The days in Jaca had been most enjoyable, and informative, but sadly it was time to move on again, so we set out to drive from Jaca to Sos del Rey Catholico. It was a very misty start to the day, with the clouds low over the town. And it was 8C!
The bridge of San Miguel
But before we finally left Jaca, we drove out of the town, and down the hill, to visit a bridge. The Bridge of San Miguel may be late 15th century, but there may have been an earlier bridge on the site. It was apparently the main route for getting from Jaca to the western Aragonese valleys, and it was also one of the secondary routes of the Camino.
Jaca to Leyre
Then we set off down the valley on the N240 rather than the motorway. It was quite quiet, but very grey and misty. It was also flat which meant that it was impossible to take interesting photographs. I was puzzled by signs speaking of the ‘Berdun Canal'[en_note]https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_de_Berdún_(geografía)[/efn_note] because I couldn’t see a canal; however, it is the geological depression between Jaca and the Reservoir of Yesa – not a canal. Cereal crops predominate in this area – winter wheat, barley and fodder crops, and livestock farming.
We had hoped to visit the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena[ern_note]https://www.monasteriosanjuan.com/en/[/efn_note] but sadly it was closed due to forest fires in the area.
The Mediaeval village of Asso Veral is built around a hill which is crowned by the Romanesque Church of the Assumption of our Lady. The village looked rather odd, looming up at the end of the road, and apparently it is almost deserted.
Finally we found a stopping place on the side of the road and I could take a more considered photograph. The sun was starting to break through, and the temperature had reached the teens…!
Reservoir of Yesa
The reservoir is apparently known as ‘The Sea of the Pyrenees’ – well, not this time! It normally supplies the Bardenas Canal, and towns in the area, as well as generating electricity. However, in October 2026 it is at 13% of its total capacity… Overlooking the reservoir is the ghost town of Esco, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
The Monastery of Leyre
We had visited the Monastery of Leyre before, when I had expressed a wish to hear singing in the church, and this time I was rewarded. The monks were singing, in plainchant, one of the daily services. It was very special. This is a Benedictine monastery and today there are only twenty monks living there, although one of them was not in a habit – a visitor? or a new entry?
The original establishment dates from the 9th century, but the church was rebuilt in the 11th and 14th centuries. The monastery has a long and changing history and eventually closed during the Mendizabal expropriations, only reopening in the 1950s. The crypt is etraordinary – the structure holding up the apse above. And at the end of a closed corridor is a statue of St Virila, an early Abbot of the monastery. Sadly, I didn’t know anything about the saint when we visited, and so, although we noticed a signpost to a fountain, we did not visit it. We are getting slack.
Leyre to Sos
It is just a short drive from the monastery to the Parador of Sos del Rey Catolico which we had visited before and where we were anticipating a relaxing few days.
It was a good day, with interesting sights, and as a bonus it ended in sunshine, albeit chilly.
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