Parador Bielsa Spain

Bielsa is in northernmost Aragon, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The only way out of the narrow valley in which the little resort town lies, other than the road on which one entered it, is the Bielsa tunnel that runs under the mountains for some miles and ends in France. The parador sits in an isolated location a dozen miles outside the town, by the side of a rushing stream, surrounded by the Monte Perdido Nature Reserve. The scenery all around is spectacular, craggy hillsides thick with pine forests in the foreground, the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees in the distance. The parador is a newbuild, meant to convey the impression of an, albeit much enlarged, hunting lodge. The overall impression is one of an extremely well endowed rusticity. Perhaps in order to compensate for the lack of outdoor amenities (there are no tennis courts, nor is there a pool) and nearby urban distractions, whether architectural or more mundanely entertaining, the quality of the food in the dining room is exceptionally high. But what staying at the Bielsa parador is all about is the outdoors. One can fish for trout in the river and there are a dozen or so well marked hiking trails ranging from all day circuits into the high mountains to a comparatively benign hour's walk to the site of a truly charming waterfall. Even at little distance from the parador one is apt to come on a considerable variety of wildlife; I have crossed paths with hares, foxes, boar, chamois and, yes, a few snakes, and one most always can see eagles soaring overhead. There are reputedly bears, but unlike their counterparts in America's national parks, these have been hunted for so long that they stay well clear of humans. If one enjoys being in a relatively unspoiled natural environment during the day, while resting one's head in some measure of comfort at night, whilst being extremely well fed all the while, a stay here can provide one with much pleasure, and not at ruinous expense. The rooms in the off season (which is much to be preferred to the summers when the valley fills up with noisy day trippers, bussed in in great numbers) will set you back about a hundred dollars a night.