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Difficulty-Low
1:05 h.
4.4 km.
Difficulty-Low
1:05 h.
4.4 km.
The region of La Hoya de Huesca, which offers the visitor multiple natural and cultural attractions, is nestled between the fertile valley of the Ebro and the imposing pre-Pyrenean mountains. Its narrow ravines, together with the vertical walls, are the habitat chosen by a significant number of rock birds that have come to form one of the most important colonies in Europe. The Viewpoint of the Vultures allows us to get a little closer to the birds that fly over these skies.
The route, only 4.4 km long, starts next to the 12th century Hermitage of San Miguel, which together with the nearby church of the Virgin of Marcuello and the ruins of the old tower of Marcuello Castle form a magnificent medieval complex. Its privileged location, dominating the Loarre mountain range, gave it vital importance in the defence of the region. From here, the route continues along the wide track that leads to it, a track that can be perfectly travelled by car to the same lookout point, but which invites you to walk it calmly in order to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this spot. Until not long ago, we were offered the opportunity to walk along a dizzying path that visited the steep formations of the Cubillo de Os Fils, accessing the various viewpoints along the route that came to our attention. Today, a wire fence prevents us from passing. Without reaching the panoramic views from these viewpoints, the track, on the one hand, offers us some magnificent pictures of the curious formations of the Cubillo.
And on the other hand, it allows us to look out over the elegant Pyrenees that watch over us on the horizon. The unmistakable silhouette of The Mallos of Riglos surprises us on our arrival at the Viewpoint of the Vultures, competing with the real protagonists of this enclave, the griffon vultures, the lammergeiers or the eagles that inhabit these rocky conglomerates. Without a doubt, the visit to this entertaining natural balcony will take longer than expected before we set out for the starting point by retracing our steps. Before ending the route we can not fail to approach the vicinity of the chapel and castle of Marcuello, where in addition to these jewels of the history of Huesca, we expect another excellent viewpoint from which we can look closely at the wide valley that stretches at our feet, from here we only need to return to the chapel of San Miguel, to conclude this fun route.
After the death of King Peter I of Aragon and as he had no descendants to ensure the succession, his wife, Queen Berta, a noble lady of Italian origin, was forced to leave the kingdom not before remaining one year, in which the absence of any descendant of the late monarch was certified. Legend has it that during that year Queen Berta visited Marcuello Castle every week. Castle where her beloved husband had taken her to contemplate the beautiful lands he had given her in possession as a dowry on her royal wedding day, lands known as the Kingdom of the Mallos. This panorama was the last that the queen contemplated of her kingdom before leaving at the end of the year and even today it is said that on more than one occasion several people have seen and heard the laments of a mysterious silhouette of a woman walking around the castle and getting lost behind the walls of the San Miguel hermitage.
We reach Sarsamarcuello by following the road from Ayerbe to Loarre. The road where we will find the detour that leads to Sarsamarcuello. Once there, and as soon as we enter the town, we will find the signs that indicate the way to the Castle of Marcuello. We will have to cross the main square of Sarsamarcuello to go up the small street that will take us out of the town leaving us in front of the track that leads to the castle. In front of us there are approximately 4 km of track, in quite good condition, which first seems to take us away from the castle and then to face it again. Except for a couple of sections in which the vehicles that are a little lower than normal can have complications, the track takes us to the surroundings of the hermitage of San Miguel where we will have an area to be able to park our vehicle. If we prefer it we can approach until the same Viewpoint of the Vulture with the car, although in this section if that in the heat of ascent we will find a zone where the track is not as well as it has us accustomed.
A real walk without complications in which you will undoubtedly be able to enjoy the environment that surrounds you.
There is no water, so it is important to bring him the water he might need, without the simplicity of the route making us think that it will not be necessary.
The livestock that is usually in the space provided for them is, except for the encounter with other pets, all that we will normally come across on the route. We must not forget that we are going to an area of great ornithological value so it is important not to disturb the birds that live there.
Distance. 4.4KmWhere we park our vehicle will determine the distance to be travelled.
Time. 1:05hBeyond the time that we dedicate to the viewpoint we are before a route that is crossed with facility being able even to take us less time of the marked one.
Time of yearThroughout the year we can enjoy the birds that inhabit this natural place, being the months of breeding for them the ones that can call the attention of the bird lovers the most. Of course, having clear days will give us the best views, a value that adds to those that this viewpoint has.
Required equipmentLittle more than comfortable shoes, some water and a camera are needed on this simple hiking route, but under normal conditions and provided that we do not leave the route marked by the dirt track. Consult our list of material and equipment for hiking. Read more.
Difficulty. LowPhysica
Except for a short ramp we should not have more complications, since neither the distance nor the unevenness are parameters to highlight in this route.
Severity of the environment
We will go along a wide dirt track, where cars can drive without any major problems except in a couple of short areas that are a little bit more decomposed. Being the vehicles that we can get to find everything that should make us uncomfortable on our route. That is, as long as we do not want to get too close to the cuts that flank the viewpoints we are going to visit.
Orientation
The signposting and the track should guide us without any problem to the viewpoint. Besides, we will only find a crossroads, also signposted. The greatest complications can be found to reach the chapel of San Miguel with our vehicle, although it is also signposted from Sarsamarcuello.
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| 1-Hermitage of San Miguel | 0:00h | 992m | 0Km | 30T 690302 4688731 |
| 2-Viewpoint of the Vultures | 0:30h | 1035m | 1.8Km | 30T 688919 4689644 |
| 3-Hermitage and Castle of Marcuello | 1:00h | 1000m | 4Km | 30T 690208 4688421 |
| 4-Hermitage of San Miguel | 1:05h | 992m | 4.4Km | 30T 690302 4688731 |
Coordinates UTM Datum WGS84
Slope: 214m
Slope +: 107m
Slope -: 107m
Maximum altitude: 1040m
Minimum altitude: 990m
This sketch of the route is not made to scale nor does it contain all the information relating to the area, it is merely indicative.
This schematic with the path is approximate and has been created from the derived cartographic base © Instituto Geográfico Nacional "Cuadrante 209-3 y 247-1 1:25.000"
Senditur has manipulated the tracks to correct the aberrant points that may exist, caused by problems with the reception of the GPS signal. In any case the tracks are always approximate. SENDITUR encourages you to use the new technologies within your reach, using them as support and consultation in your activity, not basing the realization and orientation of the same only and exclusively on them, since they may see their functioning altered by very diverse causes, not functioning correctly and their indications may not be precise.
¿Did you know that...
Around the eleventh century, more specifically during the period of the reign of Peter I of Aragon, according to some documents, he gave his second wife Berta a small territory that included Marcuello, Riglos, Ayerbe, among other areas and towns in Huesca, a territory that is still known today as the Kingdom of the Mallos and which is believed to have been a small kingdom more or less autonomous, within the Kingdom of Aragon.
Don't miss out...
The Interpretation Centre Arcaz that you will find in the town of Riglos, in it, among its many attractions, we can observe live images of the birds' nests thanks to video cameras located in them, as well as from its viewpoint see the imposing walls where they are located.
From the commitment of SENDITUR with Nature and the respect to the balance of the environment, SENDITUR urges you to travel in a responsible way, with low environmental impact and respecting at all times the Natural, Cultural and Social environment wherever you go.
Besides sharing with all of us your experience on the route we would be grateful if you could write to us to inform us of any erroneous or outdated information you may have found, or simply to let us know what you think at Thank you.
This route has been carried out in the field by SENDITUR on 08-08-2018. The route may vary greatly depending on the time of year, weather conditions and terrain, as well as the actions of third parties and the evolution suffered in the natural environment where it is located. All opinions, advice and/or assessments made by SENDITUR in their descriptions are for guidance only and are subject to and/or refer to the specific conditions of the specific day of the route, referring to that specific day, taken from trained people, with the appropriate experience and with a high level of physical and technical preparation as a reference, as well as correctly equipped.
All the times are approximate and take an orientative character, the stops have not been taken into account, no matter how small they are. All the information related to the route, texts, images, videos, maps, diagrams, tracks, towns, and places of tourist interest are published as a guide, and may not coincide with the current state of each place. Before undertaking any activity, assess your technical knowledge, your physical condition, find out about the weather and the variations that the route may undergo, equip yourself correctly, be prudent and responsible at all times, and do not exceed your capabilities. SENDITUR is not responsible for any misuse or inappropriate use of the comprehensive guides of its routes and/or publications as well as its electronic guides, nor for any variations in their descriptions for the aforementioned reasons, and recommends that everyone be responsible and prudent in carrying out the activity. We also encourage you to read books and specialised guides to complement the information described above.
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