Ordesa Valley facts for kids
The Ordesa Valley is a beautiful valley in the Spanish Pyrenees mountains. It's located in a region called Aragon in Spain. This valley is a big part of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, which is a protected area.
The Ordesa Valley was formed a very long time ago by huge sheets of ice, called glaciers. These glaciers slowly carved out the land, creating the valley we see today. People first found out about this valley in 1820. But it took about 100 more years, until the 1920s, for it to be fully mapped. The valley stretches for about 11 kilometers (about 7 miles).
A Special Climate
The Ordesa Valley is unique because it runs from east to west. This is unusual for valleys in the Pyrenees. Because of its direction, winds from the Atlantic Ocean can easily reach it. This gives the valley a mild climate, which means it's not too hot or too cold. This special weather helps many different plants and animals to live there.
Amazing Wildlife
The Ordesa Valley is famous for its wildlife. It's home to one of the biggest groups of Pyrenean Chamois in Europe. Chamois are a type of goat-antelope that live in the mountains. You can often spot them climbing the steep slopes. The valley also has many beautiful waterfalls and a wide variety of other animals.
.JPG)
Towering Mountains
At the northeast end of the Ordesa Valley, you can see some very tall mountains. The highest one is Monte Perdido, which stands at 3,355 meters (11,007 feet) tall. It's the third highest mountain in the entire Pyrenees range.
Next to Monte Perdido are two other impressive peaks:
- Cilindro de Marboré, which is 3,328 meters (10,919 feet) high.
- Soum de Ramond, which reaches 3,263 meters (10,705 feet).
Monte Perdido means "Lost Mountain" in Spanish. It got this name because people on the French side of the mountains couldn't see its peak. It was hidden from their view.
See also
In Spanish: Valle de Ordesa para niños
