Ordesa Valley

Ordesa Valley is a glacial valley in the Spanish Pyrenees, within Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Its steep limestone walls, waterfalls, and forests form one of the park’s defining landscapes.

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Glacial valley: A broad, steep-sided valley carved by the movement of a glacier. Ordesa’s broad U-shaped profile records erosion by glaciers.
Cola de Caballo: A waterfall at the head of Ordesa Valley in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. The Arazas River ends its celebrated upstream route at this waterfall.
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park: A protected area in the Spanish Pyrenees encompassing Ordesa Valley and the Monte Perdido massif. The park provides the valley’s legal protection and administrative framework.
Monte Perdido: A 3,355-metre peak in the Spanish Pyrenees and the highest summit of the Monte Perdido massif. The mountain massif rises above the park and frames Ordesa’s upper landscape.
Pyrenees: A mountain range forming a natural border between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. The valley lies in the central Spanish Pyrenees.
Gradas de Soaso: A sequence of stepped waterfalls on the Arazas River in Ordesa Valley. The river descends limestone ledges in a distinctive series of cascades.
Hiking: The activity of walking on trails, usually in natural settings. Marked trails make the valley accessible while concentrating foot traffic.
Añisclo Canyon: A deep limestone canyon carved by the Bellós River in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. It is a neighboring park landscape shaped by water rather than a broad glacial trough.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed chiefly of calcium carbonate, often shaped by dissolution and erosion. Limestone forms the valley’s cliffs and helps create its karst features.
Circo de Soaso: A glacial amphitheater at the upper end of Ordesa Valley. This high basin marks the valley’s dramatic head beneath Monte Perdido.