We spent four nights in the Parador of Bielsa and it was unforgettable – a time to be treasured.
The mountains
The Parador is situated at the head of the Pineta Valley, in a circle in the mountains, gouged out by glaciers – the Circo de Pineta. The Cinca River rises here, in Lake Marbore and then via a series of waterfalls down the rock face. It must be spectacular in the spring, when the snow starts melting. The lake is at 2,500 metres (c.8,000 feet). After the Pineta Valley, and before Ainsa, there are several swimming places in the river, although the water must be very cold!1
It is possible to hike up from the car park, near the Parador, to the lake, but it is obviously a very difficult ascent, and descent. I am quite sure we could never have done it, even when we were young and fit.
Walking along River Cinca
The husband set off to climb a hillside, but my back was troubling me and I wanted something more cautious. So I set off alone down the road from the Parador, and walked back through the trees next to the River Cinca, on the GR11[efn_ote]https://travesiapirenaica.com/en-uk/gr11/pineta-parzan.php[/efn_note]. This was a very modest section of a major route through the Pyrenees, and it was FLAT. It was good to just have the small sound of the river.
There wasn’t a lot of water in the river, but its path is wide and in the spring one can easily imagine rushing water.
The Parador
The Parador stands at the end of the valley and it allowed us quiet days in which we were thoroughly spoiled. It was built in 1968, but the wing in which we were staying is only two years old.
The Parador was very comfortable and dinner at night was very good! I had slow-cooked beef cheeks in red wine one night and am definitely going to try the recipe when I get home In fact we may have to have it for Christmas. Dinner is late, 20.15 onwards, and we sat in the lounge each evening with a glass of something suitable, looking at the view, or just enjoying the quiet and catching up with posts, or even reading! I had finished reading about the extraordinary Ada Salter, and now embarked on another weighty volume about the extraordinary Octavia Hill.
The days in the Parador in Bielsa were quite wonderful, and I felt thoroughly spoiled.
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