Sobrarbe Geopark

Introduction:

Location
With a surface area of 2,202 km2 the Sobrarbe territory is located in the Alto Aragón (Huesca, SPAIN), in the central zone of the southern slope of the Pyrenees and is bordered by France along the north.
 
Main Geological Heritage
Old mining activities of metal ores were located in the high Palaeozoic mountains in the northern part of the region, where glacial activities took place during the Quaternary (moraine deposits or glacial lakes called “ibons”).
Further south younger rock units of Mesozoic to Paleocene age form the roughest mountains of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. As a result of the subterranean circulation of water, the region has one of the most visited karstic system of Europe.  

The southernmost area comprises Tertiary sedimentary rocks of Eocene to Oligocene age. Clear outcrops enable a good reconstruction of the Pyrenean building through the relationship between the tectonic impulses and the sedimentation in the Eocene foreland basin. A large variety of fossils, from Nummulite beaches to salt water crocodiles can be found in these rocks.
In order to guarantee the conservation of this heritage, 50% of the surface area of Sobrarbe has been declared protected area. There are more than 25 natural spaces on the NATURA 2000 Network. The Posets - Maladeta Natural Park, the Sierra de Guara Canyons Natural Park, and in particular the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park (which is designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site and Man and Biosphere Reserve) are of special interest.
 
Geopark activities
An itinerary already exists to discover the basic characteristics of the geology in the territory (explanation brochure and panels) and five bicycle routes have been prepared which cross twenty sign-posted geological points of interest. The youngest visitors can have fun while learning interesting facts about the rocks with the aid of a guide-notebook and three dimensional audiovisuals.
Each season, primary school children to university students as well as oil industry professionals (who find an excellent analogue of a productive oil system in the Eocene marine basin) visit the Geopark. All of them benefit from the concentration of different geological environments in one small territory with easy access, a benign climate which makes field work possible all year round, and above all, the friendly welcome by the residents who offer a complete and quality tourism infrastructure.
 
The Sobrarbe people warmly welcome you!