Region covered by this guide
This guide covers the central part of the Spanish Pyrenees, including the dry, desert-like Ebro basin to its south. Administratively, this is the northern part of the Autonomous region of Aragón and coincides for the larger part with the province of Huesca.
Some key sites described in this book
- Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park
- Aneto and Benasque
- Jaca and the Hecho Valley
- Sierra de Guara
- The Somontano
- Los Monegros
- Belchite / El Planerón
- Laguna de Gallocanta
Why visit the Spanish Pyrenees?
The Spanish Pyrenees combine towering limestone cliffs, deep gorges, alpine meadows, mountain forests and the semi-deserts of the Ebro Basin. Few regions in Europe offer such spectacular contrasts within such a short distance.
The flora and fauna changes with the succession of landscapes. First to notice are the birds, most particularly the birds of prey. There are few places where you can see as many vultures as here, whilst the majestic Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier) is nowhere in the world as common as in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Besides its spectacular birdlife, the Spanish Pyrenees are equally rewarding for botanists, butterfly enthusiasts and mammal watchers. Alpine flowers, orchids and Pyrenean endemics abound, while Chamois, Marmots and other mountain mammals are regularly encountered.
The region combines excellent birdwatching and wildlife observation with spectacular hiking opportunities.
Look for more information and images on our Wildlife Site Page on the Spanish Pyrenees.
Some key species you may find with this book
- Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier)
- Griffon Vulture
- Egyptian Vulture
- Golden Eagle
- Black Wheatear
- Dupont’s Lark
- European Roller
- Wallcreeper
- Citril Finch
- Chamois
- Alpine Marmot
- Lady’s Slipper
- Pyrenian Lily
- Ramonda
- Apollo
- Pyrenean Brassy Ringlet
About the authors
Dirk Hilbers (NL, 1976), set up the Crossbill Guides Foundation and travels Europe to research the guidebooks. This is the 11th guide on which he has worked. As a biologist, when not in the field, Dirk Hilbers is a free-lance writer and lecturer in the field of environmental ethics.
Kees Woutersen (NL, 1956) has lived in Huesca (Spain) for 20 years, working as a nature and bird guide throughout Spain. He runs his own travel company and is author of various books on birds and natural history, mostly about the birds and mammals of the Pyrenees. This is the first Crossbill Guide he wrote but he later followed on with other guides to areas in Spain and Portugal.
Luc Aarts –
Voordat ik dit deel van de Crossbill Guides in bezit had kende ik het gebied dat in Spanish Pyrenees wordt beschreven al behoorlijk goed door een aantal wandelvakanties die ik er doorbracht. Toch ontdekte ik door dit handige, schitterend uitgevoerde boek nog veel bijzondere plekken en gebieden die ik nog niet eerder had bezocht. Ik heb diverse van de beschreven wandelingen en autotochtjes gemaakt, allemaal van elkaar verschillend en allemaal prachtig. Dit boek gebruikte ik als voorbereiding daarop, maar ook als naslagwerk om meer van de landschappen aan de weet te komen. Heel praktisch is de beknopte informatie aan het begin van elke autoroute en wandeling, zodat je snel ziet wat je tijdens een tocht kunt verwachten. Spanish Pyrenees is een aanrader voor elke natuurliefhebber en wandelaar die dit heel afwisselende deel van Spanje gaat bezoeken.