Day after day I write about dreamy far-flung destinations — Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Vietnam — trying to make you jealous. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten what's right at home!
The last time I passed through Spain with Ilze, we visited the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava. But there was one thing left on the list: the Monasterio de Piedra. Because Zaragoza has a natural park that genuinely deserves a mention — what did you think, that Aragon was just a desert?
The best of it lies just outside the Cistercian monastery itself. Leave the capitals and arches behind and you step into an incredible park. A little slice of heaven centred on the Piedra river, which treats your eyes to majestic waterfalls — including the famous Cola de Caballo — and the jewel-like Lago Espejo.
Wildlife and plants fill out the picture beautifully. If you're into birds, the park entrance even includes a birds-of-prey show — owls, eagles, vultures, and Egyptian vultures putting on a daily display for kids and grown-ups alike.
The exhibitions inside the monastery itself can be sweetly tempting: genuine monastic chocolate, no less! And for the thirsty there's always the wine museum.
Just 100 kilometres from Zaragoza and 200 from Madrid — who could say no to this idyllic little retreat for a weekend escape? You don't have to be on the other side of the world to find something stunning, do you?
Photo by Ricardo Cortés.
