Attractions and Places To See around Figueruelas - Top 19

La Balsa de Larralde (also called balsa de Torre Medina) is an artificial wetland of high ecological value protected as a "Singular Wetland" by the Government of Aragon. It is located next to the Torre Medina neighborhood, in the rural district of Garrapinillos, within the municipality of Zaragoza, 🛠️ Origin and history Old quarry: It originated more than 200 years ago as a clay extraction site for building the nearby Imperial Canal of Aragon. Humidal birth: When the subsoil was perforated, the water table was reached and the excavation was permanently flooded with water. Environmental recovery: After decades of abandonment serving as an uncontrolled landfill, it was recovered from 1995 thanks to the Hydrographic Confederation of the Ebro (CHE) and the Naturalist Association of Aragon (ANSAR). 🌿 Ecological characteristics Extension: It has a protected area of about 4 hectares. Inverted water cycle: Being mainly fed by groundwater influenced by the irrigation of the Imperial Canal, it has more water in summer and spring than in winter, unlike most Mediterranean wetlands. Biodiversity refuge: It is surrounded by abundant riparian vegetation (reeds, cattails, poplars, and elms) that serves as a habitat and breeding ground for about 100 species of aquatic birds such as coots, moorhens, and ducks. 🚶 Visit and equipment It is a space open to the public, ideal for hiking and environmental education. The surroundings have: A perimeter path with wooden planks and walkways. A covered viewpoint-observatory for spotting birds without disturbing them. Interpretive panels explaining the local fauna and flora. (Note: As a local curiosity, it stands out for being the only protected wetland in Zaragoza that can be reached directly by public bus)

The Larralde raft is worth seeing, but not the rest.

Architecturally, it's stunning, but we couldn't find a way to follow the canal without getting our feet wet. In the end, we crossed the Jalón River under the canal and then rejoined it. The question remains whether we could have crossed the canal walls on foot. On the left side, there was an open metal gate (we were already on the right side), but on the other side of the Jalón River, we saw another metal gate locked with a padlock.

Wikipedia The Jalón River Aqueduct, also known as the Grisén or Jalón Walls or El Caracol, is the most representative work of the construction of the Imperial Canal of Aragon, built in the 18th century. This aqueduct is located in the natural setting of El Caracol, between the municipalities of Alagón and Grisén, about 25 kilometers from the city of Zaragoza. The objective of this work was to cross the greatest obstacle found in the layout of the canal, the Jalón River. Initially, the creation of a large siphon beneath the waters of the Jalón was proposed, but finally the layout of the canal twists towards the Jalón Valley to face the river perpendicularly. A route of more than 2 kilometers in total length begins, of which 1,380 meters run between stone walls.

One of the many hermitages near the river that are preserved in the towns of the Ribera del Ebro and that probably replaces another older temple. Next to it there is a picnic area with some stone tables. It doesn't have much shade but it is a nice place to take a break along the way. In the hottest months, be careful with mosquitoes, especially in the late afternoon.

Behind there is an area with tables and benches

A magical place where in a few meters the current mouth of the river Jalón joins the Ebro, the hundred-year-old boat passing between the banks and the remains of the Muslim castle and old Christian town of Castellar. Be careful in summer with mosquitoes.

The Larralde Raft together with the 'Ojo del Cura' and the 'Ojo del Fraile' are the last to form part of the set of Wetlands in the area, very important for the conservation of native fauna and flora and the water cycle.