Sorrosal Waterfall

The Sorrosal waterfall is one of the most impressive and most accessible waterfalls in the Aragonese Pyrenees. It sits within the municipality of Broto (Huesca) and can be reached on foot from the village centre in under 5 minutes along a flat, well-signposted path. You can actually see it from the main road through the village.

The waterfall has a total height of around 100 metres divided into two drops: a lower drop of approximately 55 metres and an upper drop of around 45 metres. Between them sits a natural pool at around 60 metres height — only visible from above, during the via ferrata ascent. At the base of the waterfall there is another natural swimming pool with crystal-clear water, perfect for a summer dip.

The setting is just as spectacular as the water: a natural amphitheatre of Pyrenean flysch, geological formations 40 to 50 million years old that show the folded layers of the seabed from when the Pyrenees rose from the ocean. The geometry and colours of the rock, combined with the sound of the water, make this a truly unique place.

The Sorrosal waterfall owes its existence to a geological race that began over 300,000 years ago. During the last Ice Age, a massive glacier more than 30 km long and 370 metres thick carved the Ara river valley with enormous force. At the same time, the Sorrosal river — fed by a much smaller glacier at its headwaters — carved its own lateral valley at a far slower pace.

When the ice retreated, the Ara valley was left around 125 metres deeper than the Sorrosal valley. The Sorrosal gorge was left “hanging” above the Ara, and the water had no choice but to fall vertically — creating the waterfall. The process is still ongoing today: the falling water continues to erode the rock, carving a deeper hollow at the base and slowly retreating the drop upstream.

The rock of the amphitheatre is Pyrenean flysch: alternating layers of sandstone and mudstone that formed 40 to 50 million years ago when the future Pyrenees lay beneath the sea. Ocean currents deposited sediments in layers that are now perfectly visible in the folded strata of the walls. Within those layers you can find marine fossils that the guides show visitors during the via ferrata.

The walk from the car park follows the Sorrosal stream on a flat concrete and earth path. It is very well signposted from the village. Along the way there is a small farm with animals that is popular with children. In under 5 minutes you reach the base of the waterfall, which is already visible from the path long before you arrive.