Sierras de San Juan de La Peña y Peña Oroel, Protected landscape in Huesca Province, Spain

Sierras de San Juan de La Peña y Peña Oroel is a protected landscape of 9,514 hectares in Huesca Province, Aragón. It comprises two main formations: the Sierra de San Juan de la Peña, reaching 1,550 m, and Monte Oroel at 1,770 m. Conglomerate rock, made of rounded pebbles cemented together, forms cliffs that shelter raptor colonies. Vegetation changes with altitude, from gall oak and kermes oak to Scots pine, beech, fir, yew and maple.

In 1920 the site around the monastery of San Juan de la Peña was declared a Natural Site of National Interest, one of the first such declarations in Spain. Aragon defined the wider area as a protected landscape in 2007; it is also a Site of Community Importance and a Special Protection Area for Birds. The monastery is regarded as the cradle of the Kingdom of Aragon.

The name comes from the medieval monastery nestled into the rock face that defines this landscape. Today visitors can see how nature and human-built structures are deeply woven together in this place.

The best time to explore is late summer through early autumn when temperatures are moderate and visibility is furthest. Hikers should bring sturdy footwear and a water bottle since the paths are mountainous and refreshment options are limited.

The protected landscape also holds the Parque Cultural de San Juan de la Peña, a designation that links the monastery and its surroundings. The conglomerate escarpments of the Sierra de San Juan de la Peña and Monte Oroel provide nesting ledges for raptor colonies, including the bearded vulture (quebrantahuesos), a species in danger of extinction in Spain.