Walking to Monasterio Leyre

[Sparrow in Texas]

For those who have walked up the mountain to the Monasterio Leyre.... I have walked up to the monastery via the highway. I see that there is an alternate path that starts just slightly east of the highway and zig zags a bit. Is there a preferred path? What differences are there, besides the paved highway of course?

 

[naplesdon]

The road.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I only know of two ways, from the west up the Sendero de San Virila (MA-2113) from the west end of th3 pueblo, or from the SE where a road leads up from the NA-2420 just west of the border between Navarre & Aragon.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

When I did the Aragones in 2018 I was walking with a group of friends. At Artieda we opted to hire a van to Leyre which took us along the north side of the embalse. We left Leyre the next day via the road down to Javier.

Enjoy your visit!

 

[Vacajoe]

There are actually three ways up the hill to Leyre Monastery: the main highway, a dirt road that switches back and forth going up from Yesa, and an abandoned road further East that dead ends into the closed highway section by the embalse. All three work, but I chose the latter two to avoid traffic.

 

[AlanSykes]

I think I must have gone up the one @Vacajoe describes. The reservoir was at its lowest for 50 years, so I was almost walking along the old path by the río Aragón, past farmsteads usually covered in water.



And then on an old path near the Urbanización Náutica de Leyre, up to the monastery. Quite sharply up - around 200m up in 1.5km, but through lovely lovely woods, with occasional views of the monastery higher up in its solitary splendour.



By good luck, nearing the top as I was flagging slightly and thinking I was rather hungry, I met Fray Javier de Laguna out for a postprandial stroll. He was the brother hospitalero and soon had me being given an excellent lunch in the monks' refectory before showing me to the comfortable pilgrim quarters.

I loved Leyre: surrounded by woods, Gregorian chant with vespers and lauds, the rule of St Benedict read as we ate our silent dinner, a full moon over the reservoir and views back to the peak above San Juan de la Peña.

The next day was good too, through the Foz de Lumbier and on to Sangüesa.

 

[Vacajoe]

AlanSykes: Loving description of a wonderful experience that truly highlights the magic of the less-traveled Aragon Way!

just a note to future pilgrims: in 2019, staying at the monastery was only allowed for men. The site also hosts a parador in which anyone can stay.