Trail 1: Naval
Here are two trails that will let you observe two different habitats. The mountainous area of pine forest overlooking the Mediano Reservoir, and the valley area next to the town of Naval, where the riparian forest, the agriculture on its terraces and the holm oak forest on small reliefs intermingle.
• Mountain-Pine Forest Trail
The trail crosses a landscape dominated by Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), which has benefited from the reforestation of the 1970s, together with natural species that has begun to colonise the environment such as the holm oak (lower slope) and oak (Quercus faginea) at the upper slope, as well as an understory consisting of juniper, Spanish juniper, terebinth, rosemary and thorny broom (Mediterranean species). At the highest part, the track runs along the foot of the rocky crags called "Faltraco" and "Peña Robles", with peaks between 820 and 870 metres high. While there, from the different natural lookout points that you have in your path, you can observe many cliff-nesting bird species such as the griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, peregrine falcon, and in the crags at the beginning of the path, Bonelli's eagle. What’s more, it is also possible to do short trips on foot on this stretch, in order to go down to the existing ravine between the patch and where it is cut off. The high point of this trail is found at the foot of Peña Robles.
The entire route runs across conglomerates, sandstone, siltstone and clay, with the exception of a rocky area at the highest part made up of hanging terraces of gravel and sand.
This route can be done either by car or on foot, as it is a track that joins the A-2210 road (Naval-Avizanda) with the A-138 national road at the highest part (before arriving at the turn-off to Mipanas).
• Mountain-Holm Oak Forest Trail
2.8 km long circular route to be done on foot, which passes through several intermingled habitats. Of particular note are the linear riparian forest of La Llastra ravine, fields of grain, almond and olive groves, with small masses of ruderal vegetation on the margins. The entire trail borders a small rocky relief, covered mainly with a forest vegetation of Aleppo pine and holm oak, as well as an understory consisting of common hawthorn, rosemary, thyme, etc. The entire trail runs across a geology consisting of clay, sandstone and siltstone on layers of gypsum and limestone.
Naval is a town in the province of Huesca, belonging to the region of Somontano de Barbastro. It has a total floor area of 47.44 km², and an average altitude of 637 m, at the level of the town square. The maximum altitude of the municipality is 1003 m, while the minimum is 440 m.
Naval is found in the north-east of the region of Somontano de Barbastro, bordering Sobrarbe. In times past, Naval belonged to Sobrarbe, and even half of it to each side!
Naval, due to its geographical location at the foot of Sierra de Arbe, was, until 1989—the year when a new stretch of the A-138 road was built—, the natural means of communication between Somontano and Sobrarbe, as well as France, through the mountain pass of Alto del Pino.
RELEVANT BIRD SPECIES
Mountain-Pine Forest Trail
- Permanent residents: griffon vulture, golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle, common buzzard, Eurasian sparrowhawk, northern goshawk, common kestrel, peregrine falcon, Eurasian crag martin, long-tailed tit, etc.
- Summer residents: Egyptian vulture, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, black kite, European bee-eater, common swift, Alpine swift, red-rumped swallow, western Bonelli's warbler, spotted flycatcher, woodchat shrike, etc.
- Wintering species: song thrush, fieldfare, redwing (rare), Eurasian blackcap, common chiffchaff, common starling, rock bunting, red crossbill
- Migratory stopover: harriers, European honey buzzard, common crane, swallows, common redstart, European pied flycatcher, common whitethroat, willow warbler, etc.
Mountain-Holm Oak Forest Trail
- Permanent residents: red kite, griffon vulture, Eurasian sparrowhawk, common buzzard, common kestrel, little owl, long-eared owl, European green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian crag martin, white wagtail, Eurasian wren, black redstart, blue rock thrush, Eurasian jay, etc.
- Summer residents: black kite, Egyptian vulture, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, common cuckoo, European nightjar, red-necked nightjar, common swift, European bee-eater, barn swallow, red-rumped swallow, common house martin, Eurasian golden oriole, woodchat shrike, etc.
- Wintering species: northern goshawk, merlin, Eurasian skylark, meadow pipit, Alpine accentor, fieldfare, song thrush, common chiffchaff, goldcrest, etc.
- Migratory stopover: European honey buzzard, harriers, common crane, Eurasian woodcock (rare), tree pipit, water pipit, common redstart, northern wheatear, redwing, willow warbler, garden warbler, common whitethroat, European pied flycatcher, etc.
RELEVANT PLANT SPECIES
Mountain-Pine Forest Trail
The trail crosses a mountainous landscape of Aleppo pine, together with two forest species that vary according to altitude: holm oak and oak. In the understory, Mediterranean species such as juniper, Spanish juniper, terebinth, rosemary and thorny broom predominate.
The most outstanding flora on this trail is found in the rocky areas, that is, on the rocky escarpments, consisting of chasmophytic vegetation of the western Mediterranean on limestone, which includes basophilic rupicolous communities, generally comprised of chasmophytes (plants that dig their roots into soil that has accumulated on rocks or wide fissures in them) and small comophytes. Noteworthy among these species are: Asplenium petrarchae, Saxifraga fragilis, Saxifraga tridactylites, etc.
Along the trail, you can see the following orchids: Cephalanthera damasonium, Epipactis atrorubens, Epipactis helleborine, Epipactis kleinii, Epipactis tremolsii, Ophrys insectifera, Ophrys lupercalis, Ophrys scolopax, etc.
Mountain-Holm Oak Forest Trail
Among the understory, the kermes oak groves tend to be the least developed, often stunted, as a result of more extreme and adverse continental weather conditions. Noteworthy among the species found in the understory are: Asparagus acutifolius, Carex halleriana, Rhamnus alaternus, Rubia peregrina, Phillyrea angustifolia, etc.
Along the trail, between April and May, you can see the following orchids: Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys apifera, Ophrys arachnitiformis, Ophrys incubacea, Ophrys sphegodes, Orchis purpurea, Platanthera bifolia, Platanthera chlorantha, etc.
Naval is located in the southern part of the outer mountain ranges of the Aragonese Pyrenees, also known as the Pre-Pyrenees, right on the boundary of the landscape of Somontano (foothill) and adjacent to one of the most important rivers, the River Cinca, at the section where the Mediano Reservoir is now located.
This location makes up a territory consisting of sandstone and limestone, as a result of the formation of the Pyrenees, and conglomerates and silt, due to the fluvial erosion of the River Cinca during the formation of the valleys that are transversal to these mountain ranges.
The landscape of Naval marks the boundary between the beginning of the Atlantic region (towards the north) and the last foothills of the Mediterranean region (towards the south), which is why Mediterranean holm oak species intermingle with forest species from the Atlantic region (montane belt).
Naval is located in the southern part of the outer mountain ranges of the Aragonese Pyrenees, also known as the Pre-Pyrenees, right on the boundary of the landscape of Somontano (foothill) and adjacent to one of the most important rivers, the River Cinca, at the section where the Mediano Reservoir is now located.
This location makes up a territory consisting of sandstone and limestone, as a result of the formation of the Pyrenees, and conglomerates and silt, due to the fluvial erosion of the River Cinca during the formation of the valleys that are transversal to these mountain ranges.
The landscape of Naval marks the boundary between the beginning of the Atlantic region (towards the north) and the last foothills of the Mediterranean region (towards the south), which is why Mediterranean holm oak species intermingle with forest species from the Atlantic region (montane belt).
RELEVANT BIRD SPECIES
Mountain-Pine Forest Trail
- Permanent residents: griffon vulture, golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle, common buzzard, Eurasian sparrowhawk, northern goshawk, common kestrel, peregrine falcon, Eurasian crag martin, long-tailed tit, etc.
- Summer residents: Egyptian vulture, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, black kite, European bee-eater, common swift, Alpine swift, red-rumped swallow, western Bonelli's warbler, spotted flycatcher, woodchat shrike, etc.
- Wintering species: song thrush, fieldfare, redwing (rare), Eurasian blackcap, common chiffchaff, common starling, rock bunting, red crossbill
- Migratory stopover: harriers, European honey buzzard, common crane, swallows, common redstart, European pied flycatcher, common whitethroat, willow warbler, etc.
Mountain-Holm Oak Forest Trail
- Permanent residents: red kite, griffon vulture, Eurasian sparrowhawk, common buzzard, common kestrel, little owl, long-eared owl, European green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian crag martin, white wagtail, Eurasian wren, black redstart, blue rock thrush, Eurasian jay, etc.
- Summer residents: black kite, Egyptian vulture, short-toed snake eagle, booted eagle, common cuckoo, European nightjar, red-necked nightjar, common swift, European bee-eater, barn swallow, red-rumped swallow, common house martin, Eurasian golden oriole, woodchat shrike, etc.
- Wintering species: northern goshawk, merlin, Eurasian skylark, meadow pipit, Alpine accentor, fieldfare, song thrush, common chiffchaff, goldcrest, etc.
- Migratory stopover: European honey buzzard, harriers, common crane, Eurasian woodcock (rare), tree pipit, water pipit, common redstart, northern wheatear, redwing, willow warbler, garden warbler, common whitethroat, European pied flycatcher, etc.
RELEVANT PLANT SPECIES
Mountain-Pine Forest Trail
The trail crosses a mountainous landscape of Aleppo pine, together with two forest species that vary according to altitude: holm oak and oak. In the understory, Mediterranean species such as juniper, Spanish juniper, terebinth, rosemary and thorny broom predominate.
The most outstanding flora on this trail is found in the rocky areas, that is, on the rocky escarpments, consisting of chasmophytic vegetation of the western Mediterranean on limestone, which includes basophilic rupicolous communities, generally comprised of chasmophytes (plants that dig their roots into soil that has accumulated on rocks or wide fissures in them) and small comophytes. Noteworthy among these species are: Asplenium petrarchae, Saxifraga fragilis, Saxifraga tridactylites, etc.
Along the trail, you can see the following orchids: Cephalanthera damasonium, Epipactis atrorubens, Epipactis helleborine, Epipactis kleinii, Epipactis tremolsii, Ophrys insectifera, Ophrys lupercalis, Ophrys scolopax, etc.
Mountain-Holm Oak Forest Trail
Among the understory, the kermes oak groves tend to be the least developed, often stunted, as a result of more extreme and adverse continental weather conditions. Noteworthy among the species found in the understory are: Asparagus acutifolius, Carex halleriana, Rhamnus alaternus, Rubia peregrina, Phillyrea angustifolia, etc.
Along the trail, between April and May, you can see the following orchids: Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys apifera, Ophrys arachnitiformis, Ophrys incubacea, Ophrys sphegodes, Orchis purpurea, Platanthera bifolia, Platanthera chlorantha, etc.
