Hidden in the high mountains exist a place in Aragon that combines XIX century glamour with modern architecture! I'm speaking about Balneario de Panticosa or Panticosa Baths! This place it's not a village but a classical recreational place, in the past it featured thermal baths, casinos, hotels... And now those things became modernized, all surrounded by incredibly high peaks (like Garmo Negro with 3064 metres) and outstanding nature! This place it's far, about 2 hours by car from Zaragoza, so it's better to start your journey to here from a nearby village or town like Jaca or Formigal. Until the 90s, this place was one of Spain's most beautiful hidden beauties, with late XIX century buildings that best of those years and gave the place an Austrian feeling (somehow like Grand Hotel Budapest). But in the 2000s a massive tourism project changed the place forever, ruining many old buildings to make a huge spa center. Nowadays, some parts of the new project are unfinished, but the Spa and hotel are operational! But this place is also great because its excursions and hikes. Thanks to the starting height (1.600 metres), you can get to upper mountains much faster! In about 1 hour walk you can get to tree-free landscape! And the scenery its outstanding, you can see it in the pictures! Just at Zaragoza outskirts there is a cool natural zone for breaking with the urban routine! The Juslibol "Galachos" are a natural formation made by the old river channel. Since Ebro changed its route, the water left there made lakes where animals and plants found paradise, that's why is a great place for birthwatching or spendind a day under tree shadows. In the park information centre you can find all the info about it, as well as interactive demonstrations. But one of the coolest things is the area around the reserve itself, since its the abrupt start of the desert. You can get up to the cliffs by several man made trails, you just need confortable shoes. The contrast between both areas is impressive. You can get to Juslibol from Zaragoza without the need of getting to road, its connected by city streets. You need to leave the car in the village (park the car where you can or go straight to the closed fence, where there is a lot of parking but road becomes a dirtroad) and walk to the info centre of the reserve (30 minutes, I recommend doing the cliffs trail on the way) or take the minitrain for 2€ that will take you infront of the info centre, also on the way back, that train goes nearby to Grancasa Shopping centre in the city itself, so you can get to the reserve by public bus and minitrain. Timetables avaliable here. Coming here can be a great way to have an awesome morning, or you can spend the whole day here, since sunsets from the cliffs are impressive. |
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