The Péonéra

At the gates of the Sierra de Guara, very close to the village of Bierge, here is a canyon that has become emblematic of canyoning activity. Many visitors begin their discovery of the region and have their first experience in this very fun and aquatic canyon.

Originally, this canyon was called Barranco San Martin, La Péonéra was then a tributary. Its first exploration was carried out in 1971 by the Huesca Pena Guara Caving Club.

The canyon guides subsequently discovered an ideal route for practicing canyoning: lots of jumps, aquatic passages, small slides. The flow, always substantial, allows this canyon to be compared to a “water park”, wrongly, because it crosses a rich and extremely beautiful natural environment.

THE PEONERA CANYON Canyoning in Bierge

The Alcanadre river is the longest in Sierra de Guara: it takes its main source on the plateau and flows into the Cinca. During its journey through the landscape, it winds through numerous canyons, each more famous than the last: Gorgas Negras, Barrasil, Upper Peonera, Lower Peonera, Puntillo. It is these last two sections, the most traveled and appreciated by vacationers, that we propose to describe on this page.

LA PEONERA: AQUATIC CANYONING

The route begins with a downhill approach walk of approximately one hour.  This trail joins the Rio Alcanadre. La Péonéra is made up of two very different parts of canyoning that we will differentiate with its geological morphology: limestone and conglomerate.

 

A limestone gorge, Los estrechos de Fornazos

Canyoning begins from the start with a route that winds between waterfalls and natural pools: jumps, caves, floating. All the ingredients come together to offer fun canyoning. Although all jumps can always be avoided, you need to be comfortable in the water to fully enjoy them.

This first part ends at the Tamara springs, a real postcard of the Sierra de Guara, where we can fill our water bottles. The second part begins with the Puntillo.

 

Puntillo, a conglomerate canyon

More open and therefore sunnier, this very particular rock is much younger on the scale of the earth than the gray limestone of the first part. They almost look like they are limestone pebbles trapped in mortar. This part offers some nice jumps, all quite high but also avoidable, into swimming pools with translucent water. We end the course in a parade where we swim between ocher-tinted cliffs in a setting reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the United States.

This canyoning descent is suitable for heterogeneous groups: families, couples, community groups, etc. because we can offer several passages of different levels. The ideal period will be summer, July and August, because the spring flow is often too powerful to complete the route in complete safety.

 

DIFFERENT WAYS TO DISCOVER LA PEONERA

It is possible to discover the Péonéra canyon, without taking the classic canyoners’ path. Starting from the Salto de Bierge dam car park, a track goes up the landscape to reach the Tamara springs in a good two hours of hiking. This hike is quite sporty because there are many thalwegs to pass, up and down. But it’s worth it: the swimming spot at the Tamara springs is truly incredible.

One way to enjoy this heavenly corner is to pass through the village of Morrano, and take a path that goes directly down to the river. Be careful, you will have to go back up to reach your vehicle.

We draw your attention to an eco-responsible reflex to have: remember not to put on sunscreen before swimming in the canyon. Indeed, the components of sunscreen affect the ecosystem of the river. For example, gerris, otherwise known as water spiders, can no longer float on the surface of water.

 

THE EL SALTO DE BIERGE DAM

It is a classic tourist photograph of the Sierra de Guara: a majestic dam, an old building for the production of electricity, around forty meters wide, from which the water falls 8 meters into a very aesthetic swimming pool.

Before 2016, the end of the Péonéra canyon was here. We could then perform a masterful jump, like a cherry on the cake of the descent. Numerous safety problems, as well as a desire to preserve this natural environment, forced local authorities to close access to the dam and prohibit jumping. Now, you can enjoy the swimming spot for a small fee to limit access.

The memory of this spectacular arrival remains etched in the memories of tourists who were lucky enough to be able to end their canyoning experience with a final dose of adrenaline.

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