​Do you miss the beach? Don't worry! Although there is no sea in Aragon we have awesome places to swim!

​Aragon is a land of rivers and lakes, full of places to bath but there are some special places where nature becomes amazing. Also, all over the mountains there are many of "Ibones" (melted snow lakes) where you can swim but since most of them are a bit hard to get to and water is cold I won't focus on them.

So instead I will talk about awesome places you can get by car!! You can check the route there checking them in the Aragon Attractions Map under the category of Other/Alternative with the swimming logo.

​This awesome rettery lately has become famous, and the reason for it is obvious. Beautiful water and a nice rock to jump from makes this place so cool! In addition, there is a castle nearby, the Sibiriana towers. 

​In Yesa reservoir there is an abandoned village where people bath every summer... But why there? Because in summer, when the reservoir level is low, it reveals the ruins of a former thermal water springs pool... with healing properties!

​These curious geometric pools are in Ordesa and Monteperdido National Park, halfway of the Cola de Caballo route. It's really a unique place because its geometric shapes in the middle of a glacier valley. 

​Near the village of Bierge there is this beautiful artificial river pool that over the time became full of nature! So, you can bath under a moss covered waterfall. 

​As I wrote in another article, this is one of the best spots for hiking, but if you just want to refresh yourself in summer, with just 30-minute walk you can get to the place of the picture, with outstanding views. There are several river pools like that on the early route towards Bachimaña lake. 

​In the south of Aragon there is an amazing hike place: Parrizal de Beceite, where apart from trekking through an impressive canyon you can bath on its crystal-clear waters! 

​Near Alquezar (and literally under the village) there is this amazing river canyon, where you can hike over it through the "Ruta de las pasarelas" but you can also bath here and enjoy its clear waters!

All over the Pyrenees there are countless lakes made out of melted snow, as there are many I will just show you some of the most beautiful ones. Usually you don’t come here just for the water (because it is ice-cold) but as the end of a hiking route, since a fresh bath is a nice reward.
 

​This time I'm going to show you one of the coolest things you can do in Aragon: The longest Zipline in Europe!

​Located in Tena Valley, the central valley of the Aragonese Pyrenees, there is a village named Hoz de Jaca, that is situated on a cliff overlooking a lake, with such incredible views. It takes about 2 hours from Zaragoza to get to here, but you can come faster if you sleep in some other place in the Pyrenees.

Last summer, they made the longest zipline in Europe, that goes from the top of the cliff to the forest near the dam, going over the lake.

​If you feel brave enough you can book online here! Price is 15 Euros and they will pick you from the end of the zipline and return you to the village by an off-road for free. Its definitely worths it. 

Many foreigners are asking me what the Fiestas del Pilar are about... Don't worry! I will explain it here in a basic and easy way!

So, in order to make it easier, I will difference between traditions, everyday events, concerts and party and extras! Of course, you can check the full program clicking here!

Technically, the Fiestas del Pilar is a Christian Catholic tradition, we celebrate the appearance of the Virgin Mary over a pillar long time ago (that's why the Basilica has the same name).
We pay respect to her covering her statue and the pillar with a big ammount of flowers, brought by thousands of people from all over the world, since it's also the Virgin for Latin America! On day 12 of October, the Ofrenda de Flores takes place!

Obviously, a week long holiday attracts a lot of bussiners and handcrafters... thats why we have several permanent markets and activities!

2016 Fiestas del Pilar has more than 60 different concerts (and many more artist!), most are obviously in Spanish, but there are a lot for international people! Check some of them below!

The 3 main concert areas are: Plaza del Pilar (free concerts), RiverSound festival and Interpeñas, all info in the official program

There is also less known things, but funny too!

The website www.SoydeZaragoza.es , which gives the best information about Fiestas del Pilar has made an app for you not to miss anything! Download it here!

Finally, I did a very simple chart for all of those who are still lost with the program, you can download it below

I hope you enjoy this Fiestas del Pilar and you have an incredible time in Zaragoza!

International tensions, secret Nazi gold, Jew escape route, French sabotage, abandonment, failed rebirth as a luxury Japanese hotel and back to normality...  Canfranc train station has seen much more than that.

Canfranc is about 15 minutes from Jaca (90 min from Zaragoza) and in order to get to the station you need to book a guided tour (by phone or in the tourism info) for 3 euro. Right now, two rails of the station are operating, making it possible to make it here by train. 

Located in a deep valley bordering France, Canfranc train station was built in the beginning of XX century to work as an international modern border with France. Due to its unique location, it saw a lot of historical and political action, especially in World War 2. You can read more about it here.
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In the early 2000s the station was emptied from the inside in order to change the interior for making it a luxury Japanese hotel, but political scandal stopped that and now the government is supporting its slow reconstruction towards its XX century glory. 

Also in Canfranc, there is a nice hike over the mountain that overlook the station, called the bunker trail, which follows WW2 Spanish fortifications that prevented from possible invasion from Germany. In addition, there are XIX century fortifications in nearby villages in both sides of the border. 

Close to it there are many interesting places to see, so you can add it to your list if you spend a weekend in the Pyrenees!