The Añisclo canyon is one of the deepest and narrowest in the Spanish Pyrenees, a cleft in the limestone of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, and the road that runs through its lower section is one of the most remarkable in Aragon. At its southern end, beside an old stone bridge over the Bellós river, stands the hermitage of San Úrbez, built half into the cliff, with a cave behind it where tradition says the saint lived as a hermit. Close by, rock shelters hold traces of prehistoric painting.
The road through the canyon is narrow, carved into the rock, with overhangs, tunnels and sheer drops, and part of it has long been one way, heading south. Traffic restrictions and closures happen in high summer and after rockfall, so check before you go. Ride slowly: the views up to the canyon walls and down to the turquoise water are reason enough, and there are cyclists, walkers and cars coming round blind corners. Rockfall after rain is real.
The whole area is part of the Pyrenees–Mont Perdu World Heritage Site, shared with France. Monte Perdido, at about 3,350 metres, is the highest limestone massif in Western Europe, and its glaciers and canyons drain south into Spain. Bearded vultures, griffons and chamois are commonly seen, and the beech and pine forests are cool even on hot days.
Around the canyon, the riding is magnificent. The road from Aínsa up the Cinca valley to Bielsa and the tunnel to France, the climb to Fanlo, and the road from Broto into the Ordesa valley are all twisting mountain roads with stunning scenery. The Broto valley is the main gateway to Ordesa, where private vehicles are restricted in summer and shuttle buses take over.
Fuel is the thing to plan. Boltaña and Aínsa, south on the Cinca, have filling stations, as does Broto, and Bielsa toward the French border. Sabiñánigo, thirty five kilometres away, is the nearest town of ten thousand. Aínsa's medieval walled hilltop town, with its arcaded plaza, is one of the loveliest places to eat and sleep in the Pyrenees. Bring water and snacks into the canyon, as there is nothing there.