Upper Benasque Valley (Posets Maladeta)
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Benasque Valley, Llanos del Hospital - by Basotxerri (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Description
The Benasque Valley is located in the Aragonese Pyrenees, at the foot of the chain's highest points: Pico Aneto (3,404m) and the Posets (3,369m). It is formed by the basin of the river Esera and part of the natural park of Posets-Maladeta. The valley's upper part is centred around the municipalities of Villa de Benasque and Sahun that each comprises several small towns and villages.
Access & Transport
Benasque is 140km from Huesca, 145km from Lleida (Catalunya) and 100km from the French border (down the pass and up the valley) near Bagneres-de-Luchon.
Instructions & Recommendations
We suggest combing a visit there with a hike and/or a stop in Ainsa if coming from the west. It may be worth spending one or two nights onsite given the time involved in getting there and the quality of the surroundings.
Environmental & Social
Green attraction. Tourism brings much needed economic activity in this rural, mountainous area
Conclusion
The Upper Benasque Valley has a lot to offer to outdoor and road-trip enthusiasts with a wide array of small mountain villages (Sahun, Cerler and Eriste for instance), hikes of varying length and technicality dotted with waterfalls and glacial lakes. A completely different landscape compared to the Zaragoza and Teruel provinces.
Key positive
Some fantastic mountain scenery
Not busy and over-commercialized (in the summer)
Key negative
Quite time consuming to get to
Suitability
Suitable for all ages. Visitors with reduced mobility will be able to enjoy the views from the valley floor but not the hiking opportunities
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
August 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h 30m
est. visit time:6h
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo