{{Short description|Mountain range in Spain}} {{Redirect|Moncayo}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Moncayo | image = Cueva de agreda24.JPG | image_caption = View of [[Cueva de Ágreda]] town with the massive three summits of the Moncayo in the background | highest = | elevation_m = 2314 | elevation_ref = | prominence_m = 1297 | prominence_ref = <ref>https://worldribus.org/iberian-peninsula/</ref> | listing = [[Mountains of Aragon]], Ribu | map = Spain | map_caption = Spain | location = [[Tarazona y el Moncayo]], Campo de borja, [[Aranda (comarca)|Aranda]] ([[Aragon]])<br /> [[Province of Soria]] ([[Castile and León]]) | range = [[Sistema Ibérico]] | coordinates = {{coord|41|47|17|N|1|50|18|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | type = [[Slate]] | first_ascent = Unknown | easiest_route = From the ''[[Santuario de la Virgen del Moncayo]]'', from [[Cueva de Ágreda]], or from [[Beratón]] }}
'''Moncayo''' is a 15 km long and about 7 km wide [[mountain chain]] giving name to the [[Tarazona y el Moncayo]] [[Comarcas of Aragon|comarca]], [[Aragon]], [[Spain]]. The Moncayo's highest summit, '''San Miguel''' ({{convert|2,314|m|ft}}), is the highest point in the 500 km long [[Sistema Ibérico]].
The Moncayo is located between the provinces of [[province of Zaragoza|Zaragoza]] in Aragon and [[province of Soria|Soria]] in [[Castile and León]].<ref>[http://www.enciclopedia-aragonesa.com/voz.asp?voz_id=8921&tipo_busqueda=1&nombre=moncayo&categoria_id=&subcategoria_id=&conImagenes= Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa – Moncayo]</ref> The ridge's highest summits are usually covered in snow between October and May every year.
==Description== Besides the San Miguel, the Moncayo massif includes two other peaks that are almost identical and are located close together, '''Cerro San Juan''' (2,283 m) and '''Peña Lobera''' (2,226 m).
This mountain was mentioned as ''Mons Caius'' by [[Martial|Marcus Valerius Martialis]] in [[Ancient Roman]] times.
The nearest large town to Moncayo is [[Tarazona]], with many old and historical buildings, located on the massif's northern side 10 km away from it. There are also smaller villages closer to the mountain.
The [[Sierra de Nava Alta]] and [[Sierra del Bollón]] are eastern prolongations of the Moncayo Massif.
== Hiking == Moncayo is one of the most popular hiking places in Spain and there is public transport to reach the mountain. There are few buses during the winter season, but almost hourly connections in the summertime.
From the village of [[San Martín de la Virgen de Moncayo]] starts a road for hikers, ending at the village of [[Agramonte, Zaragoza|Agramonte]]. The lower ranges of the mountain are covered by forest, including oak trees and spiky shrubs. There is a wide path at the northern side of the mountain zigzagging upwards. In the northeast corner of the mountain is a [[mountain hut]] made of stone which can be used as shelter in emergency situations. The shelter is located at the car park north of the Lobera peak before the slope. At the northwest side of the mountain is a tiny river. One can ascend the highest peak going up from Agramonte or from the eastern side of the mountain range, also via Lobera peak. Going up takes about three hours. There are a few loose stone sections which can be avoided when following the paths. On the top of the highest peak one can see the [[Pyrenees]] in clear weather.
==Features== {| |- valign="top" | [[File:Vistas del pico de San miguel.jpg|thumb|280px|View of the Pico de San Miguel]] | [[File:Olvega moncayo al fondo wiki.jpg|thumb|280px|Moncayo seen from [[Ólvega]]]] | [[File:San Martín de la Virgen de Moncayo.JPG|thumb|280px|Cross at [[San Martín de la Virgen de Moncayo]]]] |}
==See also== * [[Tarazona]] * [[Sistema Ibérico]] * [[List of mountains in Aragon]]
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Moncayo}} * [https://mendikat.net/ Mendikat] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005658/http://www.ign.es/ign/home/geodesia/serdag/VerticeResena.jsp?vertice=35207&usuario=adm&contra=adm Geodesy – Moncayo] * [http://www.turismodezaragoza.es/provincia/naturaleza.php?item=98 Parque Natural de la Dehesa del Moncayo] {{in lang|es}}
{{Mountain ranges of the Iberian System}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mountains of Aragon|Moncayo]] [[Category:Mountains of Castile and León]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of the Sistema Ibérico]] [[Category:Two-thousanders of Spain]]