A big wheel in the Ebro river

A big wheel in the Ebro river

Wanna have a STUNNING VIEW over the city?

Zaragoza major days

In the second week of October Zaragoza has, for 9 days, the major week. There are a lot of activities, concerts, leisures, etc...

Some of them are several leisures rides that are shettled in a resort in a specific location

But... this year we have a great news.

One of those leisure rides, a big wheel, will not be in its resorts but... just located in the Ebro river.

So, we have a 70 metre panoramic wheel besides the river and close to city centre.

Price is 5 euro and will be available (at least) for October 2013

How to arrive there?

By tramway, La Chimenea station is the nearest

If you are in Plaza del Pilar, just 500 metre walking or so.

Some pics

(taken from newspapers mainly)

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre.

You can have a guided tour in several languages organised by tourism office. Walking around main monuments in city centre and knowing some secrets of old streets that maybe they will not appear in some guide.
It is just a tour with an official guide. It is not visiting inside a monument but walking around several of them. You will enter in some of them and explanations could be given inside some monuments or just... in any Ancient street

What's Guided tours?

Tourist office will prepare several guided visits for main monuments. Some of them are available only in Spanish but there is one available in English, French, German and Italian.
Guide will make explanations in these three languages and you will be free to ask him any question being sure he/she will answer you with no problem.

Which are their timetables and fares?

It is a 2 hours walking tour around city centre. It runs on saturday afternoon (spring, autumn and winter 16:00, summer 18:00) and will require a 10 people minimum. You can book your visit one day in advance buying your ticket at Tourist office (you will assure at the same time that you have your ticket as well as it is not cancelled because no minimum).
Fare for year 2013 is 5,50 EUR but it doesn't include entrance to the Cathedral (it will include the entrance for any other monument in the visit).
If you bought the Zaragoza Card, this visit will be free for you.

What's the itinerary we will do?

Visit will start at 16:00 or 18:00 depending the season in front of Basilica del Pilar. There is a Touristic Bus Stop just behind it (and the main stop, in front of the Cathedral is only 300m ahead).
You will enter inside the Basilic and the Cathedral (entrance not included in the price) with explanations in English, French, German and Italian for all of them. You will make the following tour around the city.

Other visits can be modified according to the day or timetable but in anyway, the streets to run across the itinerary are the best ones for making a tour in the Ancient city.
You will know about the "Lonja" (Modern era market, only for trade, not purchasing), about the cathedral environment, Roman city (be sure no time to enter in any of these museums... they will require at least half a day but you will know about it and be able to ask anything to prepare your visit if you want).
You will know about some of the Mudejar towers. It is an architectural style that can be found in central-south Aragon and four towers remains in Zaragoza (In Teruel city, Unesco stated Mudejar buildings as Human Heritage). But also something about Renacentist palaces in city centre and finishing in the central market, Roman walls and Zuda tower.
This is a really very short description. Walking around the city with the guide you will know more.

Are there other guided tours?

Yes, they are not in English but enough interesting to make them.
Ask for timetables and schedules at any tourist office.
There is another guided tour around the city centre (daily in summer, and on weekends and special dates the rest of the year) that could help if you are not able to go to the English guided tour on Saturday afternoon.
There are gastronomic tours inside city centre. Despite explanations are only in Spanish... do not hesitate to take this tour as well as fare includes a visit to several shops, bars or bakeries and tasting products.
For instance, saturday morning there is a "Chocolate tour". You will start at 11:00 and will visit four different sites (be sure they are some of the best known in the city) were tasting sweet and chocolate products... and finishing before lunch time.

We are sorry but a local product tasting tour is also at 11:00 on saturday mornings so, except if you are going to be for more than one week... you will have to choose. With this visit you will enter in a very selective shops or markets with some goods ready to be tasted.

Price for both of them is 13 EUR. Little discount for children.
Not included in Zaragoza card.
Even if visit is only in Spanish, touristic guides in Zaragoza speak English so any question could be answered by them.
Wanna visit Zaragoza by bike?. If you have your bike (Zaragoza bike 3 days pass is accepted), you can walk with your guide and he will make some stops somewhere to make explanations.

And... in Spanish there are many other visits (daily in summer). Just ask for them because, despite you will not understand the language, the chance to enter or visiting easily somewhere is there and questions will be answered in English.

Something else to visit?

Yes, of course.
They are really too many visits within Zaragoza.
Several days you will find special visits for disabled people. These will be so specific and adapted one day to deaf people, other day for blind people. Two visits more for physic disable people (absolutely ready for wheel chairs) and for intellectual disables.

They will run some of main Zaragoza documents for only 2,50 EUR.
Visits will be every saturday at 12:00 but take schedule of each one of them (one saturday for deaf people, next for blind, etc...)
And, of course, a Tour for children.
Just ask for any of them at Zaragoza Tourist offices.
There are other visits to some monuments. This is, one guide that with its timetable daily will make at several hours some guides to any visitor.
Many of these visits are included in the Zaragoza card

Finally... in English there is only one visit on Saturday afternoon... but if you are going to stay for longer in Zaragoza you can try with some of them in Spanish. Just ask!.

Zaragoza Aquarium

Zaragoza Aquarium

Wanna visit something different in Zaragoza?
There is an Aquarium in the city. But it is not an usual aquarium indeed. It is an aquarium with only river fishes (no sea fishes or other sea animals).
In fact, it is the biggest River Aquarium in Europe.
It was opened when the International Exhibition in 2008 and it remains open to public everyday (365 days per year).

It will take about two hours visiting this aquarium and, maybe after visiting monuments, museums and that stuff... be sure it will be a quite different visit!.

How can I arrive to Zaragoza Aquarium?

You can arrive in tramway (Pablo Neruda stop going from city centre and Clara Campoamor, just the opposite avenue, to go back to centre) or by the Circular bus lines (Ci1 and Ci2) stopping at Ronda de Rabal avenue.
Zaragoza Aquarium is just in the centre of this map
https://maps.google.es/?ll=41.669081,-0.896909&spn=0.003398,0.018883&t=h&z=16
(and sorry, google maps is not updated in this area yet and it will appear under construction)
And... in summer, if Zaragoza Ebro boats are operating, one of their stops will leave you very close to the Aquarium (and maybe you can get a discount if using it)

If you got a Bike pass, there are stations near it.

And... there is a Touristic Bus stop besides it. If you are using it, take a look to the map because you can get off near it.

In summer it is possible to arrive by vessel. Ask for timetables

When can it be visited?

EVERYDAY.
Aquarium opens everyday from 10:00 to 20:00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday while all the year and also everyday in July, August and September.
From October to June, Monday to Thursday it will open 11:00 to 19:00
In Christmas' eve, Christmas, New Year's eve and New year's day ask for special timetable... but it remains open.
If you are going to stay several days in Zaragoza take notice that Mondays will open because several sites will close on Monday and it is the best way to plan your visits.
Adult fare without any discount is 14 euro. There are discounts for children, senior citizens and other advertisments with discounts.

What will I find at Zaragoza Aquarium?

It is based over a "world river" in the centre of the Aquarium (without taking notice, a huge, huge, huge fish tank with fishes from any river of the world will be visited eight times from different points).

And around the World river there is one river per continent. In each river you will find information (translations into English and French are available) about flora and fauna. You will get wrapped by an atmosphere that will remember you the area of the river and will find several fishes or other animals of every year.

You will start in the Nile river in Africa. All the fishes and also Egyptians crocodiles. Aquarium responsibles are happy to say that they suceed with these animals when they got new baby-crocodiles, not very often inside an Aquarium.

Next stop is for Mekong river in Asia. It will be interesting looking about differences between rocky mountains in this river and later the rice grounds near the ocean. You will have different atmospheres in each ones.

Continue with the Amazonas river in America. What can you find there?. Almost all varieties of fishes and other animals, incluiding piranhas, snakes and caymans.



Keep on with Darling river in Oceania and finally, Ebro river in Europe (just the river you have 100m ahead) and... you can be sure that almost all Zaragoza citizens who have visited the Aquarium have discovered something new there.

You can walk as fast or slow as you want. Is something like a little zoo, but only river fishes and so on. You will not have too many visitors at the same time and you can make a nice tour inside

Of course children are welcome and the Aquarium prepares all kind of activities while the year for children if booking. Children will enjoy looking so many animals in this building.
Just take notice that it is a River Aquarium, not a Sea Aquarium. For instance you will not have Whales nor sharks. Animals will be smaller. Maybe crocodiles are the biggest ones.
It is not better neither worst than Sea Aquariums. It is just... different

What about around the Aquarium?

Aquarium was opened while 2008 International Exhibition and remains opened since there. There are a lot of things to have a look in the nearby. Just have a look to any post with the tag "Expo" because you will be able to visit all of them at once, avoiding to go several times to the same corner of the city.


Are there other things to visit around?

Of course:
- all walking area from old international exhibition centre, refurbished for citizens
- Pabellon puente (Bridge pavilion), an unique brigde
- Parque Metropolitano del Agua Luis Buñuel (Metropolitan Water Park, Luis Buñuel)

Touristic Bus

Touristic Bus

As many other cities, Zaragoza has a touristic bus too.

It was in 1997 when first service was created. Just a bus with a 30-minute tour only in city centre but enough for a fast visit to the city.
Today service has been enlarged. In last years and according to city enlargement we have seen many changes. Sometimes two different tours, shorter and enlarged. Sometimes two different tours in different ways and today a single tour but much longer.
In fact it takes 75 minutes to make a tour in the Touristic Bus.

2013 UPDATE: SAME STOPS, JOURNEYS AND FARES THAN 2012

What is the touristic bus?

It is a service in double deck bus where you can get on and get off as many times as you want while a full day.

It has twelve stops. It will start in city centre, in front of the Cathedral and Roman forum, but after a Tour you can remain in the bus (except in the last service in the morning and evening).

You can choose any stop to get off the bus, visit something around and get on again... as many times as you want within the same day.

Where are those stops?

This is the last map for service

You might consider only the largest journey with red line and red spots (we will talk later about green and blue lines).

Main stop is with a green square besides the cathedral in this map. That is the first stop.
Take advice that journey makes a picture like a "snake". This means that you can get off anywhere and, if after your visit maybe a stop in the opposite direction is not far away. You can have a look to schedules for each stop and organise your visit.

Hint: Delicias train and bus station has a stop in the Arrivals area. If you arrive by train to Zaragoza... you can get from station to your hotel or destination just by touristic bus. Tickets can be bought in the bus too.

In the centre of this image, a Touristic Bus Stop, near La Aljafería. It appears a map and schedule on it

Google street Image

What is its schedule and operating dates?

It will operate mainly weekends and bank holidays from middle March to December.
Since 1st July until middle of September it will operate daily.
In some dates (mainly Easter and special holidays) service can be only in the morning.

Frequencies are one bus every 25 minutes. There are three buses, 75 minutes per journey... so 25 minutes every bus.

In almost all the year when service operates this is the schedule (departing Stop number 1 in front of Cathedral).
Morning: 10:30 to 13:25, one bus every 25 minutes
Evening: 16:45 to 19:40, one bus every 25 minutes.

Take advice that they are last services for each stop. This is... bus departing at 19:40 will make a full tour and finish at 20:55 in the same point. Just think that at Plaza La Seo you will not be able to take a new bus after that hour, and some minutes later at P.Independencia and so on.
Of course tickets used in the morning are accepted in the evening. Just service stops from 14:40 (last morning arrival to Cathedral Square) to 16:45 (first evening departure).

With your ticket you will receive a handout with monuments in each stop and schedules for them.

Where can I buy tickets?

Tickets can be bought at the same bus prior to entry.
Nevertheless if you want to save time, or if you want to assure you have your ticket you can buy them in advance on-line (http://www.zaragozaturismotiendaonline.com/turismo/inicio.asp) in the official Zaragoza municipality webpage or in any tourist office

Having a ticket do not assure seat in each bus. Seats have no numbers and you cannot choose upper or downer deck. They just assure you can entry them.

Prices and languages

Touristic bus for one day costs 8 Euro / person
Youth pass is accepted and cost will be 6 Euro
Kids younger than 5 are free but have no seats.

Touristic bus is included in Zaragoza Card and other cards that we talk about them in other entrances in this blog. Depending about your stay in Zaragoza it will worth to buy the Zaragoza Card because includes this service

A guide will make explanations at least in Spanish. Nevertheless they speak English too.

Headphones are included in the price with the full explanation of the tour in several languages including English.

Does it worth the Touristic Bus?

Yes. 

Except in that case you know the city, it is a fast and nice way to move within main touristic points in the city, specially those that are interesting but not in the city centre. You will have the schedules and a sum-up about the monuments or areas you can visit in every stop.

If you are going to stay for a short time in Zaragoza or you have a full agenda and not too much time, it will be the best way to know about the city and have a full look around it.

Better than visiting only a monument or something like that, having a full tour.

And... you can plan the bus you are going to get. Even if you make a full tour with non-stops, just hearing explanations, it will make you knowing something better about the city.

Which are other Touristic buses in the city?

Children touristic bus

Everyday there is a touristic bus with animation for children (sorry, but live animation is available only in Spanish).
It is at 16:30 everyday except in July and August when it is at 20:15. It take an hour and will make the green line tour (the same one that in the touristic bus with without going to arrivals in the Station and not approaching Casa Solans near the river)

It has no stops. You will enter and make a full tour (can be taken on only in front of the Cathedral)
Fare is 7,50 Euro.

Night touristic bus
Even the touristic bus tour is nice... looking from an upper bus deck in the night with all monuments lighted can be nicer!!!

In July, August and until middle September every Friday and Saturday night at 21:45 a night journey will run.
They will depart in front of the cathedral and will not make any stops. Journey will be the same than for children bus (blue line in the map).

Are you in Zaragoza because other reasons rather than tourism and really have no time to visit the city?
Sorry but... there is no excuse. At 21:45 you have an appointment and in one hour, even with live explanations, or headphones, you will have a full view of the city.

Tickets can be bought at the same bus but we will recommend to buy them in advance on-line or at tourism office if possible.

Sites that can be visited very near to any Touristic Bus Stop and have a thread in this blog:

Zaragoza Aquarium
The four cathedrals (Different stops)
El Pilar Tower (Lift)