This spectacularly rugged, mountainous, 15,000-hectare park in the Aragonese Pyrenees is punctuated with breathtakingly beautiful valleys and swift tumbling streams. There are many waterfalls along the Arazas River as it flows through the east-west Ordesa Valley, paralleling the Pyrenees, while other rivers carve their way through deep ravines and spectacular gorges. Forests of scots pine, black pine, spruce, beech, yew, hazel, and birch alternate with high mountain meadows speckled with edelweiss flowers. The last remaining Spanish ibex wend their way along the rock ledges of the Ordesa Valley, chamois are numerous, and wild boar, fox, wild cat, pine marten, and genet make their homes here. Otters feed on trout in the rivers, and Lammergeyer, golden eagle, and ptarmigan roam the skies.

Human settlement of this area dates back to the Paleolithic, or 40,000 to 10,000 B.C., with many archaeological and historical sites throughout this border area at the neck of the Iberian peninsula.

Activities include hiking, horseback riding, climbing, skiing, fishing, trekking, and photography.

• Hike to a picnic lunch beside one of the many waterfalls along the swift, cold Arazas River.
• Bring binoculars and view the highly endangered Spanish ibex on the rock ledges of the Ordesa Valley.
• Climb up to the high summit regions of the park, land of edelweiss flowers, golden eagles, and Lammergeyer bearded vultures.