Pyrenees Fly Fishing
Lodging Locations and Options
While there are several different lodging options when fishing with Fly Fishing Pyrenees, the two main (and our favorite) options include the boutique Hotel Vinas de Larrede in the Pyrenees and the Palacio del Obispo hotel in the town of Graus. When fishing the high mountain waters, Vinas de Larrede is the ideal location, where Graus and the Palacio provide the easiest base of operations for the low river areas. One thing to note is that a week-long itinerary can include a stay at both hotels, as fishing can be split between the high mountain areas and the lower foothill areas.
Hotel Vinas de Larrede
Located in Sabinanigo in the Tena Valley, this is the ideal hotel location for fishing the high Pyrenees. This high-end, 17-room boutique hotel is basically a small mountain lodge and, in fact, serves as a ski lodge in the winter for outdoor enthusiasts looking to access nearby Formigal-Panticosa Ski Resort (15 miles from the hotel) and Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (40 minutes form the hotel). Each of the 17 rooms features private bathrooms, a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, comfortable beds, and ample space. Some rooms have large seating areas and amazing views of the mountains or pool area. There is a 24-hour front desk, a main bar and lounge, concierge service, a full-service restaurant, swimming pool and deck area, a second-floor outdoor terrace, gardens, sauna, steam room, and a complete on-site spa facility. The hotel is very popular with couples, rating 9.5+ in customer reviews. Housekeeping is provided daily. The hotel also has a three-bedroom private villa adjacent to the main building – the ideal accommodations for small groups or families.
Palacio del Obispo
The Palacio del Obispo Hotel is a beautiful and historic hotel located in the ancient center of the town of Graus (Huesca) in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The hotel was a former bishop’s residence, built in the 17th century. The Palacio maintains its original façade, with guest rooms featuring exposed stone walls and designs that honor the history of the building. When staying at the Palacio, anglers will be picked up each morning by the guides and transported to the nearby rivers of the low country. Being situated in the middle of Graus, guests can explore the old town in the evenings – enjoying dinner at the hotel’s El Criticón Restaurant or eating out in any number of Graus’ restaurants. All rooms at the Palacio feature air conditioning, comfortable beds, flat-screen TVs, a mini-bar, and free Wi-Fi.
Food and Beverages
Aragonese cuisine, like much of Spanish cuisine, has inherited its flavor from the different cultures that once resided there. There are several dining and food options with Spain packages, and many meals will be taken at local restaurants throughout the course of a trip. Both hotels that are part of these packages have in-house restaurants, including the dining room at Hotel Vinas de Larrede and the El Criticón at the Palacio del Obispo Hotel. The El Criticón restaurant comes from the best-known work of the famous Spanish Golden Age writer Baltasar Gracián. There is a breakfast buffet each morning and a traditional Spanish menu for dinner. The in-house restaurant at Vinas de Larrede is beautiful, with huge windows overlooking the valley. There is a fantastic breakfast buffet each morning and an expansive dinner menu in the evenings. In all restaurants, there is, of course, a great selection of Spanish wines.
For each fishing day, lunch is usually taken in small towns in the mountains, or it is packed in if you are fishing a remote, high-mountain creek. As with Spanish custom, all meals are usually served in multiple courses, which means that after a huge lunch and a good bottle of Spanish red wine, you’re usually ready for an afternoon nap! The guides have a few of their favorite lunch restaurants near each river. One day you might be enjoying a huge dish of Spanish paella in a local café, and the next sitting outside in a garden, enjoying a four-course meal as you look over a small alpine town with a 1200-year-old church in the center. The food throughout Spain is incredible, and long social meals – often in spectacular settings – are one of the trip’s highlights. No matter where you are, the food in Spain is simply amazing.
Typical Length of Stay
Anglers can arrive and depart on any day of the week based on itinerary details, and trips of any length can be arranged. Whether you’re interested in a dedicated, week-long fishing package, or simply looking to add a few days to a longer non-angling trip to Spain, any itinerary can be accommodated.
Non-Angling Activities and Options
Most of the fishing with this program takes place in Aragon, an autonomous community that is about as far off the beaten track as you can hope to find in Spain. Situated in the northeast of Spain on the border with France to the north and Catalonia to the east, Aragon is hardly touched by tourism. Surrounded by mountains with the Pyrenees in the north and the mountainous Sistema Iberico area to the south, Aragon is home to some of the finest Mudejar architecture in the world. Most of the high mountain waters are in Aragon, with some of the lower tailwater rivers found in the Catalonian region to the east.
Non-angling activities in this area are limitless and include hiking and trekking in the mountains, visits to medieval towns and villages, touring ancient monasteries and castles, Somontano wine excursions and wine tasting, museum visits, and of course, the culinary experiences that Aragon has to offer. The small streets and age-old architecture found in the remote mountain towns and villages also make these trips ideal for photographers. Daily tours for non-anglers can easily be arranged for couples or groups that are looking to combine daily fishing options for anglers with great sightseeing and tours for non-anglers.
Aragon was once a powerful kingdom with territories stretching far and wide across the Mediterranean and was later conquered by the Muslims. After the victory of the Spaniards over the Muslims during the Reconquest, this area remained tolerant to the Muslims, leading to a legacy of architecture in the beautiful Mudejar style. A rich and long history, architectural magnificence, and a deep-rooted culture make Aragon an interesting and unique tourist experience. What really makes the region so alluring, however, is its natural and diverse beauty.
The Pyrenees dominate the Huesca region of Aragon. The Ordesa National Park contains scenery that is arguably probably the best Pyrenean scenery on the Spanish side of the mountain range. Huesca city was the capital of the province and has a pleasant historic center. The capital is now Graus which has a fine main square and some imposing mansions. Visit Jaca for its 16th-century citadel and its cathedral, Barbastro and Montanana for their architecture, and Fantova and Pararrua for their medieval centers. The Route of Santiago de Compostela is an extensive interconnected network of pilgrimage routes in Spain – many of which wind their way through Aragon and the region where most fishing takes place. One stop is the amazing San Juan de la Pena Monastery, built from under a bulging rock and a church that at one time was reputed to have housed the Holy Grail.
Internet / Communications
Cell coverage throughout most areas of Spain is great, and all hotels, guesthouses, and most restaurants offer dependable, high-speed Wi-Fi.
