Aragüés is a typical western Pyrenean village with a strong shepherding tradition which has left its mark on the popular architecture. The village centre is dominated by large houses (“casas fuertes”) with attached barns, mostly dating from the 16th century, one of the golden ages in the Pyrenees. Aragüés del Puerto rises on a hill overlooking the valley of the Osia river - a typical Pyrenean placement.

Located at 970 metres above sea level and thus above the limits viable for crop cultivation, it has been associated for centuries with livestock management, as its name implies (“puerto” means summer pastures). It has strong links with the high plains of Lizara, at the foot of Bisaurín peak (2,669 metres), a place of magical significance with a stone circle, a possible burial mound and a dolmen which align in an east-west direction with the so-called cow’s stone (salt).

Of note are the “bordas” or small stables scattered to the north of the village and throughout the valley. Its folklore is also directly related to its shepherding tradition and is mainly expressed through a traditional stick dance called a “Palotiau” performed by eight dancers led by a head shepherd and young boy. It is an elaborate dance with more than twenty variations, carried out with sticks of hazel wood or iron bars from a roasting spit and accompanied by music from a three-hole pipe called “chiflo”, a violin and a psaltery. Aragüés’s ambitions as a tourist destination go back to the 1970s when a large hotel was built. It still has the capacity to accommodate an unusual amount of people for a village of just over 150 inhabitants.

Ornithology and Micology
Griffon vultures, lammergeiers, kites, imperial eagles, black woodpeckers and wall-creepers make this an unique location for bird-watchers. This valley has been declared a ZEPA (Area of Special Protection for Birds). The damp, shady conditions within the lush pine and beech forests are also ideal for a great variety of wild mushrooms.

Ice climbing
In winter, Lizara offers ice climbing as a complementary activity to cross-country skiing. Climbing routes are on the frozen waterfalls (some of these equipped) that spill over the impressive rocky cliffs that surround the plains. It is also possible to do ski touring along a number of routes in the valley, including the south face of Bisaurin, el Bazo and el Foraton mountains.

Text taken from the Jacetania Area Signposting Plan. 2001-2006