Ibón de Estanés

The Ibón de Estanés is a high mountain lake of glacial origin, located in the municipality of Ansó, in the Jacetania region, very close to the French border and within the Western Valleys Natural Park. The sources describe it as a lake of great geomorphological and scenic interest; a specialized reference on wetlands in Aragón places it in a glacial over-excavation basin at an altitude of 1,777 m, with an approximate surface area of 28.25 hectares and a maximum depth of 15 m. It is also the largest lake in the western Pyrenees. What can be seen in this place is a large mountain water mirror surrounded by meadows, hills and high Pyrenean reliefs, with a very marked transition between the forest environment of access and the open landscape of height. Its interest for the visit lies in the scenic quality of the whole, in the feeling of natural border between Spain and France and in the reading of the glacial landscape, visible in the shape of the basin itself and in the mountainous frame that encloses it. It also stands out for its environmental value. The bibliography consulted includes it in the network of mountain wetlands of the Aragonese Pyrenees and associates it with the Western Valleys Natural Park, with the presence of high mountain flora and fauna. Therefore, in addition to being a classic hiking objective, it functions as an enclave of conservation and observation of the Pyrenean natural environment. In specialized tourist guides and resources, it appears as one of the best known and most visited lakes in the Ansó area, accessible by mountain routes that cross valleys and hills of great beauty. Its local relevance combines recreational use, landscape value and clear representation of glacial modeling in the Pyrenees.