The new space is designed for children to play outdoors while developing different psychomotor skills. The wolf, chamois, Pyrenean desman and capercaillie, among other species, provide the common thread linking the different areas, whose features are adapted to the characteristics and abilities associated with each animal.
WHAT’S NEW AT THE PARK
The area dedicated to the chamois focuses on games related to agility, while the wolf area includes a maze linked to cunning. The Pyrenean desman zone, meanwhile, features elements related to sliding. The different structures, built mainly from wood and rope, blend into the wooded surroundings and make use of the site’s natural features.
The project was initially planned for the area around the Oroel Parador, with the aim of highlighting the value of the site and creating a new leisure attraction for families. However, criticism of the project and, particularly, its proposed location led the Town Council to hold a public consultation on where it should be built.
The outcome of that consultation prompted the project’s relocation to its current site beside the Gas River. The change of location required technical modifications and a new tendering process, although the essence of the original project was maintained. The adjustments included adapting the restroom system and modifying one of the slides to suit the layout of the new site.
With its opening, Jaca gains a new family-oriented leisure space connected to the city’s natural surroundings. Oroel Park is intended to become a place where children can play and meet, while bringing visitors closer to some of the most representative species of Pyrenean wildlife.
A PROJECT TO BOOST THE AREA
Álvaro Salesa, president of the Mancomunidad del Alto Valle del Aragón, highlighted the work carried out by the technical and administrative teams of Jaca Town Council and the association itself to make it possible to complete the project within the established deadlines.
Salesa explained that the change of location meant the project had to be put out to tender again within a very short period. He also highlighted the difficulty of finding a specialist company capable of carrying out the work within the deadline. Ultimately, the installation was completed by a specialist company from Seville.
The association’s president said that Oroel Park is part of a network of projects developed at various points in the Aragón Valley with the aim of creating new tourism resources and spaces that promote social and cultural activity.
RESPECT FOR THE FACILITIES
During the ceremony, both Lucía Guillén and Álvaro Salesa called for the new facilities to be looked after and respected. The councillor for Tourism explained that, even before opening, the park had already suffered several acts of vandalism, including graffiti, damage to some features and the removal of the harness from the accessible swing.
Guillén recalled that the latter feature allows children with different needs to use the swing and expressed regret that it had been damaged before the park had even opened to the public. “It is a space for children, and we hope it will be respected so they can continue enjoying it for a long time,” she said.
Salesa agreed on the need to take care of public facilities and called on users to act responsibly in preserving an amenity that has required a significant financial and administrative effort and is intended for children and their families to enjoy.
