We had reached the Desierto de los Monegros – a semidesert in Aragón. It is a semi arid zone prone to frequent droughts and high temperatures. Now in May it appeared quite green, and we were surprised to see fields of cereals on every even surface. To explore this area there is a route called “Ruta de Jubierre” which we followed to explore the area.
The highlight of the route are the different formations left by erosion of the sandstone. They are called tozal and are signposted along the main route. You can park your car and hike to explore them close up.
The main route leads north-south and is a very good gravel road which you can explore even with a normal camper. All the tracks which branch off are truly off-road tracks and require 4×4 and ground clearance.
The route to the Peña Altar mirador (lookout point) was definitively an off-road track with parts washed out by rain. Don’t expect anything there beside of the view. The track actually ends in a field, and we walked the last part to get to the edge. But the view was great with the impressive formation of the Peña Altar. We could watch vultures circling while the sun went down and it was completely quiet.
It was already late, so we decided to spend the night in the area before finding our way back to tarmaced roads.
We are now in Aragon and plan to visit Zaragoza and some of the villages destroyed during the civil war. More on our next post!