Ascent to the Paco fountain, Trail route through Villanúa (Huesca)

I present to you the 2nd part of the trail route through Villanúa (Huesca), it is about the ascent to the paco fountain. A very comfortable and pleasant route to do with the family and at any time of the year.
We leave from the interpretation center of Las Güixas and go up towards the road that leads to the hostel. We continue to the end of the road and before crossing the bridge that leads to the forest track that goes up to the trapa refuge, we take a well-marked and signposted path to the right.

The ascent to the Paco fountain is one of the best-known Trail routes in Villanúa

The first part has a lot of unevenness and stony but not very difficult terrain, so it will be viable for all audiences. Although it will cost you a little. ;P
Throughout the tour, you walk through a beautiful environment, surrounded by very leafy pine trees. It is a quiet area where the walk is very pleasant and where we will begin to enjoy the mountainous landscape.

The Fuente de Paco area is a mandatory stop on our trail route

In about 3 kilometers you reach the recreational area of La Fuente de Paco. In it there is a picnic area where there are always walkers resting from the journey. Here we find the aforementioned paco fountain (1,250m). The name 'del Paco' comes from its situation since “el Paco” is what the shady slopes where the sun barely shines is called. How many of you were unaware of this information?

I love drinking from this fountain, I always stop at it and recharge my flasks ;p
In summer it gives a lot of pleasure due to the mountain flavor it has and a freshness like no other. Remember the importance of hydration at any time. It is my point of life of this trail route through Villanúa. The "famous" fountain of Paco.

In summer especially, it is a place where it is very cool and you want to stay to rest and listen carefully to the noises of some other animal (Calm down... none of them are dangerous) and relax with the sound of the wind and its leaves swaying... movie!

Always check the weather forecast

The shelter is also here, which can be a good place to stop if you catch a storm. I remind you that in the mountains the weather can be a factor that often varies. I advise you to look at the weather forecast before leaving home.

From here, you could return to the same site that we have uploaded. It's a simple walk and enjoy hehehe
Or if we want we can continue along the track that ascends to the bridge that crosses the Bozuelo ravine. From this bridge there is a track that goes up to the Espata refuge along a rather steep and playful path.
We can cross the bridge and go down the forest track to Villanúa. In this descent the path opens up more and you can contemplate more landscapes such as the Bacunes, Collarada... Simply a WOWWWWWW!

It is a very wide and simple track. Through it, we will find the Letranz dolmen (1150m). It is well marked and can be seen easily. Do not forget to bring your mobiles to the top of the battery. Both for safety and to be able to take photos of everything that surrounds you.

It is essential to stop at the Mirador de las Espeñetas

We continue descending the track and each time we will see the town closer. We will also pass by the Mirador de las Espeñetas (1065m) from where we can contemplate great views of the Lecherines and Las Blancas on our right. To me it is a landscape that has me in love.

We continue along the track and arrive at the bridge where we started where we find another picnic area where we can rest from this trail route through Electrician and from which we are already descending from the Paco fountain.

This route is a very pleasant and quiet walk that can be done both running and walking with the family in a relaxed way. The area is pleasant, you don't climb high peaks and you can do it both in winter and in summer.

They are about 9km with 350m of positive elevation gain so we can take our children to our parents and simply enjoy this spot in the Huesca mountain and this climb to the Paco fountain.

And as always, it is advisable to notify someone of the route that we are going to follow, bring enough water and food For the entire journey, check the weather that we are going to have and be cautious and well equipped. I know, it's a bit repetitive, but safety is paramount when we're in the mountains.

Virginia Perez Mesonero, is the RFEA 2019 Trail racing champion and ambassador of the sports presotherapy Sizen