Gruta de las Maravillas, the history of the Mesa River and several striking buildings offer different ways to explore Ibdes. Nature and local history can be discovered here through specific themes: cave geology, a former hydroelectric plant, religious architecture and recurring festivals.
Cave, Mesa River and Salto de la Paradera
Gruta de las Maravillas consists of two galleries, approximately 15 and 46 metres long. It formed around 50,000 years ago in Quaternary sediments deposited by the Mesa River. The cave thus brings together an unusual geological formation and the history of the river in the area.
Salto de la Paradera also tells the story of how water was used. The waterfall was formed by a small weir built in the 19th century to supply a hydroelectric plant, which operated until the 1960s. The area around the waterfall has been prepared for visitors and as a recreational area; a short path offers a way to take in the natural landscape. Check local conditions before your visit.
A section of the GR 24
The GR 24 section—Stage 02, Ibdes–Nuévalos junction—is 4.4 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes to walk. Along the way, the route passes Gruta de las Maravillas and Salto de la Paradera, and crosses the Mesa River over a bridge. It then continues towards Nuévalos and Llumes. Check trail conditions before setting out.
The route connects several of the landscape features that define Ibdes: a cave, a waterfall and a river crossing. The approximate walking time and route length are both useful details for planning; additional time spent at the places mentioned is not included in those figures.
Hermitages and architectural history
Ermita del Santo Sepulcro is considered the oldest surviving hermitage in Ibdes. Its tomb, made of glass and black wood, contains a figure of Christ guarded by a carved figure of a Roman soldier. The cave chapel of Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de la Soledad offers a different connection between architecture and nature: its altar is made of limestone and features stalactites and stalagmites formed by water seeping into the rock.
Ermita de Ntra. Sra. de la Soledad was built in the 12th century by the Order of St John and belonged to a religious complex on the Camino de San Juan. Ermita de San Daniel is a 17th-century building constructed from rammed earth and brick and dedicated to the Virgen de San Daniel. Its upper gallery serves as a viewpoint overlooking the La Tranquera Reservoir and the surrounding mountains.
The present-day church in Ibdes was built between 1517 and 1526 on the ruins of a medieval castle. Pedro I el Cruel, King of Castile, had destroyed the castle around the middle of the 14th century. This chronology clearly distinguishes the history of the earlier building from the construction of the present-day church.
Festivals and getting there
The patron-saint festivals in honour of San Roque and Virgen de San Daniel take place from 14 to 19 August; the feast days of the patron saints are 16 and 18 August. Dates may be adjusted in some years. During Semana Santa, the theatrical “Abajamiento” ceremony takes place on Good Friday, followed by a funeral procession through the town.
If travelling from Zaragoza, the road route follows the A-2 to exit 204 near Alhama de AragĂłn, then continues along the A-2502 and A-1501. Check road conditions before setting out. When choosing when to travel, you can plan around the recurring festivals or the natural and architectural history that interests you most in Ibdes.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Fuentes De Ebro, Villarroya de la Sierra, Orés, Alagón, Daroca, Tobed, Undués-Pintano, Fayón.
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