Boltaña February 2, 2019. During 2018, Sobrarbe-Pirineos UNESCO Global Geopark, located in the Castillo of Aínsa, registered 23 277 visits, overcoming in more than 14% the visits of the previous year and the network of Geo-routes of the Geopark integrated by 30 itineraries continues awaken great interest as an ecotourism resource with an increase of more than 50% in its downloads.

Sobrarbe-Pirineos UNESCO Global Geopark is an internationally recognized ecotourism destination, which during this year of 2018 has broken the record of visits in its interpretation centre, located in the Southeast Tower of the Castle of Aínsa, the point of reception of the visitor and the beginning to visit Sobrarbe with other eyes interpreting its landscape and making an interesting trip of more than 550 million years suitable for all the public and without need of previous knowledge of geology.

Proof of that is the recorded data of downloads of the walking tours to enjoy on foot, a network of 30 all levels self-guided itineraries, distributed throughout the Geopark, which follow the marked paths of Sobrarbe and whose descriptive guide. The visitor can download it from the web www.geoparquepirineos.com .

23.207 downloads of the Geo-Routes have been registered, an increase of more than 50% than in 2017. One of the most positive data is that all the Geo-Routes have been downloaded in three languages. Specially it stands out the increase of downloads in languages because of in French it has been almost of 150% and in English more than double that in the previous year.

The Geo Routes that have been more downloaded, are the GR 14 "Secrets of the Guara Mountains”, the GR 4 "Inside the canyon”, the PN1 “Ordesa Valley” and the PN 6 “ Balcon de Pineta”. And the most popular Geo Routes in three languages are PN1 “Ordesa Valley” and PN10 “Escuaín Valley”.

This year with 23 277 visits, the record of visits to the Geopark Space has been surpassed by more than 14%, reached last year. Speaking about to the origin of the visitors during 2018 they have passed, through the Geopark Interpretation Centre, 43 different countries. Among foreign visitors, 67% come from France, 6% from the United Kingdom, 4% from the Netherlands and Belgium, 3% from Germany followed by the USA, Italy, Portugal and Israel.

The knowledge of the Sobrarbe-Pirineos UNESCO Global Geopark is growing as well as that of the figure of UNESCO World Geoparks, proof of this is that, according to the surveys conducted in the Geopark Interpretation Centre , 29% previously knew the existence of the Geopark and / or the geological routes of Sobrarbe and 19% had visited another Geopark of Spain or of the rest of the world, it has also been possible to check with people who have visited the Geopark Stand at the FITUR fair.

Practically all of these respondents (94%) leave the Geopark Interpretation Centre with the intention of visiting some Geopark-route and 76% intend to visit the Geopark once, 19% will visit regularly in the future.

The Sobrarbe Regional Tourist Office, located in the Northeast Tower of the Castillo de Aínsa, has received a total of 62.179 visits during 2018, which shows the great interest that Sobrarbe wakes up between a public who looks principally for activities of hiking, such as those offered through the Geo Routes, Nature and the National Park, discover the beauty and authenticity of the towns of this region and its cultural heritage.