Hotel Villa de Alquézar
Why we like it: Family-run hotel in a large old house in Alquézar's old town: terraces facing the canyon or the town, a pool in summer, a spa in winter and its own covered parking.
From €95
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Duration2 nights
Best timeMay – June · September – October
Budget€200–340 pp with the canyon
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening. On Saturday, the canyon in the morning and the collegiate church in the afternoon; on Sunday, the walkways first thing and paintings or a winery before heading home. Book the canyon, walkways, winery and meals first.
Friday
- 119:30Arrival
Park, drop your bags and walk down to the Arrabal for dinner.
- 220:30Dinner at the Mesón del Vero
Grilled lamb and a terrace. Closed on Wednesdays; on Fridays, dinner sittings from 20:00 to 21:00.
Saturday
- 109:30Lower Vero canyon
Half a day with a guide. Bring a swimsuit, shoes that can get wet and dry clothes for the return.
- 214:30Lunch at La Cocineta
Set menu with a terrace facing the sierra. It doesn't publish opening times: call first.
- 317:30Collegiate church and painted cloister
Climb to the castle and ask at the office for the day's opening times. Then come down along the walls in the last light.
- 420:30Dinner at Casa Pardina
A €49 menu with olive oil tasting and Somontano wines. In winter, on Saturdays it serves dinner from 20:00 to 21:30.
Sunday
- 108:30Vero walkways
First entry of the day: 3 km, two hours and the canyon almost empty. A €5 ticket bought online.
- 211:30Rock art or a winery
Either the Colungo centre, about 10 km away, with a guided visit to a rock shelter (call ahead on 974 318 185), or Enate in Salas Bajas, half an hour away, with a visit booked on their website.
- 314:00Lunch and the drive home
Casa Pardina is open on Sunday at midday all year; so is the Mesón del Vero. Leave in mid-afternoon.
Alquézar in a day is walkways and a collegiate church. In a weekend it is the whole Sierra de Guara: a guided canyon descent on the Vero, the river seen from above on the walkways, prehistoric paintings in rock shelters and a Somontano winery half an hour away. It is 50 minutes from Huesca, an hour and a half from Lleida and an hour and three quarters from Zaragoza.
Why two nights?
Because a canyon takes half a day and leaves your legs good for little else, and the walkways are best first thing, before the heat and the crowds. Sleeping here lets you do both at their best, without adding four hours of driving to the same day. And at night the village empties.
The canyon: what to expect
The lower Vero is the introductory stretch of the canyon, with water, pools and the odd jump, always with a guide. Alquezar Aventura, at the entrance to the village, advertises it at €59 per person in groups of two or three and €56 from four; the full Vero, advanced level, at €79 and €74. Guías Boira, on Paseo San Hipólito, also runs canyons in Guara and has family offers. The guides decide according to the flow and the weather: keep Sunday as plan B.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Villa de Alquézar | Main street, with covered parking | Families and anyone who wants a pool and spa |
| Hotel Vinoteca Alquézar | Upper part, seven rooms | Couples: adults only |
| Albergue Rural de Guara | Calle Pilaseras | Groups and tight budgets |
| Camping Alquézar | Barbastro road | Canyoners: the canyoning company is on site |
If the weather doesn't cooperate
In a storm or flood there is no canyon or walkways: the company changes it for you and the walkways post closures on their website. Move the guided visit of the town to Saturday, add the winery and leave the river for another time.
With children and with teenagers
Teenagers are the ideal audience for the canyon; ask the minimum age when you book. With small children, swap the canyon for the walkways and the Colungo centre, with prehistoric painting workshops. On the walkways under-11s don't pay; babies go in a baby carrier. The Hotel Vinoteca is adults only: choose the Villa de Alquézar or the campsite.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Alquézar and the River Vero, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Alquézar and the River Vero
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Car, in the Upper Car Park
You reach Alquézar by car: from Huesca along the A-22 and the A-1229 via Abiego, about 50 minutes; from Lleida or Zaragoza, via Barbastro. The old town's streets are narrow: leave the car in the public car parks and do the rest on foot. You will need it for Colungo, the canyons and the wineries.
60–120 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepHotel Villa de Alquézar, with…
- Getting aroundColungo and its rock art…
- EatMesón del Vero, every day…
- ServicesTourist office on Calle Pedro…
Sleep
- Hotel Villa de Alquézar, with its own covered parking
- Hotel Vinoteca, adults only, next to the upper car park
- Albergue Rural de Guara, the cheapest in the old town
- Camping Alquézar, open all year
Getting around
- Colungo and its rock art centre, about 10 km
- Salas Bajas and the Somontano wineries, half an hour
- Barbastro, about 25 minutes
Eat
- Mesón del Vero, every day except Wednesday
- Casa Pardina, Sunday lunch all year
Services
- Tourist office on Calle Pedro Arnal Cavero
- Supermarket and petrol station at Camping Alquézar
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Vinoteca Alquézar
Why we like it: An adults-only country hotel at the top of Alquézar: seven doubles named after Somontano grapes, à la carte breakfast and dinner, next to the public car park.
Albergue Rural de Guara
Why we like it: Hostel on Calle Pilaseras with double rooms and rooms for six or eight with bathroom, dining room, terrace and pool; for groups, families and canyoners.
Camping Alquézar
Why we like it: Campsite open all year at the entrance to the town, with pitches from €18, bungalows, tiny houses, pools, supermarket, petrol station and the Alquezar Aventura base.
From €18
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Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Old town and castle | Sleep inside, everything on foot | |
| Arrabal | Restaurants and parking without the climb | |
| Barbastro road | Campsite open all year and canyons |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Alquézar and the River Vero
Casa Pardina
What to order: the low-temperature Aragon ternasco, and the Casa Pardina menu, which includes the oil tasting and the wines
Brasería Mesón del Vero
What to order: the charcoal-grilled Aragon ternasco, awarded in 2024 as the best traditional roast ternasco in Huesca
La Cocineta
What to order: the menu of the day at midday, and a home-made dessert
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book in this order: the canyon, the accommodation, the walkways ticket (sales open month by month) and the two dinners.
We'd skip it
November to February if you are coming for the canyon: it is cold and many companies stop. And August weekends if you want calm.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience for the canyon?
Not for the lower Vero, an introductory descent, always with a guide.
How much does the weekend cost?
Between €200 and €340 per person with two nights, the canyon, the walkways and meals.
How long does it take from Lleida?
A little under an hour and a half via the A-22 and Barbastro.
Can it be done in winter?
The walkways, the collegiate church and the wineries, yes. The canyon is better from spring to autumn.
Do I have to book the walkways?
Yes, the ticket is bought online at pasarelasdealquezar.com.