Somport or Col du Somport, known also as the Aspe Pass or Canfranc Pass, is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. Its name is derived from the Latin Summus portus. It was one of the most popular routes for soldiers, merchants, and pilgrims to the tomb of St. James following the route from Arles to cross the Pyrenees. They travelled from Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France, via Somport to Aragon, Spain.
Pass as seen from Spain
The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly 500 km (310 mi) from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum altitude of 3,404 metres (11,168 ft) at the peak of Aneto.
Central Pyrenees
Composite satellite image of the Pyrenees (NASA)
Pico de Aneto, the highest mountain of the Pyrenees, Aragon (Spain)
Pic de Bugatet in the Néouvielle massif