The Sierra de Guara is where the Pyrenean foothills turn to stone. Limestone ridges, deep canyons and rocky crags form a country that is famous among canyoners, and the Vero river runs through the middle in a gorge of pale, polished rock. Alquézar, a village of only about 300 people, perches on a rocky spur over the river, with a collegiate church and a castle on top, and its narrow lanes are among the most photographed in Aragon. It was once a Moorish stronghold, and in the eleventh century it fell to the Christian king Sancho Ramírez, an event that marks the early Reconquista in this region.
The shelters of the Vero and Mascún valleys hold rock art, which surprises people so far from the Mediterranean coast. The Mascún gorge, with its huge rock walls, hides small overhangs where red paintings have survived, listed by UNESCO in 1998 together with the rest of the Mediterranean Basin rock art. As always, the sites are fragile, many are closed, and access is by arrangement. The Alquézar tourist office is a good place to ask.
Riding here is very good indeed. Roads from Barbastro wind into the hills with tight bends, some sharp climbs and long views of the Pyrenees to the north, and the surface is generally good, though the narrower roads have patches. The area is popular with walkers, climbers and canyoners in summer, and the road to Alquézar can be busy at weekends. Winters are cold, with snow on the higher parts, and summers can be very hot. Spring, with green slopes and flowers, and autumn are best.
Barbastro, about 21 km from here, is the nearest town of any size, with about 17,000 people, fuel stations, shops and hotels, and it is also the centre of the Somontano wine region, where local reds and whites have won a name. Alquézar has several restaurants, and local dishes include ternasco, roast lamb, and migas, and the olive oil from the area is excellent. Book ahead in high season, and be ready for crowds in the village at midday.