Monegros

Monegros is a county of about 20,000 people in the Huesca Province of Aragon. The Desert of Monegros is a charming area that captivates all those who visit. It is located in the Ebro Valley in the centre of Aragon.

Typical landscape of the Monegros near Leciñena

Its desert landscape, flora and fauna are unique to this part of the world. You can find ancient traditions and a rich cultural heritage such as the Monastery of Sijena or the birthplace of Miguel Servet. A variety of activities, exhibitions and events invite visitors to immerse themselves in Monegros and discover all that this beautifully scenic region has to offer.

The area is prone to chronic droughts, and much of the area is a natural region made up of badlands.

The climate is semiarid, with scarce rainfall and high temperatures in the autumn. The area has numerous saltwater and freshwater lakes, including the Lake of Sariñena and the Lake of la Playa.

• Tourist Information (in Spanish)

The area's cultural heritage includes several historical monasteries, including the Monasterio de Santa María de Sigena and the Charterhouse of Las Fuentes.

• Cartuja de Ntra. Mrs. de La Fuentes: The first of the Charterhouses built in the Kingdom of Aragon was founded in 1507 by the Count of Sástago, Don Blasco de Aragón and Mrs. Beatriz de Luna in an old hermitage where they had buried their son Don Artal. According to tradition, in there was an inn on the old road to Zaragoza that became a hermitage to house an image of the Virgen de las Fuentes, so called because it was found next to one of the springs of the surroundings, the source of the Miracle. In 1565 the religious enclosure was sold to the Carmelites. This order began the recovery in the second half of the seventeenth century, the century of heyday and flourishing of the Cartuja. In the 18th century, the bulk of the monastery was built, and the church was blessed in 1777. Open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in the morning. Two guided tours 11:00 and 12:30.
• Laguna de Sariñena Wildlife Refuge and Special Protection Area for Birds: The Sariñena Lagoon is a wide extension of water between the basins of the Alcanadre and Flumen rivers. The refuge consists of 204 hectares that have excellent conditions for breeding, wintering and passage of aquatic birds in their migrations between Europe and Africa. These include the bastard nightingale and the common nightingale, the gray heron in the winter season, egrets and the purple heron during the summer. Plant species include fragrant thyme, tinogloss, rose hip, mad broom and specimens of acerollo or domestic rowan. From the A129, the road that leads to Zaragoza, you can access the Interpretation Centre-Observatory, which is a great position for bird watching. The Centre is open on weekends and holidays, in the morning and afternoon, and daily in the spring and autumn seasons of migration. Reservations: ☏ +34 607 849 963.

• Casa Helvética, C/ Diputación Provincial, 13. (in the centre of the town), ☏ +34 658 991 478. There are three beautifully decorated rural tourism apartments available. Open all year round.