Juniper RoutesThe juniper tree is a symbol of Monegros. This tree is a species as old as the dinosaurs, coming from the Mesozoic Era, i.e. about 195 million years ago. This tree is very resistant to drought and frost making it suitable for this hard and extreme landscape. Monegros is the only place where this species grows between 200 and 400 meters.
We propose two possible routes near Villanueva de Sigena to admire all the varieties of juniper found in Los Monegros. 1. Pallaruelo de Monegros We begin in the village of Pallaruelo de Monegros, at the “Puerto de La Portellada” which hosts some of the best preserved juniper. In the Val de Gallen and the Val de Ferriz we can see solitary specimens of great size and age. 2. Farlete- Monegrillo- La Almolda- Castejón de Monegros- Pallaruelo de Monegros- Sabina de Cascarosa This route starts at the church which has received its name from the juniper: Virgen de la Sabina (Virgin of the Juniper), in Farlete. From this chapel we continue our journey towards Monegrillo, across a flat landscape with many isolated junipers. Once there, we take the road towards La Almolda. The tour continues to Castejón de Monegros and later to Pallaruelo Monegros, where junipers are so abundant that they form small clumps. Finally, after passing Lanaja we detour down a track to the right and we arrive at La Sabina de Cascarosa (The Juniper of Cascarosa) (25 kilometers from the road). |
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