Bardenas Reales and Mallos de Riglos, two must-see sites

Depending on your arrival time, it is possible to make a hike to admire the cliffs and monoliths of the grandiose site of Mallos de Riglos, from the lookout of the "Vulture Viewpoint", dominated by the majestic flight of these impressive birds. Then continue to your accommodation.

Walking time: about 3 hours. Positive drop: + 200 m. Negative drop: - 200 m.
Distance: 6 km. Accommodation: Refuge or hotel** or hotel**** according to your choice. Meals included: Dinner.

Starting from each accommodation, you will have 2 itineraries of your choice (day or half-day), to be adapted according to your desire for the moment. The proposed hikes will be the opportunity to discover beautiful paths crossing the Mediterranean maquis or along the fields of almond and olive trees, before going down in the heart of the Riglos massif, along the vertiginous walls of the orange cliffs that lead to the small village of Riglos. If you choose the half day hike, you can, in the afternoon, visit the magnificent castle of Loarre, classified Cultural Heritage and Historical Monument since 1906. In a state of remarkable conservation, it is regularly used as a natural scenery in medieval films from all over the world such as «Le nom de la Rose» or «Kingdom of Heaven» to name but the most famous (provide about €6/person for the visit with audio -guide francophone - highly recommended; also guided tour in French with fixed schedule).

Walking time: 3 hours or about 6 hours, depending on the version chosen. Distance: 6 km or 12 km, depending on the version chosen. Positive drop: + 300 m or + 450 m, depending on the version chosen. Negative drop: - 300 m or - 450 m, depending on the version chosen. Transfer to Loarre Castle: about 20 minutes. Visiting time: about 2 hours. Accommodation: Refuge or hotel** or hotel**** depending on the version chosen. Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner.

Departure for the small village of Aguero located at the foot of the great fairy chimneys of Mallos de Aguero. After having crossed the village, the end of the road, the path insinuates itself between the vertiginous walls of the orange cliffs, sometimes tinged with blue. Then the trail reaches the edge of the stream that is suitable for swimming …. Return by the track before taking a short path between the old terraces to go up to the village of Aguerro. 

Transfer time: about 10 minutes. Walking time: 2 to 4 hours, depending on your wishes. Positive drop: + 200 m. Negative drop: - 200 m. Distance: 4 km. Accommodation: Refuge or hotel** or hotel**** according to your choice.  Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner.

Free afternoon with optional activities
Rafting: A "discovery" descent of the Rio Gallego. This descent will be an opportunity to feel some sensations while favoring moments of relaxation.
Via Ferrata: A very nice course on the famous cliffs of the Riglos...
Tree-climbing trail: A trail on bridges, Tibetan bridges and zip lines.
Day 1 hike if you didn’t have time to do it on arrival.
Visit the castle of Loarre if you did not do it on day 2.

Departure for the Bardenas Reales. The road leads to a small pass, a real border that opens the doors to the Bardenas desert... we are in Navarre! By a path that slips between juniper bushes, rosemary and holm oaks, arriving on the ridge; the ruins of the castle of Estaca, strategic point used formerly to monitor the surroundings, A distant past in which the hordes of brigands came to hide in the desert to terrorize the surrounding villages. Then start along the ridge, on a ridge of ochre clay and blue marl! The views and landscapes are magnificent and beautiful! The cliffs, depending on the inclination of the sun, let admire their marbling in different shades of pink, grey, ochre and sometimes blue! Both magical and impressive decorations, they offer to our feet the complete Bardenas Blancas, with its canyons, its tormented geological formations, its maquis zones and its colourful agricultural fields with sometimes unusual shapes… Loop back to the vehicle and continue to your accommodation.

Transfer: 1 hour 45 approx. Walking time: about 4 hours. Positive drop: + 300 m. Negative drop: - 300 m. Distance: 12 km approx. Accommodation: Single or guest room or "Boutique hotel" (charming hotel equivalent to ****), according to your choice. Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner.

Discovery of the particular geological formations of Bardenas Blancas …  Castildetierra, incomparable monolith and emblem of this desert; Cabezo de las Cortinillas, vast sandstone plateau that dominates one of the most beautiful and characteristic territories of the Bardenas; discovery of canyons and their corridors with cliffs of ochre lands, mazes of clay dunes interspersed with a few cliffs… 

Transfer: about 40 minutes. Walking time: 3 to 4 hours. Positive drop: + 150 m. Negative drop: - 150 m. Accommodation: Single or guest room or "Boutique hotel" according to your choice. Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner (except on the formula "Boutique hotel" or dinner is not included).

You will pick up your electric VTC at the entrance of the Bardenas Reales. Then start by the tracks that run along the largest canyon of the Bardenas Reales: the Barranco Grande, with its rocky cliffs and mazes of corridors. Gradually you will reach the Nature Reserve of Vedado de Egueras. This nature reserve is the only area of the Bardenas that remains wooded with pine with capricious forms and sometimes endemic such as Yeuse pine. The Castillo de Penaflor (12th century) is hidden within. Sublime discovery at the bend of the path... The remains of the castle are in spectacular balance on a rocky promontory and still dominate majestically the surroundings; legend says that Princess Blanca would have been locked up by her husband because of her numerous infidelities.  Then continuation until the immense plateau of El Plano (the flat) overflowing by the vultures, to reach its end in return. It is the Punta de la Estroza (462 m), a fabulous lookout on the vast plains and ravines of the Blanca Baja and on the rugged terrain of the Blanca Alta. Return in loop to cross the Barranco Grande at a different point before reaching the meeting point to return the VTC. 

Rental time: The day. Distance: 35 km. Positive drop: + 200 m. Negative drop: - 200 m. Accommodation: Single or guest room or "Boutique hotel" according to your choice. Meals included: Breakfast - Dinner (except on the formula "Boutique hotel" where dinner is not included).

End of stay after the breakfast. 

Meals included: Breakfast.