Andorra is a popular weekend road trip from Barcelona. At only a couple of hours from Barcelona it makes for a refreshing getaway between nature and mountains.
The Principality of Andorra is a micro state located in the Pyrenees mountain range surrounded by Spain and France. Andorra tourism is synonymous with skiing, hiking and mountains as its average elevation in 2,000m above sea level.
But, even if, it is thought that it is a winter destination, I would say Andorra is an all-year-round destination.
This time we went on the second weekend of June, and it was perfect to enjoy mountains landscapes, have some adventure time with kids.
Many people say it is worth to make a day trip from Barcelona. Of course, it is, but really, are you sure you can get enough only of few hours staying there? I think at least a weekend, it is worth to enjoy the place.
Andorra is a place that deserves a couple of days, your own car and an openness, so you have enough time to visit the heritage, explore the stunning mountains and getting to know a bit more about this intriguing and unique country.
To get to Andorra from Barcelona you have two options, either a paid tunnel road which will cut your time down, or the regular national road which will save you the toll. We went both ways, and even if the toll is expensive, it is worth it. You save much more time and gets faster to this magical place.
In the summer Andorra offers an unlimited amount of trekking trails, mountain scenery and lakes some of which are easily accessible. The green pastures with sheep and cows and the beautiful valley are a great escape from urban stress and suffocating heat.
We went there for Spartan Race 2019. Daddy was participating in the race, and we thought that it would be great to enjoy all together mountain weather of Andorra. In Barcelona in June is already so warm, that you can enjoy beach time. But, when we went, it was sooo cold, that we had to stay with our jackets.
It is really sunny, you really need a sunscreen. And you can perfectly stay with your winter jacket but getting tan. We totally missed this point, so we came back quite red :).
Andorra offers several long-distance walking routes: far and wide of this amazing country. Maybe when our kids will be grown ups, we will do any of those. But, on our last trip there, we only enjoyed our hiking time to the lakes and back. And we chose the closest ones.
Hiking certainly is a low-equipment and accessible activity for the whole family. But some preparation is recommended. If you’re heading into the mountains, tell someone about your plans and take at least a basic kit of water, high-energy snacks, a map. GPS signals can be hard to come by and the weather can change suddenly.
Andorra’s best-known lakes are:
The three Tristaina lakes near Andorra’s border with France. Swimming in these lakes is a treat for hikers during summer in Andorra.
Lake Engolasters is widely known as a nice setting for a relaxing day outdoors.
Because it’s off the usual routes, many visitors treat seeing Moreno Lake as an accomplishment.
We went to Llac dels Pessons as it was the closest one to the place where the Spartan Race went. And with kids, it was a great achievement, as we had to walk up all the way.
Spartan Race in Andorra
Spartan Race can be done by everyone, even kids. In our case, only daddy was the bravier to do it.
So, all day long we spent there, as few hours previously, we went to watch other participants, and then watch daddy. And almost all day, passed in beautiful mountain surroundings.
We took our lunch there, we played with river water, enjoyed some forest time, and of course spectacular sightseeings.
Overall thoughts about Andorra
We fulfilled our batteries with mountain energy for long time in advance. I think it is a perfect weekend destination to get out of city routine and enjoy the place.
Thanks for great post. We will be in Spain early November
and would love to chat
Author
Great news! Of course, let us know if you need any advice.