Restaurante El Duende
What to order: the roast suckling ternasco lamb shoulder or the ox chop for two, and the house fritters for dessert
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.65° N · 0.06° W
Ordesa in October, with the beech forest ablaze up to Soaso.
The classic valley route with the beech forest in red and yellow: from the Pradera to the Cola de Caballo via the Gradas de Soaso, and shoulder of ternasco lamb in Torla on the way back. An hour and twenty minutes from Huesca.
Leaving from
Part of Ordesa ValleySobrarbePyreneesUnusual places to stay in SpainHorse riding routes in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 15 each way
Walking5–6 h there and back by the same path
Ascent550 m
DifficultyMedium
Cost€40–55 pp
Best timeOctober
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Huesca 1 h 15 by car
from Huesca via the A-23 to Sabiñánigo and the N-260 to Torla
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1
Cola de Caballo via the Gradas de Soaso
from La Pradera to Cola de Caballo via the Gradas de Soaso · 5 h 30 with stops · 550 m · bus from Torla if it runs that day
- 15 min by car8,5 km
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2
Restaurante El Duende
El Duende, in the old town of Torla · ternasco and grill · €€€ · booking by phone
Calle La Iglesia, s/n, 22376 Torla · +34 974 486 032
Restaurant €€€Book -
Back home
In Huesca around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Cola de Caballo via the Gradas de Soaso
In October the floor of the Ordesa valley is a beech and fir forest that turns red, orange and yellow beneath the limestone walls. The route from the Pradera to the Cola de Caballo goes right through it and continues up the Gradas de Soaso to the glacial cirque, with Monte Perdido ahead. It is a long day but with no technical difficulty: five or six hours at a good pace and 550 metres of climbing. On the way back, mountain food in Torla.
The day, hour by hour
7:00 · Set off. From Huesca, take the A-23 to Sabiñánigo and the N-260 to Torla: an hour and twenty minutes.
8:30 · To the Pradera. If the Torla bus is running that weekend, cars cannot go beyond the village: you park free next to the visitor centre and go up by bus, €6 return, free for under-10s. From October, the first one leaves at 7:00. If there is no bus, you drive up to the Pradera car park.
8:45 · From the Pradera to the Cola de Caballo. You set off along the Soaso path among beeches and firs: the viewpoint of the Arripas waterfall, then the Cueva and Estrecho waterfalls, the prettiest stretch of the beech forest in autumn. Then the forest opens out, you climb the Gradas de Soaso, a staircase of waterfalls, and the path flattens through the cirque to the Cola de Caballo. The National Park gives 2 h 30 to 3 h each way; you return by the same path. Take food for mid-morning.
14:45 · Lunch at El Duende. A stone house of 1831 on calle de la Iglesia in Torla, with a mountain menu and a grill. Open daily from 13:30 to 15:30: book by phone and let them know if you are late back from the route.
17:00 · Head home. In Huesca around half past six; in Zaragoza, around half past seven.
What to order
The roast shoulder of suckling ternasco lamb with potatoes or the ox chuletón for two. For dessert, the house buñuelos with ice cream and hot chocolate: after five hours of walking, you have earned them.
Autumn in Ordesa
The colour arrives through October and lasts a few weeks: with the first storm the leaves fall. The days are shorter and in the Soaso cirque it is cold: set off early, bring layers and come back with plenty of light. In November there may be snow or ice patches on the Gradas: the Góriz refuge publishes the state of the routes.
Ascent550 m
Time5 h 30
Change the route
If you are with children or short of time: one hour each way through the beech wood to the waterfalls:
Estrecho and Arripas Waterfalls
If La Pradera is full: the neighbouring valley, with a Romanesque bridge and the Ara:
Bujaruelo Valley
Another table, in Sarvisé: seasonal cooking; closed Mondays and Tuesdays:
Restaurante Casa Frauca
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Restaurante Casa Frauca
What to order: whatever is in season, and when available the suckling kid from the Casa Bergua farm in Viu de Linás
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Ordesa Valley
The Ordesa beech forest turns red and yellow in October. In 2026 the Torla bus ran on several autumn weekends and long weekends; on other days you drive up to the Pradera. In November there may be snow or ice at Soaso: check the state of the routes first.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the bus calendar
Ordesa Bus publishes the autumn service days: with the bus, take one of the first.
- 2Bring layers and a head torch
In the shade of the beech forest and at Soaso it is cold in the morning; if you are delayed, it gets dark early.
- 3Dog, always on a lead
It is a National Park: on a lead the whole way.
We'd skip it
With small children or if you are not fit: the full route is long. Stay at the Estrecho waterfalls, an hour each way through the best of the beech forest.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
When is the Ordesa beech forest in colour?
In October, for a few weeks, depending on the year.
How long does it take to reach the Cola de Caballo?
From 2 h 30 to 3 h each way from the Pradera, and the same back. Allow 5 or 6 hours in total.
Do you go up by bus or by car?
On the bus service days, from Torla by bus; the rest of the year, by car to the Pradera.
Is it difficult?
It has no difficult passages, but it is five or six hours of walking and 550 m of climbing.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/ordesa-valley/itineraries/autumn-beech-forest-and-cola-de-caballo
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.