With dramatic landscapes and stunning outdoor spaces, Huesca in Spain is the perfect underrated pick for an adventure holiday. Here’s why.
Did you know that Huesca – a province in northeastern Spain – is a hidden gem for extreme sports and outdoor adventures?
With a diverse landscape that includes rugged mountains, fast-flowing rivers, and expansive national parks, Huesca offers a plethora of activities for thrill-seekers. Whether you want to throw yourself off canyon walls, test the waters with white river rafting or enjoy lush natural landscapes on a hike, Huesca has a plethora of outdoor activities for all skill levels.
Huesca is part of the autonomous community of Aragon – which actually comprises three provinces: Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. I was lucky enough to experience Huesca (and a little bit of Zaragoza!) on a recent press trip to help highlight active tourism in Huesca and Aragon.
The Best Outdoor Adventures in Huesca, Spain
Hiking
Huesca offers a stunning natural landscape perfect for hiking enthusiasts, thanks to its location just south of the central Pyrenees. One great spot for both nature lovers and hikers is Ordesa National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers winding trails, rugged landscapes and breathtaking panoramic views of the Pyrenees mountains. It’s also great for hikers of all abilities: by tour or a self-guided hike. We enjoyed a 4WD tour with Miradores de Ordesa, which took us to five of the most popular viewpoints within the natural park. Our tour even included guided commentary along the way.
Ordesa National Park
This was a great option for our small tour group with mixed abilities. I’m certainly not a hiker. So I was grateful for the opportunity to see some of the park’s most beautiful spots this way! Likewise, one or two viewpoints consisted of a short walk/hike to reach from the car. But we were very welcome to sit any out if we liked.
From high up in the mountains to down low in a gorge, Pasarelas del Vero is another wonderful spot to hike in Huesca. The Alquezar walkways are a natural 2-kilometre circular route that winds through the Vero River canyon in Alquezar. With gushing waterfalls, stunning rock formations and even some shallow waters to paddle in, it’s an enjoyable hike for all abilities.
Pasarelas del Vero
But what goes down must come up – and I will admit the steep walk back up to the top was a little difficult for me. That being said, it was nothing a Mojito couldn’t fix later that evening! Pasarelas del Vero was probably my favourite hike of the entire trip. Despite the challenging end, it was well worth it!
Mountain Biking
There are so many amazing mountain biking trails all throughout Huesca. From the imposing rock formations of Mallos de Riglos to the cross-country route joining thirteen castles of the Huesca Hoya region!
We had the opportunity to try our hand at e-biking in Boltaña. Boltaña is a wonderful district nestled at the foothills of the Aragonese Pyrenees. The route allowed us to traverse scenic trails and relaxing riverside rides. Only, it would have done if I hadn’t almost immediately fallen off my bike and cut up my hand! I can say the guided tour with Cinca Riders was very enjoyable up until that point! I have it on good authority that the rest of the group had a great time afterwards.
The journey ended at the beautiful historic village of AÃnsa. Luckily, the tour guide drove me to meet the rest of the group in AÃnsa and I’m so glad I did. AÃnsa was probably one of my favourite places I visited in Huesca!
E-biking in Boltaña. Photo Credit: Passport & Pixels
Thrill-seeking
If you really want to get your adrenaline pumping, I’d recommend the extreme swing and zip line adventure over the breathtaking reservoir of Bubal! At Tirolina Valle de Tena you can experience the 950-metre zipline – the longest double zipline in Europe. You’ll enjoy amazing views across the Tena Valley in Hoz De Jaca, at speeds of around 90 km per hour. Or, brave the new extreme swing that suspends you 150 metres above the Bubal Reservoir for truly panoramic views.
Extreme swing at Tirolina Valle de Tena. Video Credit: @whereisangiee
Or do both! I can’t believe I was brave enough to try my hand at both of these extreme adventures. I thoroughly enjoyed the zipline and would happily do this again. As for the swing? I very much enjoyed it at the time. The views were worth how brave I had to be – but I think once is enough for me!
Luckily, you can also enjoy other outdoor adventures at Tirolina Valle de Tena, such as e-biking, paragliding, and a panoramic train.
Watersports
Huesca is home to many gushing rivers and exciting landscapes that pave the way for a variety of fun watersports.
On our first day in Huesca, we had the opportunity to try white river rafting with UR Pyrenees Rafting and Adventure in Murillo de Gállego. We enjoyed a thrilling journey down the Gallego River, which led to the most stunning surrounding scenery at all times.
For my first-time river rafting, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was also a little nervous when we hopped on the boat and I saw just a small foothold to tuck my foot into. Was that tiny piece of material the only thing I had to stop me from falling into the river as we rode the rapids?!
Once we started, it took me a while to ease myself in. I definitely spent the first 15 minutes holding onto the side of the boat for dear life. I certainly was not a team player when we were told to paddle! But once I realised I wasn’t going to just fall in willy-nilly, I began to enjoy myself a lot more. White river rafting is so exciting and exhilarating. I couldn’t have picked a better place to try it for the first time.
White river rafting along the Gallego River. Photo & Video Credit: @whereisangiee
I’m old school (i.e I have no professional photography equipment, just my phone, which I wasn’t about to take on the boat with me!), so I took no photos. But this actually allowed me to relax and drink in the scenery. Paddling down the softer rapids of the river, surrounded by beautiful rock formations such as Mirador del Circo and Mallos de Riglos is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Huesca’s Gallego River is also a hotspot for other exhilarating watersports such as kayaking, paddleboarding and canyoning. All of which you can book with UR Pyrenees Rafting!
On our last day, whilst some of us went e-biking, the others chose to go canyoning in Sierra de Guara. Although I didn’t go, I was told by those who did that they had a great time. Even though there was no water at The Basender at that time!
More Exhilarating Adventure Activities in Huesca
We were lucky enough to experience such a wide variety of activities during our time in Huesca. I’ll be sharing more posts about what else we got up to soon! But for now, I want to highlight some fun other outdoor adventures you can do in this beautiful region of Spain.
Air Sports
If you really want to see them from another point of view, paragliding in the heart of the Pyrenees is a great pick. Castejón de Sos is considered the cradle of paragliding in Spain. In fact, the first paragliding school in the entire Pyrenees was founded here in 1985! A popular option is to take off in Liri and paraglide back down to Castejón de Sos. This exciting flight offers awe-inspiring views across the Benasque Valley and Pyrenees mountains.
Caving
Scared of heights? Perhaps heading deep underground to spot stalagmites and stalactites is more your thing! Caving – or Speleology as it’s better known in Spain – in the Pyrenees is another fun and thrilling adventure to try. Try visiting the Cave of the Güixas at the foot of the Collarada mountain for a cave filled with history and folklore. Or discover a cave hidden behind a waterfall in a ravine next to the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, where you’ll learn about bats and enjoy small lakes of crystal-clear water.
Mallos de Riglos
Climbing
Finally, rock climbing and mountaineering are more popular adventures in Huesca – whether that’s climbing a mountain or abseiling down into a gorge! Rodellar offers vast and dramatic landscapes which is perfect for rock climbing and mountaineering, particularly the small mountain village of Rodellar. Spain’s official tourism website dubs it as a paradise for climbers! Rodellar is also a great spot for via ferrata – a type of rock climbing which includes metal cables that safely attach you to the mountain. Perfect for thrill seekers who want to take a step up from hiking but may be a bit nervous to jump completely into rock climbing yet! Mallos de Riglos is also popular with climbing enthusiasts. The iconic orange rocks that look a little like elephants offer nearly 300 routes to climb, at heights of up to 300 metres high.
I had no idea Huesca in Spain was such a hub of adventure activity. I had the time of my life trying various outdoor activities such as white river rafting and ziplining. Going on such exhilarating adventures showed me another side to the beautiful country of Spain. If you’re looking for an adventure holiday, I would definitely recommend visiting Huesca and the beautiful region of Aragon.
Disclosure: I was kindly invited on this press trip by Turismo de Aragón and Spain Natural Travel. All my opinions are entirely honest and based on my own experiences.
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