An easy hike into the Puertos de Beceite is the hidden gem called Les Estrets. We (Anna’s parents Frans and Roelie) made this trip on a sunny but not too warm Saturday afternoon (20 May 2023). The little town of Arnes is the starting-point of this hike (a 20 minutes’ drive by car from La Naserena).
The first 3K from Arnes is a narrow tarmac road through the olive and almond fields to the parking lot where the views are already spectacular with high rocks towering over the river. There is still water in it, but it isn’t really much anymore. The guide says it is a 10K back and forth walk to the real Estrets (Narrows), but it appears to be considerably shorter. It took us a quiet 1,5 hours walk along a wide and flat path; it is the ideal walk for the elderly and for people travelling with young kids.
Along the route we enjoyed the high peaks that were just being climbed by several real mountaineers as we walked by. These steep walls with many signposted climbing routes are really not for the faint-hearted (like us)! We preferred the path along the nice and deep swimming pools that to our surprise were still numerous, despite the dry winter and spring.
At Toll Blau, after a 15 minutes’ walk, there was an indication that this area is actually the only place where swimming is officially allowed. No surprise that it was here that we saw most of our fellow Spanish/Catalan hikers on the way to or from the Estrets.
We resisted the temptation to test the waters and decided to bet on a quieter moment. Following the path, the gorge gets narrower, but never as tight as the Ruta del Parrizal. Yet the views on the colourful rocks become more impressing while we walk on. After crossing the river – which is almost hidden, testimony of how little water there is in it – we imagine what a swirling stream it can become in a ‘normal’ winter – but do we actually still have them? Soon we reach a three-way called Aparcament de Lliberós (it’s clear we are no longer in Aragon but in Cataluña) and we return partly using the other side of the river.
