Hotel
Hotel Bujaruelo
Why we like it: A hotel on the Ordesa road, at the entrance to Torla and close to the car park for the valley bus. Some rooms have a balcony with mountain views. It has its own car park, subject…
Duration2 nights
Snowshoes3 h with a guide · groups of 6
Viewpoints by 4x44 h · from €49.50
SleepCasa Frauca, Sarvisé · from €80
Best timeDecember – March
From Huesca1 h 20
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for a weekend from December to March, when there is snow. Snowshoeing only goes ahead with a favourable forecast and Guías de Torla Ordesa confirms the activity 48 hours ahead; the 4x4 also depends on the weather. If one falls through, the other usually holds: book both and let the forecast decide the order.
Friday
- 119:30Sarvisé
An hour and twenty from Huesca via the A-23, the Petralba tunnel and Fiscal; carry snow chains in the car. Casa Frauca, twelve rooms and a lounge with a fireplace, serves dinner on Friday: the restaurant only closes on Mondays and Tuesdays outside long weekends.
Saturday
- 1morningGuided snowshoeing
Three hours with Guías de Torla Ordesa through snowy woods, valleys and viewpoints in the National Park or its surroundings. The guide hands out snowshoes and poles, explains how to walk in them and chooses the route according to the group and the snow. Six people per guide.
- 214:00Lunch in Torla
El Duende, on Calle de la Iglesia, opens at midday from 13:30 to 15:30 every day: grilled meats and ternasco. Book by phone.
- 316:00The Estrecho waterfalls, if you can get up there
With no bus in winter, you drive up to the Pradera when the road is open and free of ice. An hour each way through the beech wood to the Arripas, La Cueva and Estrecho waterfalls. With snow on the road or little light, skip it.
Sunday
- 1morningEstatón viewpoints by 4x4
With Miradores de Ordesa, an outing from Broto or Buesa by off-road vehicle to the Estatón peak and a 4.5 km walk to the Rey, Reina and Herradura viewpoints, above the canyon. About four hours, from €49.50, from age 6.
- 214:30Lunch at Casa Frauca and horses
Valley kid and seasonal cooking before heading back. If you still feel like it, an hour on horseback with Caballos Casa Blas, in Sarvisé itself, which runs all year.
In winter the Ordesa valley empties. The shuttle bus does not run, the beech woods are bare or white and the canyon walls hold snow on every ledge. To see it without knowing about winter high mountain you need someone who reads the snow for you: a guide for the snowshoes and an off-road vehicle to look into the canyon from the Estatón peak. This plan combines the two, based in Sarvisé, ten minutes from Torla.
Snowshoeing: what to expect
The snowshoe outing lasts about three hours. You do not need to have set foot on snow: the company sums it up as, if you can walk, you can snowshoe. Snowshoes, poles, the guide's safety equipment, accident and rescue insurance and the guide, qualified by FEDA, are included. You bring waterproof boots, layered clothing, gloves, a hat and sunglasses; with deep snow, gaiters. The listing announces it from age 6 and the company speaks of family routes from 7 or 8: tell them the children's ages when booking. The price is not published: ask on 974 486 422 or at its office on Calle A Ruata in Torla.
The good season runs from December to March; in November and April, only if it has snowed. If you go on your own without a guide, check AEMET's avalanche danger bulletin for the Aragonese Pyrenees beforehand.
The canyon from above
From the valley floor, Ordesa is a corridor. From the Estatón viewpoints, it is a whole canyon: the Rey, the Reina and the Herradura look out over the canyon walls. Miradores de Ordesa runs every day of the year if the weather permits, with a local guide, insurance and poles; places are limited and you can book a whole off-road vehicle, up to eight people.
Where to sleep and eat
| What for | What to know | |
|---|---|---|
| Casa Frauca | Both nights | Double with breakfast from €80 in low season, which is almost all winter; restaurant recommended by the Guía Repsol |
| El Duende | Saturday lunch in Torla | Open every day at midday and in the evening; bookings by phone only |
| Casa Frauca restaurant | Dinners and Sunday lunch | Closed Mondays and Tuesdays outside long weekends and summer |
Another way of getting around
Without a car this plan does not work: there is no public transport to the valley in winter. With small children, swap Saturday's Estrecho for the horse ride at Sarvisé, of one or two hours, from €20, and leave the snowshoes for those over 7 or 8.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Ordesa Valley, 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 Ordesa Valley
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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.
Easy, with one rule worth knowing
In the Torla car park you can leave the motorhome during the day, free of charge, but not spend the night. Sleep at a campsite in the valley and go up to the Pradera on the bus.
45–65 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingCamping Oto motorhome area, from…
- Getting aroundPark in Torla and go…
- EatingGrocery shop at Camping Río…
- ServicesWater and emptying at the…
Sleeping
- Camping Oto motorhome area, from about €20 for two adults, no reservation
- Camping Río Ara, in Torla, from 22 May to 16 October
Getting around
- Park in Torla and go up by bus on the days it runs
- Bujaruelo: dirt track from the Puente de los Navarros
Eating
- Grocery shop at Camping Río Ara
- Restaurant in the Pradera de Ordesa
Services
- Water and emptying at the Camping Oto area, according to users
- Repsol petrol station in Broto, from 8:00 to 21:00
The valley as a gateway to the high mountains
Ordesa is the entrance to Góriz and Monte Perdido, and the GR 11 crosses the valley from Bujaruelo. With two staffed refuges you can link together several days in the mountains.
55–75 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingGóriz refuge, at 2,200 m…
- Getting aroundFrom the Pradera to Góriz…
- EatingAt Góriz, breakfast from 6:30…
- SafetyMonte Perdido is high mountain…
Sleeping
- Góriz refuge, at 2,200 m, open all year; booking online only
- Bujaruelo refuge, on the GR 11, with shared rooms
Getting around
- From the Pradera to Góriz, about 4 hours on the GR 11
- Bus from Torla to the Pradera in season, €6 return
Eating
- At Góriz, breakfast from 6:30 to 8:30, dinner at 19:30 and packed lunches to take away
- Lunch with no booking at Góriz, from 12:30 to 15:30
Safety
- Monte Perdido is high mountain terrain: without experience, go with a guide
- In winter and spring, check the avalanche danger bulletin before setting out
One track for your car and another you can only climb with a guide
Here your 4x4 is of little use: the La Caña track, the one that climbs to the viewpoints over the canyon, is closed to private traffic, and you cannot drive to the Pradera on bus days. With your own car you can do the Bujaruelo track, which does not require a 4x4; you reach the viewpoints in the excursion's off-road vehicle from Broto.
70–100 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingRefugio de Bujaruelo, at the…
- TracksBujaruelo: 6.3 km, half paved…
- RulesIn Aragón it is forbidden…
- EatingRestaurant at the Refugio de…
- SafetyThe Bujaruelo track is narrow…
Sleeping
- Refugio de Bujaruelo, at the end of the track, with an open area to park in front; open until 3 January 2027
- Camping Río Ara, in Torla, about 3 km from the Puente de los Navarros; from 22 May to 16 October
Tracks
- Bujaruelo: 6.3 km, half paved, from the Puente de los Navarros; an ordinary car is enough
- Beyond the refuge, a chain: authorised vehicles only
- La Caña, from Broto or Buesa to the Estatón peak: about 28 km, only with Miradores de Ordesa, from €49.50
- The excursion runs all year if the weather allows; best from spring to autumn
Rules
- In Aragón it is forbidden to drive off paths and tracks
- Tracks open to traffic: up to 30 km/h and in groups of five vehicles at most
- Those not open require permission from the landowner or the authorities
- In bus season, you can only go up to the Pradera on the shuttle from Torla
Eating
- Restaurant at the Refugio de Bujaruelo
- Grocery shop at Camping Río Ara
Safety
- The Bujaruelo track is narrow, with blind bends and few passing places: in summer, go up early
- Fill up at the Broto petrol station, open from 8:00 to 21:00
- Check the forecast: in summer there are storms and flash floods; take water
- Tell someone which track you are doing and when you will be back; emergencies, 112
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay in a campervanif you're on footif you're in a 4x4
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Camping Oto Motorhome Area
Why we like it: A budget area inside a large campsite Camping Oto is in Oto, next to Broto, in the Broto valley (Sobrarbe), 10 km from Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. You get there on the N-260, taking…
From €20
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Campsite
Camping Río Ara
Why we like it: A family campsite at the foot of Torla, in woodland beside the river, with shaded and unshaded pitches and a grocery shop. It is open from 22 May to 16 October and admits dogs on a…
From €29
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Góriz Refuge
Why we like it: A staffed refuge at 2,200 m in Ordesa, open all year: 80 places in shared dormitories, set-menu dinner and camping only when it is full.
From €28
View details
Hotel Casa Frauca
Why we like it: A twelve-room hotel in Sarvisé, ten minutes from Torla, with its own restaurant, a lounge with a fireplace and a garden terrace. Breakfast included, from €80 for a double.
From €80
View details
Bujaruelo Refuge
Why we like it: A refuge at the end of the valley The Bujaruelo refuge stands beside the Romanesque bridge at San Nicolás de Bujaruelo, at the end of the track that climbs from the Puente de los Navarros, in…
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Torla | Take the first bus, walk to everything | |
| Broto and Oto | Families, apartments, campsite | |
| Fiscal and Aínsa | More choice, 30–45 min by car |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ordesa Valley
Restaurante El Duende
What to order: the roast suckling ternasco lamb shoulder or the ox chop for two, and the house fritters for dessert
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
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book snowshoes and the 4x4 for different days. If on Saturday snowshoeing cannot go ahead, the 4x4 can usually be brought forward, and vice versa.
We'd skip it
A December long weekend without booking: Casa Frauca moves to high season and the off-road vehicle places run out.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience for snowshoeing?
No. The guide teaches you how to walk in them and chooses the route according to the group.
How much does the weekend cost?
Two nights at Casa Frauca from €80 a double, the 4x4 from €49.50 per person and snowshoeing at a price on request, plus meals.
Can I drive into the National Park in winter?
Yes: the shuttle bus only runs in season and the rest of the year you drive up to the Pradera, if the road is not closed by snow or ice.
And if there is no snow?
Without snow there are no snowshoes; ask Guías de Torla Ordesa what other outing they suggest. The 4x4, the horses and the Estrecho do not depend on snow.