. I adore Spain so this is going on the bucket list!