A walk along the banks of the Gállego, from Santa Isabel to San Juan de Mozarrifar
With the river as its axis and walking between groves and orchard areas, the circular walk along the banks of the Gállego in the vicinity of the capital Zaragoza is an outdoor leisure alternative without hardly leaving the city.
The following route is inspired by one of those included in the Zaragozanda program of the Zaragoza City Council, which brings together a set of alternatives for walking and excursions in the natural environment of the Aragonese capital.
The proposal consists of a peri-urban circular route of about 10 kilometers, from the neighborhood of Santa Isabel to San Juan de Mozarrifar and back on the other bank of the Gállego. It is a simple route, which can be done with the family and whose duration Approximate without stops is two hours.
Leaving from Río Gállego de Santa Isabel street, next to the Ríos de Aragón park, where there is a place to leave the car, the walk begins following the course of the water towards San Juan de Mozarrifar, crossing the river to go along the bank left. Parallel to the riverbed, the road, which in some sections is a forest track and in others is a path, leads under the highway bridges and large roads that cross over to exit and enter the city.
Wikiloc / A. BarberanLittle by little, the route moves away from the urban environment to enter the riverbank forests of the Gállego corridor, with poplars and other typical species of the riverbanks. Later on, after passing under the North roundabout, the landscape changes as it is an area of cultivated orchards. As you progress, several sports complexes and parks appear. The rest area of San Juan de Mozarrifar stands out, a large green space with a children's play area, benches, exercise equipment for the elderly and picnic areas. It also has a drinking water source, which invites you to stop and regain strength.
Five kilometers from the start and leaving behind the aforementioned park and the San Juan de Mozarrifar soccer field, is the San Juan footbridge, a recent construction of wood and metal that allows you to cross to the other shore of the river, to start the return to Santa Isabel.
Also known as the Los Estrechos footbridge, the bridge has existed since 2009 and its construction was part of the environmental restoration plan for the banks of the Gállego river.
A detour to the Urdán dam
At this point, once you have crossed the bridge, there are signs to extend the route to the Urdán dam, 3.2 kilometers away (about 40 minutes from going on foot). In this case, instead of taking the turn along the river bank to the right, follow the signs to the left, towards Villanueva de Gállego.
The Urdán weir is located in this municipal term, a construction where the ditch of the same name is born, which already existed in the 12th century and which is currently fundamental in the irrigation system of the lower Gállego.
HeraldoFrom there you can see in the distance the old monastery of the Cartuja de Aula Dei, from the 16th century. Belonging to the Carthusian order, since 2011 it has housed the Christian community on Chemin Neuf. The enclosure can be visited on Saturdays, at 12 in the morning, only by booking the guided pass, and can be reached both by car and by urban bus.
After this parenthesis, the way back to Santa Isabel follows the right bank of the river, heading south. After advancing one kilometer from the San Juan footbridge, the Torre del Ajo park appears, next to the building that gives it its name. It is a natural green area, with trees and rest furniture, as well as children's games, perfect for stopping and resting before continuing.
The way back is done practically in the entire section by a wide track, although as the route approaches Santa Isabel, it becomes asphalt in an access to the Ronda Norte. In any case, it is a short section, about 600 meters, and next to the security walls of the road there is a small path that you can walk on safely.
Just when the asphalt ends, a path emerges to the right, to be able to continue with the route again through the riverside forest, now from the other bank of the Gállego almost to the end.
The alternative Zaragozanda route
Another alternative to explore this same environment is the one proposed by the Zaragoza City Council in its program of routes. This option is especially interesting for those who do not have a vehicle, since it suggests departure and arrival points connected by public transport.
Specifically, the starting point of the R-16 from Zaragozanda is on Avenida de la Academia General Militar, at the last tram stop. From there, the route begins going down this road and, before reaching the motorway bridge, turn left and take the path of Los Molinos, also to the left.
A few meters away, the path to Corbera Alta appears on the right, along which it continues to move away from the urban environment and enter the area of orchards. Without leaving this track, half an hour later, a tunnel will allow the walker to overcome the first train tracks that appear on the way.
They will not be the only ones, since further on the route comes to the tracks of La Montañanesa. From this point, it is a further kilometer and a half of path between orchards to reach the well-deserved shade of the riverside forest.
From here, the route, already in the Gállego corridor, coincides with the first proposal, going through the rest area and the San Juan de Mozarrifar soccer field to cross to the other shore via the footbridge The Straits.
In this case, the end of the route is on Avenida de Cataluña, where you can take several urban bus lines. In total, this route option has a distance of just over 13 kilometers, whose non-stop time has been calculated at two hours and 45 minutes.
Any of the two proposals can be done on foot, running or by bicycle, given the width of the paths, the firm, in good condition and the slight unevenness of the terrain.
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