As soon as you cross the border you can notice a difference from the French Pyrenees. Being south facing, the Spanish Pyrenees are warmer and a lot drier. As a result, the geomorphology, the flora and fauna are all very different from that found just a few kilometres north.
The stone pillars in the background look unreal but are definitely still towering over the village of Mallos de Riglos.Hiking down the trail the rains came down and I had first hand experience of the erosion which formed this wonderful landscape. Mud and sand particles ran down the hillside and into the deep valley. While it rained, the eagles (at least fifty of them) sought shelter in the cliffs.After the rain, the animals were back out and ready to continue. Here I am, totally wet, as I was totally unprepared for the rainshower. But the rain was warm and I was dry by the time I got to the village.Looking back up the valley, it is on this cliff face that hundreds of birds of prey build their nests.A few poppies brighten up the path on the way down.What a view from your bedroom window! Mallos de Riglos has a total population of 67 – 37 men and 30 women. Let’s hope they all like rock climbing…Mallos de Riglos from the train.The station at Canfranc is amazingly beautiful but its story is amazingly sad. Opened in July 1928 it linked France and Spain with the help of a tunnel hacked through the Pyrenees. Following an accident on the French side it was closed in 1970 and the station has been left to fall apart. To add insult to injury, the tracks in the tunnel were ripped up and now cars and trucks pass through, clogging up the beautiful Aspe valley.
Further Information
For general tourist information, you can click here.
