Alquezar; a travel guide to the medieval village of Alquezar in Spain

Visit Alquezar

Alquezar is situated in the Aragon region of Spain in the Huesca province. The village grew up around its church and castle and became part of the defenses of the nearby city of Barbasto. The views from the village over the surrounding countryside below are lovely.

Explore Alquezar

Alquezar is an attractive Moorish village situated on the canyon of the Rio Vero in the Sierra de Guara national park. It is the main destination for anyone wishing to pusue outdoor activities in this stunning area.

Canyoning, rock-climbing, abseiling and hiking are all popular activities. It is also a good base for visiting the limestone caves and pre-historic paintings which are so abundant in this area that the area has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Alquezar has lovely, narrow, arcaded lanes which wind up hill to the Moorish citadel set on a rocky outcrop with views down over the village and the river below. Alquezar is entered through a Gothic gate and then ambling through the narrow streets is like stepping back in time. The ancient town square is surrounded by arcaded houses

The citadel (castle) was built in the 8th century. Christians took the castle and village in the 11th century and built the Collegiate church of Santa Maria la Mayor in the 12th century. Only the cloister with carved capitals remains from this time and the current church is 16th century.

This church is one of the most visited monuments in the region. It can be visited on a guided tour which includes its attractive patio and terrace. The tour costs just a couple of euros. The cloister is particularly attractive and each arch of the cloister arches has a pot of pink or red geraniums sat in it - very pretty. The altarpiece in the Collegiate church is also very impressive in red and gold.

Alquezar's main plaza is a lively one and there are some good terraced restaurants in the village.

The Sierro de Guara natural park that surrounds the village of Alquezar is popular with walkers as well as other sports such as canyoning. The park has been given the 'EDEN' label given to destinations that are amongst the best for tourism and accessibility.

Particularly noteworthy are the ravines of the Balces river and the chasm of the Grallera Alta de Guara.

Places to visit nearby

From the village walk down into the gorge to see the 12th century Villacantal bridge.

The nearby Vero River Cultural Park has examples of Rock Art. Visit some of the 60 caves with pre-historic paintings in the region. One of the closest is at Arpan on the Barcabo road.

Ainsa is a widely thought to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and is well worth a visit. Aguero is an unusual village as directly behind it sits a huge lump of pinky-grey rock which is popular with mountain climbers.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Aragon guide.