Andorra may be more famous for being an ideal place to go skiing in the winter, but the truth is that it is a perfect destination where to go at any time of the year, especially in the summer, when the temperature is so pleasant. If you are one of those who are planning a trip to Andorra, you are on the right page because I am going to share with you below my best recommendations so that you can make the most of your holidays in this small and beautiful country located in the Pyrenees.
Although, before starting, I would like to show you the following map in which I have gathered all the information that I am going to provide you with shortly, so that you can find all the recommended places in a faster and easier way. I hope it will help you!
1. DISCOVER THE MOST CHARMING VILLAGES IN THE COUNTRY
I still remember the last time I went to Andorra, with my family, and my mother said “Here, any accumulation of houses is called a town” hahaha. She said that because some of the villages in Andorra are so small that consist of just a simple street. Although it is true that there are other bigger ones where most of the social life is concentrated, such as Andorra La Vella.
Regardless of size, all the towns stand out for their beautiful stone buildings with slate roofs and adorned with a multitude of pots of colorful flowers that add such a special and nice touch. It is more common to see this ornaments in the smaller towns, which makes them the most charming places in Andorra. Would you like to know which ones I am talking about?
⋙ LLORTS
Without a doubt, Llorts is my favorite town in Andorra. This tiny town will make you fall in love as soon as you arrive at its entrance and contemplate the cozy church of Sant Serni de Llorts; people filling their carafes and bottles with water in a beautiful stone fountain; and the typical buildings plenty of pots of colorful flowers located all around the area. Moreover, this village is also famous for being the place from where many hiking routes start, some of which I will tell you about later.
⋙ ORDINO
In the second position I would place Ordino, another of the most charming villages in Andorra. This town is a bit bigger than the previous one and it mainly stands out for La Placeta square, where the beautiful Church of Sant Corneli i Sant Cebrià d’Ordino is located.
⋙ ARINSAL
This town located in the western part of the country, is also famous for being the place from where a large number of hiking routes start. As it is in a relatively remote area, it is a good place where to enjoy a relaxing walk while listening to the passing of the Pollós river along one of the sides of its main street. In addition to this, there is such a beautiful area in this village called “Residencial bordes d’Arinsal”, where I totally recommend you go and take a look to its old and nice buildings.
⋙ PAL
As I have mentioned before, there are really tiny towns in Andorra. One of them is Pal. It is one of the best preserved Romanesque ensembles. In fact, its most precious treasure, the Sant Climent de Pal church, is one of the oldest Romanesque buildings in the country. So, although it is also a bit remote and you will visit it in the blink of an eye, you can not miss taking a nice walk around this cozy town located a few minutes away from Arinsal.
2. TAKE SOME OF THE BEST HINKING TRAILS
Andorra is undoubtedly an ideal destination to go hiking, specially in the summer. As there are so many routes you can take for all levels, I have written a separate publication in which you will find the Top 5 hiking routes to take in Andorra. Besides discovering which ones they are, you will find in this publication a complete explanation of the trails, how long they will approximately take you and other useful information and recommendations. I highly recommend you read it because they are truly amazing. You can not leave the country without making at least one of the routes!
3. ENJOY THE IMPRESSIVE VIEWS FROM THE ROC DEL QUER VIEWPOINT
Going up through a narrow road full of curves from Canillo, you will find one of the most famous and impressive viewpoints in Andorra, the Roc del Quer Viewpoint. It is located at almost 2,000 meters of altitude (1,913 exactly) and has a total length of 20 meters, of which 12 protrude and will give you the feeling of being hanging in the air. From it you will be able to enjoy impressive views of one of the main valleys of Andorra and all the towns that are on it, as it is Canillo. Admission is totally free.
4. STAY IN ONE OF THE BEST ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE COUNTRY
Despite the small territory that Andorra covers, there is a high concentration of places to stay, since it is mostly a holiday destination. Thus, if you travel to the country, you can choose from a wide variety of accommodations and services offered in each of them.
In the post Top accommodations in Andorra: cozy hotels and apartments, I share some of the best accommodations in Andorra, affordable for different types of budgets, where you can have a wonderful stay during your visit to the country. I show you some images, obtained from www.booking.com, so that you can get an idea of what they look like:
5. GO DOWN THE WORLD’S LONGEST ALPINE SLIDE
In the parish of Sant Julià de Lòria, you will find the Naturlandia adventure park, located between 1,600 and 2,000 meters of altitude. Both in the summer and in the winter, the park offers all kinds of entertaining activities related to nature, sport and leisure. Although all of them are designed for all audiences, it is true that they are specially ideal for the youngest ones.
Above all the activities, I would like to recommend the famous Tobotronc, the longest nature slide in the world, with a total length of 5.3 km. By riding one of his two-seater sleds, you will enter the Rabassa forest and enjoy its beautiful landscapes going as fast as you want, since you will have total control of the speed of your vehicle. In short, it is definitely a fun and different way to enjoy Andorran nature.
6. EAT IN SOME OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN ANDORRA
For those foodie travelers, I share with you below some of the restaurants I personally recommend the most, so that you can have the best gastronomic experiences during your stay in Andorra:
⋙ LA BORDA D’ERTS
You will immediately fall in love with this restaurant just by seeing its beautiful entrance, a typical Andorran house full of colorful flowers. Although the prices of its dishes are relatively high, they offer a 20€ menu on Saturday, a totally reasonable price taking into account the excellent quality of the food.
⋙ LA BORDA DE L’AVI
This cozy restaurant is undoubtedly another of the best places where you can eat in Andorra. Although the prices are also relatively high, they offer delicious dishes of very good quality. If the weather is good, make sure you try their delicious onion soup.
⋙ RESTAURANT BORDA VELLA
Many people agree that this restaurant is undoubtedly the best one in Andorra. All the food offered is not only delicious, but it is also of the highest quality. In addition to this, they take great care of the presentation of each of its dishes and of the service provided to all the clients. In relation to the price, it is totally in line with the quality of the food offered.
⋙ SURF ARINSAL
Surf Arinsal is an Argentine steakhouse where you can not only enjoy excellent quality meat, but also delicious hamburgers at reasonable prices. It is also a very good place to party and have some drinks. Great atmosphere guaranteed!!
⋙ RESTAURANT L’ABARSET
It is an ideal place to go in the winter after a good ski session to have some drinks and/or something to eat next to the fireplaces. Moreover, when the evening approaches, a great party atmosphere shows up. You cannot miss it!!
Here ends this post about the best things to do and places to visit in Andorra. I hope you will find it useful so that you can make the most of your stay in this beautiful country. Do not hesitate to write any messages or doubts in comments and/or directly to travelwithlorens@gmail.com . I will be so happy to read them and be of any help to you. Greetings dear travelers!
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