Hikes in Bailo

Route, largely circular, starting from the New Monastery of S. Juan de La Peña and following the ridge line that reaches the Hermitage of San Salvador, to ascend to Cuculo (1,552m) via the Collado de Betito and return from the pass, along a track parallel to the ridge.

Overall, this is a very easy route with fantastic views of the Aragon Valley and the mountains beyond. When the weather is nice, the memorable views invite you to linger!> Starting from the impressive Jaca 01, there are plenty of arrows that quickly put us on the right track and point northwest toward the outskirts of town. From there, we follow a gravel path along the edge of the outskirts for a good 2 km. We catch our first fantastic glimpses of the mountains to our right and reach the main road and an old cemetery on the left. Further along, we have to walk to the right, alongside the guardrail. It’s not a pleasant path, but at least it’s relatively safe. After a few minutes, the trail branches off to the right of the road. Passing a small village and going under the bridge, we stay on the gravel path away from the road until we cross the N-120 to the left 02. We walk along it for a good 500 m on a rough footpath and cross the road again. To the right of it, we enter a park with places to rest and continue up the path, parallel to the road, on wide paths prone to mud. Later, however, we have to cross it again, after which a trail leads us through a rustic, beautiful holm oak forest. At the next fork, we turn right, cross a bridge, and finally continue on a gravel path. At regular intervals, scarecrows greet us in a rather questionable setting. At the next fork, we turn right again. After a while, the trail takes a detour uphill, from where we can enjoy an excellent view 03 of the Pyrenees.Finally, we reach the road again in front of a few houses (Hotel Aragón), follow it slightly uphill, take the next right turn, pass the hotel on the left, and cross the oncoming road; we briefly follow the paved road before continuing right onto familiar gravel and dirt paths. We continue downhill on the paved road, take the small shortcut at the hairpin curve, and turn left over the bridge to follow the arrows across farmland. From there, it’s not far to the next village.We cross the main road and keep going straight to reach the center of Santa Cilia 04, where we come to a metal pilgrim statue, a fountain, and a place to rest. A supermarket, an ATM, and pharmacies are available in Puente la Reina de Jaca, about 6 km away (but not at the end of this stage or on the next stage!), which we reach by following the arrows along gravel paths that run quite close to the national highway for the next 2.8 km. At the sign “N-240 Km 302,” we cross to the other side of the road. About 1 km before the next small village, we cross the road again to walk the final few meters through the forest. Passing a “Garden of Stone Piles,” we soon emerge at the bridge of the same name, Puente la Reina de Jaca 05. Anyone wishing to go into the town itself (no hostel, but there is a hotel) should cross the single-lane bridge with caution.Continuing along the road, we soon take the right turn toward Arrés. The road narrows, so proceed with caution. Shortly afterward, a sign points us toward Arrés 06 (2 km); on the other side, there are inviting places to rest. With a moderate climb, we continue steadily uphill on unpaved trails and, enjoying beautiful views, reach the picturesque little village and stage destination of Arrés 07.

Today’s stage offers beautiful scenery, despite the many dirt roads at the start. Whether it’s the view of Berdún across the river, the imposing clay hills we hike through, or the beautiful stretches of forest and meadows along the Yesa Reservoir—all of this makes for a very varied landscape.> There are several ways to get back onto the main trail from Arrés 01; we choose the straight path, which is about 1.2 km long. On the road, we descend into the valley and turn left onto the main trail, branching off onto dirt roads 02. After about 2.8 km, there are places to rest and a small fountain, though it appears to have run dry.Continuing along familiar paths, we eventually come to a hill that’s quite susceptible to weathering (consisting of claystone, which we’ll see frequently), and at this fork we turn right to go around the hill 03, cross a bridge, and keep going straight ahead until we reach a road. That road leads up to Martes, but we stay on our path. For a short while, the Camino also leads uphill. Taking a shortcut 04 past a barn, we turn onto a dirt road branching off to the right. You can continue to ignore all the turnoffs toward Martes. However, the next right turn between large fields is the one we take, and shortly afterward we once again reach a road we need to cross. Continuing along dirt roads, we head roughly west until the path itself curves and leads slightly downhill. We cross two rivers via a bridge and soon approach the road, where Mianos comes into view ahead of us and, further to the right, Artieda sits perched on a hill. Mianos is already visible ahead of us, and further to the right, Artieda sits perched on a hill. After following the road for about 200 m, there is a spring ( 05) on the left. About 1 km before Mianos, we follow the Camino to the right onto a gravel road. Continuing straight ahead on it, we reach another road. The signage makes it easy for us to find the path to Artieda. The closer we get, the more magnificently this fantastic gem reveals itself to us. We can soon decide whether to turn left toward Artieda or go straight ahead to take ashortcut v06. The route to Artieda (hostel, bar) is highly recommended here, as both the location and the view are unbeatable. Otherwise, we skirt the village and continue straight ahead on the road until we reach a small farmstead. We leave Artieda 07 heading west and follow the road further downhill. Once we reach the plain, we come to an intersection and turn left at a farmstead with two buildings 08. Upon reaching the next road, we follow it for a good 800 m before turning right onto an old, disused road. To the west, we can already see the first reaches of the Yesa Reservoir. We stay on this rather desolate road for a good 3.5 km. As soon as it makes a sharp right turn, a small, easily overlooked path branches off just past the curve. Heading uphill and along the edge of a field, we emerge onto a road again. Since the signage isn’t entirely clear, it’s tempting to continue walking along the road to the left, but the correct route is to head through the woods to the hiking trail, which runs almost parallel to the road.The next few kilometers follow an old path, passing rustic walls, stunning natural scenery, and occasional ancient trees. Eventually, we reach the ruins of the S. Juan Bautista Hermitage 09 (in the background). From there, we stay on the path between the meadows and, about 1 km later, cross the road to reach the majestic ruins of Ruesta 10. The attached hostel is the only intact building besides the information center and is open year-round.

Spain: Camino de Santiago: Camino Aragones: Stage 05b: Arres-Sanguesa[ cami caminho cammino chemin compostela itineraire jacob jacobsweg jacques james james’ jaume sant Santiago st ste saint san saint-jacques st-jacques path pilgrim’s pilgrims route ruta via voie way of weg ]

Spain: Camino de Santiago: Camino Aragones: Stage 05 Arres-Artieda[ cami caminho cammino chemin compostela itineraire jacob jacobsweg jacques james james’ jaume sant Santiago st ste saint san saint-jacques st-jacques path pilgrim’s pilgrims route ruta via voie way of weg ]

Spain: Camino de Santiago: Camino Aragones: Stage 04: Jaca-Arres[ cami caminho cammino chemin compostela itineraire jacob jacobsweg jacques james james’ jaume sant Santiago st ste saint san saint-jacques st-jacques path pilgrim’s pilgrims route ruta via voie way of weg ]

Compostela

San Salvador - Picos Cuculo

Compostela