Stage 2 - Jaca - Arrés

CAMINO ARAGONÉS

STAGE 2

JACA - ARRÉS Km: 25.7

The Camino leaves Jaca through the valley of the river Aragón, and almost all the stage runs parallel to the N-240 road. There are several towns that are worth visiting, including the bridge known as Puente la Reina de Jaca, a name coined in order to differentiate it from the milestone and end of the stage by the same name that we will meet with later in the territory of Navarra.

Quite the most famous landmark of this stage is the monastery of San Juan de la Peña,the royal symbol of the Kingdom of Aragon and mythical custodian of the Holy Grail according to the medieval legends. The beautiful monastery with its imposing position under the shadow of a mountain, whose rocks serve as dome or cover to its cloister, is more than deserving of  a visit.

Ciudadela de Jaca (Castillo de San Pedro), Commons Wikipedia, autor: ERGOGAR

Km 1.0 Jaca

The Camino leaves the town of Jaca, passing through the new suburbs that surround its historical centre, and then running alongside the Hermitage of Victory and the cemetery. It then follows a dirt road which, parallel with the N-240, takes us to a bridge over the Gas River, which we cross.
Detour to San Juan de la Peña.

From this point we recommend taking a very brief detour( which is well signposted) towards the monastery of San Juan de la Peña. The pilgrim should begin his ascent and will discover two mountains. By the first one the most modern architecture of the monastery is displayed, while a little further on stands the impressive old monastery hewed in the rock of the mountain.

More information of Juan de la Peña Monastery. Click here

From San Juan de la Peña the Way continues on to Santa Cruz de la Serós. Again, it runs parallel to the N-240, which it crosses on more than one occasion. On both sides of the Camino there are large areas of trees and also an old abandoned military camp and the well-known tower of the Moor..

 12.2 Hotel Aragón

The Way passes next to the Hotel Aragón, after which it crosses a tributary of the river of the same name, Aragon,  at which point it ends and meets up with the path that arrives from the detour to San Juan de la Peña.

Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña, Commons Wikepedia, autor: Ziegler175

Km 15.6 Santa Cilia de Jaca

The Camino now enters the heart of Santa Cilia de Jaca. The pilgrim can follow the signs or opt for the original route of the Camino that crossed his Main Street. Leave the centre through a recreational park, El Salazar, then continue along a dirt road in the direction of the N-240, along which runs along a narrow path towards the area known as the Pyrenees Holiday Center.

Km 19.5 Pyrenees Holiday Center

El Camino runs beside this holiday centre, consisting of a hotel and several adjacent buildings : a camp site, bungalows and a restaurant. In this centre there is also a shop where the pilgrim can find groceries.
We then continue parallel to the road N-240, now downhill and  alongside  the Aragon River.

Km 21.7 Puente la Reina (from Jaca)

We reach Puente la Reina after crossing the river Aragón, it is a town worth visiting for its history but also for its many services that make it an appropriate spot to end the stage or, alternatively, as a good place where replenish our forces.
The way out of the centre heads towards  Huesca, on which the detour to Arrés is immediately signposted. The road runs uphill along a path, until reaching the town that we have marked as the end of the stage.

Km 25.7 Arrés

To the old centre lives thanks to the Camino and this has revitalized the town so that it and the surrounding villages have been restored to their original beauty, to say nothing of their historical importance.

Catedral de San Pedro de Jaca (capitel del rey David con músicos), Commons Wikipedia, autor: Ecelan

 

WHAT TO VISIT? Santa Cilia de Jaca The centre of Santa Cilia presents a historical setting of great ethnographic value. Among the religious edifices stands out the baroque architecture of the church of Santa Cecilia, dating from the XVII-XVIII centuries, in which a beautiful Mannerist altarpiece of the XVI century is conserved. Among the civic architecture stands the Priory known as San Juan de la Peña, a palace that still retains much of its original sixteenth century architecture. Arres End of the stage of the Camino with good infrastructures for the pilgrim. Again it is a village that has managed to preserve and restore its traditional farmhouse. Highlights are the remains of the old castle or fortress of Arrés, late fifteenth-century architecture that preserves a tower once used for defensive purposes. Among its religious architecture stands out the church of Our Lady of the Conception, built in the sixteenth century, as well as the Baroque chapel of Santa Águeda.

Our links Jaca Tourist Office Plaza de San Pedro nº 11-13 (a few meters from the Cathedral) JACA Tel .: 974 360 098 | Fax: 974 355 165 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Http://www.jaca.es/oficina.html Albergues / Hostels Hostel of Santa Cilia de Jaca Calle del Sol, 8. Tel.: 646 880 279/649 768 676/974 37 71 68 (City Hall). Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Web: www.santacilia.es Arres Peregrinos Hospital El Portillo, Arrés. Ayuntamiento de Bailo. Tel.: 974 34 86 43 (Bar). Ayuntamiento de Bailo - Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago General information hostels Http://www.alberguescaminosantiago.com/