Monegros loop — Sidequest

16 km loop+340 m5-6 h + nightEasy-moderate

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The sidequest

The Monegros desert is one of the strangest landscapes in Spain: clay and gypsum hills carved by the wind that locals call tozales. I did this loop on foot, leaving the main track at times to cross country from one tozal to the next, and ending with a night under a sky full of stars.

The route step by stepEvery stop with a direct Google Maps link so you don't get lost.

Getting there and where to sleepGet there via the A-131, between Sariñena and Sena. From there a dirt track of about 7 km leads to the Hermitage of San Miguel (Pallaruelo de Monegros); a normal car can do it. There's a large flat area to park by the hermitage.

What to bringWith a link to my Loadout to pack your bag.

The stops

1. Hermitage of San MiguelStart and end of the route. Leave the car on the flat area and set off on foot.

2. Tozal ColásicoThe first big tozal on the route.

3. The tree junctionA lone tree is your reference. To the left, the Tozales de los Pedregales; straight ahead, the Tozal Solitario. I went cross-country to the Solitario.

4. Tozal SolitarioHead back towards the Colásico and, from there, cross country to the Cobeta. Careful: the ground is flat and suddenly there are sinkholes about 5 m deep. Watch your step.

5. Tozal de la CobetaThis is where I bivvied: sunset and a starry night.

6. Back to the hermitageNext day, head back along the track to the hermitage, about 40 minutes.

Before you go

Off-track there are sinkholes about 5 m deep you only see when you are on top of them: watch your step and don't walk off the track at night. In summer the heat is extreme and there's no shade at all: avoid July and August.

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