You have your first wow moment as soon as you see the snow-covered peak of the 7,592-foot (2,314 meters) high Pico de San Miguel in the Moncayo Nature Park of Aragon, Spain. There are a few more wow moments to follow when you meet deer, witches, and monks while traveling around Spain’s Moncayo Nature Park.

Where is Moncayo Nature Park?

Moncayo Nature Park

Moncayo Nature Park is one of the most popular hiking areas in Spain. Despite its popularity, it isn’t overcrowded, and you can enjoy totally unspoiled nature practically in solitude.

Moncayo Nature Park

The mountain range is located in the heart of Spain, between Aragon and Castilla-León. The vegetation stretches from the rather bare peak of San Miguel and neighboring Lombardo to dense forests with oak trees and pines, small rivers, and lush valleys in the lower regions. Several well-marked hiking paths lead you from one beauty of nature to another, all easy to reach, as we discovered on our three-day trip to the region.

But it’s not only nature that provides the wow moments of the Moncayo; history, legends, witches, and monks also make up a one-of-a-kind experience.

Begin Your Moncayo Nature Park Adventure in Zaragoza

While walking, we packed comfortable hiking shoes and a small rucksack for provisions and started our adventure in Zaragoza. The city is very well connected by train, bus, road, and has an airport.

Fans of history and art like us should dedicate a day to Zaragoza. Located on the shores of the mighty Ebro River, walk across the ancient Roman stone bridge. Then proceed to visit the biggest baroque cathedral of Spain, the Basilica of the Virgin of Pilar, and the adjoining Lonja, a building that, in the Middle Ages, was the stock exchange.

Basilica of the Virgin of Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain is a good first stop before the Moncayo Nature Park.

Modern history is no less fascinating in Zaragoza, as it was the site of EXPO 2008, and a splendid futuristic suspension bridge crosses the river to the EXPO pavilions. Go on a boat trip along the river, which starts below the cathedral and turns around at the EXPO complex. Finish the day with a walk around the town center and tapas of the famous Jamon Serrano, goat and sheep cheeses, and other little delicacies in one of the many bars.

Enjoy tapas in Zaragoza. Photo by Inka Piegsa.

Making Your Way to Tarazona and the Edge of Moncayo Nature Park

The next day, we made our way to Tarazona, which brings us to the northern edge of the Moncayo. Tarazona is about 50 miles (80 km) north of Zaragoza, and we went by bus. For two day,s we made the quaint Santa Agueda Hostal our home. The owner is a walking encyclopedia of Tarazona and the Moncayo history and legends. He speaks excellent English, so talk to him and enjoy the stories.

The hanging balconies of Juderia in Tarazona. Photo by Inka Piegsa

The Tarazona Tourist Office, steps away from the hotel, will provide you with maps and arrange for the first ‘witchcraft adventure’ in Trasmoz. This tiny village at the foot of the San Miguel mountains is, to this day, the only place in Spain that has been excommunicated because of its history of witchcraft. Once you have made an appointment with Lola Ruiz, the curator of the castle and witch of the year, take a bus or taxi to Trasmoz and enjoy hair-raising tales of the Inquisition, the celebrations of the witches, their incarceration, and everything else related to witchcraft.

Exploring the Witchcraft Festivals of Trasmoz

Every year in June, a colorful witchcraft festival is celebrated with re-enactments of the castle’s story, dances of witches and sorcerers, and many small market stalls selling lotions, potions, amulets, and many other things. The highlight is the election of a Witch of the Year, who was Lola Ruiz when we visited. So, you get to talk to a real modern-day witch…how is that for a wow moment?

Before reaching Trasmoz, you come past the massive and sinister-looking Monastery of Veruelo, which plays a significant part in the history of Trasmoz. Writers and painters have often been drawn to the monastery, the most famous in Spain. Manuel Becque spent many months as a guest in the monastery trying to recover from tuberculosis in the clean mountain air and composing his Letters from My Cell, which forms an integral part of modern Spanish literature.

Trasmoz with Moncayo in the background. Photo by Inka Piegsa.

Hiking Moncayo Nature Park

We were finally in Moncayo proper, so our hike could begin. The best starting point for a hike is the San Martin de la Virgen del Moncayo village, with a path leading to another town called Agramonte. Along the way, you walk through the famous oak forests and, if you are lucky, you will see deer. A small river flows alongside.

Moncayo Nature Park

From Agramonte, you start the ascent to San Miguel on a zigzagging path that changes from woods to rocky but is never neck-breakingly steep. It takes about three hours to reach the peak, and you can rest in a little stone hut halfway up.

Once you have reached the peak, you not only observe the entire nature park spread out before you, but, on a clear day, you can see as far as the Pyrenees.

Moncayo Nature Park

There are a few more hiking paths, but we found this to be the most picturesque. Make your way back at a leisurely pace to Trasmoz and Tarazona.

Our last day was dedicated to Tarazona. Although it’s a small town, it is the site of one of the most impressive testimonies of Spain’s Jewish past. Climb up to the Jewish quarter and marvel at the best-preserved hanging balconies. Then, proceed to the Renaissance cathedral and the bishop’s palace, which have permanent exhibitions of medieval artifacts.

Depending on the time of year you plan to visit, you can either participate in a film festival or the festival of the Cipoteagto. He is a local figure, a sort of harlequin, and the logo of Tarazona.

Bear in mind that you are in central Spain, where it is very hot in summer and very cold in the winter, but, if at all possible, don’t miss the witchcraft festival. It’s unique and will leave you with a wow experience for life. For more fantastic things to do in Spain, see these articles by Wander writers.