Geopark Centre and Comarca Office

What It Is

The Geopark Centre is the visitor centre of the Sobrarbe-Pirineos UNESCO Global Geopark, the territory of the Sobrarbe district that was declared a geopark in 2006 for its geology. It occupies the south-east tower of Aínsa castle, beside the Plaza Mayor, and in the same enclosure is the Sobrarbe district tourist office, which provides information on the whole district, not just the village.

What You Will See

The centre explains how the Pyrenees were formed and how they have changed over more than 500 million years: periods when Sobrarbe lay under shallow seas, others under very deep seas and, more recently, covered in ice. It is spread over four floors with panels, models, interactive screens and videos.

It is designed for the whole family. The district presents it as a visit in which you can create folds, touch the main rocks of these mountains and listen to their sounds, and learn about the sirenians that lived in the area's ancient tropical seas and the human mark on the Pyrenees. If you are going with children, ask for the activity booklet.

The people who staff the centre know the territory well, and the Geopark encourages you to ask them about itineraries according to your interests. It is the starting point of Geo-Route 2, "Aínsa: a village between two rivers", an urban geology walk through the old town that begins by climbing to the top of the castle wall, a minute from the centre, from where on clear days you see the Tres Sorores, the central massif of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. The route leaflet can be downloaded from the Geopark website, together with the other 29 Geo-Routes in the district.

Price, Hours and Contact

Entry is free. The hours change with the season and the district refers to the Geopark website to check them, so call before going, especially outside summer: 974 500 614 for the centre or 974 500 512 for the district tourist office. The email is [email protected].

Getting There and What Is Nearby

The castle is at the top of the old town. You can walk up from the lower part of Aínsa or drive to the car park in the upper part, beside the enclosure. In the same castle are also the Pyrenean Fauna Ecomuseum, in the keep, the Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts and the Contemporary Art Centre, so you can chain several visits.

From here, the church of Santa María and the walk to the Cinca viewpoint are a few minutes' walk away. To see the geology on a large scale, the Añisclo canyon is a good excursion to continue with. The Aínsa Municipal Tourist Office, on Avenida de Ordesa, is the one that handles the guided tours of the old town.