[EN] The five refuges in the Aragonese Pyrenees with the best reviews to sleep in the mountains

The Aragonese Pyrenees hides dozens of refuges where you can stop, spend the night and turn a mountain route into a complete experience. Among all of them, there are five that stand out especially for the good ratings of users, with more than 4.4 stars: Bachimaña, Rabadá-Navarro, the Refugio de Alquézar School, Lizara and Casa de Piedra.

The Aragonese Mountaineering Federation (FAM) manages a wide network of mountain refuges, hostels and schools spread over Aragón. Many of them remain open throughout the year and are designed not only as accommodation, but also as support points for those who practice hiking, mountaineering, climbing or ski mountaineering.

REFUGIO DE BACHIMAÑA

At an altitude of 2,200 metres, the Bachimaña Refuge is located in one of the most spectacular enclaves of the Tena Valley, in the anteroom of several cirques of glacial origin. The refuge has 80 places and has rooms for between four and twelve people, showers and hot water, dining room, heating, infirmary, lockers, ski storage, telephone, internet and even a heliport.

To get there, you have to start from the Panticosa Spa and follow the GR 11 for about an hour and 45 minutes, with about 575 meters of positive elevation gain. From there there are numerous possibilities for mountain lovers, with the Gramatuero, Pezico and Blue Lakes lakes in the surroundings, as well as peaks such as the Infiernos, the Gran Facha or the Garmo Negro.

REFUGIO RABADÁ-NAVARRO

The Rabadá-Navarro refuge completely changes its landscape and enters the Sierra de Javalambre, in Teruel. It is located at an altitude of 1,530 metres, on the slopes of Pico Javalambre, within the municipality of Camarena de la Sierra.

It has 78 beds, hot water, showers, dining room, bar, heating, lockers and space for cooking. One of its advantages is that you can reach the refuge itself by car along a track, while on foot there is an access of approximately an hour and a quarter from Camarena following the GR 10.

The area allows you to combine hiking and mountain with proposals such as excursions to the Amanaderos or the Matahombres and de la Miel Fountains. It is also a starting point for ascending Pico Javalambre, Pico Calderón or Pico del Buitre and for mountain biking and ski mountaineering.

SCHOOL REFUGE OF ALQUÉZAR

In the heart of the town of Alquézar is the Alquézar Refuge School, a different alternative for those who want to enjoy the environment of the Sierra de Guara without giving up certain comforts. The facility has 75 beds distributed in rooms for two, three, four and eight people, with sheets and towels.

In addition to accommodation, it offers heating, hot water, individual lockers, library, multipurpose classroom, assembly hall, climbing wall, gym and cafeteria-bar. Its location allows you to use Alquézar as a base to discover one of the great adventure destinations in the province of Huesca.

REFUGIO DE LIZARA

At the end of the valley of Aragüés del Puerto, next to the valley of Hecho, appears the refuge of Lizara, located on the plain that bears the same name. It has a capacity for 75 people and has hot water, showers, food service, bar, blankets, first aid kit, infirmary, lockers and ski storage. In addition, it remains stored throughout the year.

One of its strengths is access: you can reach the refuge itself by car along an asphalted track from Aragüés del Puerto. From there there are different routes and ascents, including those that lead to Estanés and Candanchú or to the Bisaurín, the Aspe, the Aguerri or the Llena del Bozo. It is also an enclave for climbing, canyoning, caving, ski mountaineering or hiking.

STONE HOUSE

The last of the outstanding refuges is located in a particularly recognisable setting in the Aragonese Pyrenees: the Panticosa Spa. Casa de Piedra is nestled in a large glacial cirque surrounded by granite walls and has 96 beds in rooms with shower and bathroom.

The refuge also has a dining room, bar, lockers, blankets, first aid kit and cooking space and is stored throughout the year. Its access is one of the easiest in this selection, as it can be reached by car by road from Panticosa.

The GR 11, the Pyrenean Path, starts from Casa de Piedra and is also a starting point for ascents to summits such as Garmo Negro, Los Infiernos, Arnales, Argualas or Baziás. In winter, the area also offers cross-country skiing and ski mountaineering, as well as mountaineering and winter climbing.

Beyond the stars that accumulate in the reviews, the five refuges offer very different profiles: from sleeping at 2,200 meters next to the lakes of Bachimaña to using Alquézar as a base to discover the Sierra de Guara or approaching the peaks of Javalambre from the Rabadá-Navarro. A selection that shows that enjoying the Aragonese mountains does not necessarily mean always doing it in the same way.