Torla, typical of many Aragonese villages, retains a sleepy atmosphere despite an influx of tourists who swell its ranks every summer. With just under a 1000 inhabitants, the name Torla derives from the Spanish for tower (torre) and was founded in the 11th century. It shares a border with France but it lacks a road connection and the River Ara is said to be the only river in Spain that has not been dammed by humans. Originally a much more prosperous town, even containing its own monastery, it suffered serious damage during the civil war and lost many of its older buildings.
Torla is the main gateway to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park which was declared a World Heritage site in 1997 by the UNESCO.