We adore Andorra. It’s pretty, principled and packed with Pyrenean mountain trails. Tucked between France and Spain, Andorra is like a secret pocket of jewels sewn into many other layers. The shiniest jewels are the Pyrenees, with a plethora of pics, as they’re called locally. In fact, Andorra boasts 65 summits over 2,000m. Andorra is, however, one of those countries that still makes many people ask ‘where?’ and ‘how do you get there?’. Here are our top tips on Andorra walking holidays, as well as some of your questions answered to help you find the hidden treasure.
Don’t call Andorra Spain or France
It may be a microstate but it has a loud voice when it comes to protecting its own culture and identity. The national language is Catalan, as is the case for neighbouring Catalonia of course. And although one of its heads of state is the President of France, and the other is the Bishop of Urgell from Catalonia, it’s still Andorran. It’s complicated, but it’s colossal, and once you’re out there hiking the hills, it feels as if the only monarchs are the mountains anyway. In practice, the princely roles are only ceremonial, however, as it has its own parliamentary system, with a head of government (or Cap de Govern), similar to a prime minister.
When is the best time of year for an Andorra hiking holiday?
Andorra is already well known as a skiing destination and, with so many high mountain landscapes, it takes a while for the freeze to ease. So our hiking trips are available between mid-June and mid-October, when temperatures are warming up, and starting to resemble its nearby Catalan coastal neighbour. However, the mountains still mellow things out, temperature-wise, with average highs of 20C in June, 23C in July and August, staying in the mid-teens in September, and often heading to single figures in October. In short, you nearly always need a puffa in Andorra. It also never gets too crowded on those trails so, even in peak season, you can find solitude.
Andorra walking holidays are not as expensive as you think
Many people associate Andorra with money, mainly because it has very low taxes, there’s duty-free shopping and it’s a popular skiing destination, which is often seen as being a luxurious way to holiday. However, Andorra is not Monaco, it has real people living there doing real jobs and, in terms of wealth, the Swiss, Danes and Norwegians are higher on the list. Our walking holidays in Andorra, staying in three and four-star hotels, compete perfectly with those destinations in terms of price. You’re looking at €1.50 for a beer, €5.00 for a bottle of supermarket wine, and a meal at a mid-range restaurant averages €22. And yes, it does use euros, and no it isn’t in the EU.
Let us help you find the best walks in Andorra
You won’t need to look too far for the best walks in Andorra as that’s why we have an Andorran adventure specialist on the case. She creates itineraries that take you to some of the country’s natural highlights, as well as to three and four-star hotels. Many with spas. The walking is at its most Andorra-ble at Circ de Pessons, L’Angonella Mountain Pass and Sorteny Valley Natural Park, which was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2020.
Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley is often underrated and not very well known, even though it’s part of the larger natural park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was recognised by UNESCO for having protected its traditions of pastoralism and communal land ownership since the 13th century. As a result, you get to walk through undeveloped landscapes, past traditional shepherd’ huts and old, dry-stone constructions.
The Iron Route is the easiest hike on all our tours, a virtually flat route through the heart of Andorra’s mining region, which was one of the most important areas economically between the 17th and 19th centuries. This route concludes in Ordino, a village with stone houses and cobblestone streets, where we recommend lunch at Restaurant l’Ensegur. Here is the array of hiking beauties that we have on offer, all created with love and care by our in-house Andorran adventurer, Claudia Ollé Hurtado.
Get in training
Andorra is definitely for experienced walkers and requires a good level of fitness, so you may well need to get in training. It’s not all uphill, however, and in fact the ascents are often early in the day, as you work your way up to a mountain peak or glacial lake. But once you get there, it’s definitely worth it. In addition, we have a more relaxed walking and spa adventure, where the trails are shorter and you stay in two spa hotels throughout the tour.
Don’t overlook Andorra’s lakes
The largesse of the mountains is ever-looming, but don’t let that upstage the lakes in Andorra. Because this glacial gorgeousness is home to more than 80 lakes and mountain pools. Our favourites include Lake Engolasters (1,616m) and Lake Juclar, which is the largest lake in Andorra and part of the trail through Incles Valley to Coll de Juclar (2,450m), on the border with France. Then, last but definitely not least, the walk to Circ de Pessons has six alpine lakes, one after the other, located in a glacial cirque that’s surrounded by mountains over 2,800m.
Don’t look for an airport in Andorra
Shock, horror, it’s a European country without an airport. But in many ways, this is what has kept Andorra tucked away as a trekker’s top secret for years. The nearest airports to Andorra are in Barcelona (BCN) and Toulouse (TLS), where there are train stations too of course, and there are coach services from both airports and city centres to Andorra, and both services take around 3-3.5h. There are transport details on all our walking holidays.
Andorra still loves analogue adventures
Most roaming services don’t cover Andorra, which is a joy if you want a digital detox. There is no shortage of wifi, of course. However, for safety in the mountains, it’s always good to have a signal, so it’s a good plan to buy an e-sim card.
Bring your dog hiking in Andorra
You can go to Andorra with your canine companion on both our eight day holiday and our short break. But as there are no trains in Andorra, you will have to bring your dog on the bus for a while to access the starting point. Or pay a supplement for a private transfer. Read more in our blog, Top tips on hiking with your dog.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know Andorra a bit better and that it gives you the Pyrenean push that you need to go and explore it further. For any more information on travelling in Andorra, don’t hesitate to contact our adventure specialists.
