Under the title “A Day of Pyrenean Culture and Tradition,” the activity will involve 18 participants from four families and will bring to a close the project “Inclusive Tourism Experiences in the Aragón Valley,” promoted by the Sargantana Foundation with the support of the Directorate-General for Tourism and Hospitality of the Government of Aragón.
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE TRADITIONS OF THE ARAGONESE PYRENEES
The day will begin in Jaca, where the families will travel on the Aragón Valley Commonwealth’s tourist bus to Canfranc Estación. There, historians María Bueno and Pedro Canut will lead a tour through the culture and history of the Canfranc, Borau and Aísa valleys.
The program will include a cultural treasure hunt, allowing participants to explore in a practical and participatory way the traditional ways of life of the Pyrenees, its customs and some of the occupations that shaped residents’ daily lives for generations.
The tour will also feature Don Benito, a theatrical character who will accompany the families throughout the experience and serve as the common thread linking the various activities.
A VISIT TO A PYRENEAN CHEESE FARM
Another highlight of the day will be a visit to the Esposa Cheese Farm, where the families will learn firsthand how extensive livestock farming operates and what its historical importance has been both for Pyrenean communities and for preserving the landscape and natural environment.
After completing the morning’s activities, participants, guides and organizers will return to Jaca to share a traditional Pyrenean meal at La Masía restaurant, bringing this third inclusive experience to an end.
The initiative is aimed at families whose members include people with intellectual, physical, sensory or emotional disabilities, as well as people facing other situations of personal vulnerability. However, the approach goes beyond creating specific activities and seeks to enable people with different abilities to share the same tourism experience.
THREE SATURDAYS OF INCLUSIVE TOURISM IN THE ARAGÓN VALLEY
This Saturday’s event will conclude a program that has visited different locations across the Aragón Valley during September. The first experience, held on September 12, focused on adventure and included climbing at Piedras Rojas in Candanchú and caving at Esjamundo Cave in Villanúa.
A week later, on September 19, Canfranc hosted “A Day of Science and Nature,” featuring an interpretive tour of its natural surroundings, activities focused on flora, fauna and the landscape, and a visit to the Interpretive Museum of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory.
The third event replaces adventure and science with culture, rural life and Pyrenean traditions, completing three different experiences with the same objective: to see firsthand how tourism resources in the Pyrenees can be adapted to reach all kinds of families.
A MORE ACCESSIBLE PYRENEES ALL YEAR ROUND
The project also aims to serve as a pilot experience enabling tourism businesses themselves to develop accessible and inclusive activities in the future, adapting their offerings to each participant’s specific needs.
In addition to advancing barrier-free tourism, the initiative seeks to diversify and reduce the seasonal nature of tourism in the Aragón Valley by creating new alternatives beyond the traditional periods of peak visitor numbers.
The intention is for these experiences not to remain limited to the three September events, but to pave the way for new tourism products in which people with and without disabilities can enjoy the Aragonese Pyrenees together, from its landscapes and adventure activities to its culture, cuisine and traditions.
