Monegros - The desert adventure

[76_overlander]

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So i was reading the forum and saw this post from a new member in Spain. We exchanged a couple messages and decided to meet half way in the desert of Monegros. It could not have been easier and quicker. I sold my Wrangler and bought a KDJ120 so i could overland with my wife, our two kids and our dog. Posting things on instagram with the correct hashtags resulted in meeting people from the area who gave us advices. Daniel aka @viveen4wd worked on GPS tracks, we tried to brainstorm the routes before departure and... Finally some day it was time to go for a 5 days exploring a forgotten and abandoned zone of Europe, the incredible Monegros.

We left home for a 5.30 hours ride. Could have been shorter but i had always wanted to see the "embalse de Yesa", a huge lake, and "los Mallos de Riglos", incredible geological formations. So yes, that was my route until Monegros. And the Embalse de Yesa was my first stop. We found a track to the bank of the lake and lunched there. It was only the beginning and already awesome.

Otxo, our dog took two good baths... First in the water and the second in the sand haha

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After a long break walking the area we headed to the Mallos de Riglos where we stopped for another break in an almonds field. To tell you the truth, discovering the Mallos de Riglos created a real deep emotion in me. You drive this road and never have a clue of where they are until boom, they are here, in front of you. They are 300m high and of course the pictures can't express how incredible these things are.

After a little snack we headed to Valfarta where we would meet Daniel and Maria for the beginning of our adventure. It took a while setting up the camp as we bought a new bigger tent the day before the trip (women, haha...)



Then Daniel y Maria arrived. We invented our own language, mixing a bit of french, spanish and english, and it worked great during the whole trip. The camp was up, everybody was happy to be here after a long wait. Talks, beers, good food, laughs : check ! The view was perfect, the cold night was already there - with good amounts of wind - we said goodnight and went to bed dreaming of our adventure to begin...​

 

[Constantin]

Great! Thx for this inspiration!

 

[76_overlander]

The morning was beautiful. And this was the view of an old church up a little hill when i got out of our tent :

We made an absolutely disgusting coffee with my italian Bialetti and went to discover the vast area we decided to focus on in this gigantic 2900 square kilometers zone. You need to understand those Monegros are a mix of everything. Sometimes you feel like you are in Mongolia. Sometimes in Utah. Sometimes in California. It was dry, and the dirt was as thin as talc. The sceneries were jaw-dropping. So i'll stop talking and post a few pictures ;)











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[Constantin]

The morning was beautiful. And this was the view of an old church up a little hill when i got out of our tent :

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We made an absolutely disgusting coffee with my italian Bialetti and went to discover the vast area we decided to focus on in this gigantic 2900 square kilometers zone. You need to understand those Monegros are a mix of everything. Sometimes you feel like you are in Mongolia. Sometimes in Utah. Sometimes in California. It was dry, and the dirt was as thin as talc. The sceneries were jaw-dropping. So i'll stop talking and post a few pictures ;)

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[76_overlander]

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[76_overlander]

Road Signs in the middle of nowhere




And the visit of Belchite, a town devastated by air strike during the civil war. 5000 dead. And left as it was to remember...



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[76_overlander]

I will edit a video of our trip. I will also talk about the winds we had... But i want to give a huge shout out to Daniel and Maria. They were great. They now are friends. We will not forget all the kilometers we share, the gin tonics we drink, the good food Maria cooked. and all the knowledge Daniel shared on gear but also on nature. He found incredible rocks and taught the kids what they were.This trip was awesome from A to Z. We loved it. We loved the people we met, the landscapes we saw. During 5 days we drove 95% on dirt/sand/rock tracks. In the end i drove back home with a flat tire and Daniel had a dead clutch pedal he had to disasemble to make it weld by a guy in the village. It was awesome and epic. We will go back there, and i can't wait to see Daniel and Maria again :)

 

[Mr E]

Nice trip guys!
Planning on visiting it this sept!

 

[76_overlander]

Here is a quick 3 minutes video of our 5 days trip...

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[ALNSM_Overland]

Many thanks for sharing this nice adventure with us !
The pics and the video might not be perfect for you but very enjoyable for us ;)
And at least, you fully enjoyed the trip with your familly and friends ! That's what it's all about

 

[Constantin]

Many thanks for sharing this nice adventure with us !
The pics and the video might not be perfect for you but very enjoyabble for us ;)
And at least, you fully enjoyed the trip with your familly and friends ! That's what it's all about

so true!

 

[Mr E]

We’re heading to Barcelona in the landy mid June - only decided last night!
I will be taking a trip through here on the way or the way back

Has anyone got any routes for a day trip, think I’ll be alone by the sounds of the wife!!

Thanks

 

[Polaris Overland]

We’re heading to Barcelona in the landy mid June - only decided last night!
I will be taking a trip through here on the way or the way back

Has anyone got any routes for a day trip, think I’ll be alone by the sounds of the wife!!

Thanks

@76_overlander is the man to speak to who I'm sure will help you out.

 

[76_overlander]

Indeed Mr E :) glad i can help. I had a looong day though and really need to rest right now but be sure i come back to you tomorrow morning.

 

[Polaris Overland]

I've heard a lot about the Smugglers Route through the Pyrenees.
From what I hear it is a great trip with stunning scenery.

Route Pyrenees

It's on my to do list for sure.

 

[76_overlander]

I've heard a lot about the Smugglers Route through the Pyrenees.
From what I hear it is a great trip with stunning scenery.

Route Pyrenees

It's on my to do list for sure.

Yes, this one is amazing. I did not drive it myself but many friends have and it is also on my to do list. There are many "transpyrenees" trails but the one you linked is great

 

[76_overlander]

We’re heading to Barcelona in the landy mid June - only decided last night!
I will be taking a trip through here on the way or the way back

Has anyone got any routes for a day trip, think I’ll be alone by the sounds of the wife!!

Thanks

Please take your day to explore THIS

You can get lost, loads of tracks, some very good, some quite technical, but great sceneries. When in Ruta de Jubiere, focus on the Tozales, the high strange dirt and rocks chimneys, HERE

:)

 

[Mr E]

Please take your day to explore THIS

You can get lost, loads of tracks, some very good, some quite technical, but great sceneries. When in Ruta de Jubiere, focus on the Tozales, the high strange dirt and rocks chimneys, HERE

:)

Thanks very much.
I'll scroll through the links tonight over a brew

All the best

 

[76_overlander]

Thanks very much.
I'll scroll through the links tonight over a brew

All the best

You might find the tracks quite "light". I mean what i gave you might look like very quickly driven but when i said you could get lost it was not a warning but an invitation. You really should get lost there. Enjoying the 2 tracks but exploring the trails all around as you will be amazed by such various sceneries and this feeling you are driving in New Mexico. If it's dry, no problem, only a super thin dust. But if it's raining, be aware that you can easily get stuck almost everywhere as the ground is clay. And don't forget to go there with water : you can be very lonely in this desert and temperatures in mid june will be high (expect more than 35) ;)

 

[Laurensvh]

Hey,

Might be thinking about a trip over here cause the scenery is stunning!
What's best to do for camping/overnight in this region? Is it allowed to wildcamp in Spain?

thanks!