It was originally a small market village, as well as providing pilgrims on the Arles route of the Way of St. James their first respite after the difficult crossing of the Pyrenees over the pass of Somport.

On 29 October 1288, the Treaty of Canfranc mediated by Edward I of England was signed here, providing for the release of Charles II of Naples from his imprisonment by Peter III of Aragon.

The village, which lies in the valley of the Aragón River, covers an area of 71.6 km2 (27.6 sq mi) and is situated at an altitude of 1,040 m (3,410 ft).

The line was closed after an accident on 27 March 1970 destroyed the bridge at L'Estanguet, and the French side of the station was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

[5] Two trains a day now run between Canfranc and Zaragoza, and since 2010 the Spanish and French regional and national governments have discussed reopening the line to international traffic;[5][6] as of July 2016[update] this was planned for 2020.