Ibdes: GR 24, Gruta de las Maravillas and Religious Buildings

The GR 24 section – Stage 02, Ibdes–Nuévalos branch, is 4.4 kilometres long and has an indicated walking time of approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes. It passes the Gruta de las Maravillas, the Salto de la Paradera and the bridge over the Mesa River, then continues towards Nuévalos and Llumes. The route length and walking time provide a clear basis for comparing excursions of different lengths.

Nature

The Gruta de las Maravillas consists of two galleries approximately 15 and 46 metres long, respectively. It formed around 50,000 years ago in Quaternary sediments deposited by the Mesa River.

The Salto de la Paradera was created by a small dam built in the 19th century to supply a hydroelectric power station, which remained in operation until the 1960s. The area around the Salto de la Paradera has been prepared for visits and as a recreational area and includes a short path for viewing the natural landscape.

The Ermita de San Daniel is a building constructed from rammed earth and bricks in the 17th century and dedicated to the Virgen de San Daniel. It has a viewpoint overlooking the La Tranquera Reservoir and the surrounding mountains.

Culture and History

The cave chapel of the Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de la Soledad has a natural limestone altar with stalactites and stalagmites formed by water seeping into the rock. The hermitage was built in the 12th century by the Order of St John and was part of a religious complex on the Camino de San Juan.

The Ermita del Santo Sepulcro is considered the oldest surviving hermitage in Ibdes. It contains a glass and black-wood tomb with a figure of Christ guarded by a carved figure of a Roman soldier.

The present-day church in Ibdes was built between 1517 and 1526. It stands on the ruins of a medieval castle destroyed around the middle of the 14th century by Pedro I el Cruel, King of Castile.

Festivals

Ibdes celebrates its patron-saint festivals from 14 to 19 August in honour of its patron saint, San Roque, on 16 August and its patron saint, the Virgen de San Daniel, on 18 August. During Holy Week, Good Friday includes the theatrical ceremony known as «Abajamiento», followed by a funeral procession through the town.

Getting There

From Zaragoza, the road connection to Ibdes follows the A-2 motorway to Exit 204 near Alhama de Aragón, then continues via the A-2502 and the A-1501. The clearly identified sequence of road sections helps divide the journey into individual stages.

When staying in a holiday apartment in Ibdes, you can match your travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions to your daily routine. For personal planning, the route, nature, churches and festival dates can be considered as separate areas of focus.

Other destinations in the area:Grisel, Saragossa, Sobradiel, Bordalba, Vera De Moncayo, Herrera De Los Navarros, Castejón De Las Armas, Utebo

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Saragossa.