Today I want to bring you my Andorra travel guide. This is one of the smallest countries in Europe, but it punches above its weight when it comes to culture and the outdoors.

Andorra Travel Guide

Andorra Travel Guide

Andorra intrigues me. High up in the Pyrenees, the country is nestled in snowy peaks sandwiched between France and Spain. It seems far away and inaccessible, yet alluring and enchanting in its remoteness.

My 90 under 30 Travel Project prompted me to visit, and over the weekend I traveled to Andorra to discover the country’s nature, culture, and adventure travel opportunities.

Stone Barn in Andorra

How to Get to Andorra

A friend and I flew to Barcelona on Friday night and rented what was possibly the most beat-up car in Europe.

Ordino village in Andorra

But once on the road, we drove for three hours up, up, up into the Pyrenees. The drive was surprisingly simple and straightforward, and the country far easier to get to than I had imagined.

Autumn foliage in Andorra

Where to Stay in Andorra

We arrived in Andorra to be greeted by our host, Bianca, from My World of Experiences.

I met her at ITB Berlin and she generously offered to let my friend and me stay with her family in the Andorran parish of La Massana for the weekend.

If we hadn’t, we would have stayed at one of the many hotels and apartments in La Massana. There are a lot of great places to stay in the area.

Building in the Village of Ordino, Andorra

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up the next morning to stunning views. Everywhere we looked, there were snow-capped mountains, trees with brilliant yellow leaves, and small stone villages with picturesque churches and rotundas.

We couldn’t wait to explore La Massana and the other places on our Andorra travel itinerary.

Things to Do in Andorra

Most people travel to Andorra for skiing in the winter or warm-weather activities in the summer. Our visit in November meant that we were too late for the summer sun and too early for the winter ski season.

But there were still plenty of things to do in Andorra in the autumn, and we spent the next two days discovering the highlights.

ATV Riding in Andorra

ATV Riding in Andorra

Starting with adventure sports, we spent Saturday morning driving off-road on all-terrain vehicles. Neither of us had ever driven an ATV before, but we had a great time.

We followed an old smuggling route between Andorra and Spain where people who once took advantage of the tax differential between the countries transported alcohol and tobacco across the border.

Quad biking in Andorra

The rocky trail led us all the way up to the top of a mountain, where we had amazing views over the Andorran and Spanish countrysides.

Halfway down the path we stopped for a snack at a small lodge in the hills before continuing back to the main road.

On the way we splashed through puddles and across streams, and drove by picturesque villages in the Pyrenees.

Village rotunda in Andorra

At the end of our ATV ride in Andorra we drove across the international border in our quad bikes. It was one of the most unique border crossings I’ve ever experienced (the other being between Jordan and Syria, a crazy journey involving strange car washes and confusing signs).

Autumn leaves in Andorra

Food in Andorra

Our adventure travel in Andorra complete, we then focused on culture. First and foremost, we discovered the national cuisine.

Our morning of activity had helped us work up an appetite, and Bianca took us to lunch at Bar Quim, a restaurant in a town called Ordino.

Ham and white asparagus at Bar Quim restaurant in Andorra

There we learned that Andorran food is very similar to Catalan cuisine. It made sense, as the two contiguous regions shared a language and culture.

For lunch I had a plate of ham with asparagus and a traditional sausage dish with white beans. Both were delicious, and gave me energy for our next Andorran cultural experience.

Sausage and white beans at Bar Quim restaurant in Andorra

Cultural Show in Andorra

This came in the form of a show in Sant Julia de Loria. The performance featured a number of dances from the area and paid homage to Joan Amades, who dedicated his life to preserving regional traditions.

The numbers featured intricate costumes and lively dancing, and afterwards the lobby was filled with traditional Andorran pastries. We sampled one that was covered in pine nuts and another filled with chocolate.

Sculpture at a cultural show in Sant Julia de Loria, Andorra

Hiking in Andorra

In order to work off all of the calories we consumed, we needed a bit more exercise. Thankfully Bianca had put hiking on our Andorra travel itinerary.

Valley with houses in Andorra

While hiking, we discovered more of the country’s natural beauty. We started out at a waterfall in a nature preserve at the base of the Coma Pedrosa peak in the town of Arinsal.

It was located right off the main road and had a picnic area around it where locals enjoy lunch on summer days.

Waterfall in Arinsal, Andorra

After taking in the falls, we drove high up into the mountains to a place called Port de Cabus. There we were able to stand with one foot in Andorra and one foot in Spain, all while enjoying stunning views of the valley below.

Snowcapped mountains in Port de Cabus Andorra

Nearby was a ski area in Andorra called Coll de la Botella, where we went hiking along the snowmobile paths.

The scenery was beautiful, with streams flowing through the dry valley below and snow dusting the mountains in the distance.

Ski lifts at Coll de la Botella in Andorra

Andorra to Barcelona

We wished we could stay longer and explore more of Andorra’s natural wonders, but we had to catch our flight back to London.

We drove to Barcelona and arrived with enough time to pop into the city for dinner at La Vinya del Senyor, a wine bar in the city’s El Born district.

There we enjoyed tapas and a glass of wine at a table overlooking the historic church of Santa Maria del Mar.

Santa Maria del Mar church in Barcelona, Spain

Andorra Travel

Being back in Barcelona’s urban landscape threw Andorra’s natural scenery into stark relief. It made us feel all the more fortunate to have traveled to the fresh mountain air of the Pyrenees.

Andorra seemed more enchanting after our visit than before, as if we had awoken in a city after dreaming of a snow-capped getaway in a land of fairy-tale villages, fascinating folklore, and fantastic outdoor activities.

I’m glad it was real, though, because now I’m one country closer to my goal of 90 under 30. Only 9 more to go!

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Andorra Travel Guide

10 Comments on Lady’s Andorra Travel Guide

  1. Hi,

    I missed the opportunity to visit Andorra when I drove from England through France and Spain. I will have to make a point of visiting, and the Barcelona weekend break looks a great idea.

    I’ve added a link to the Travel Bloggers Guide To Andorra I’m developing. I hope you don’t mind?

    Kind regards, Si

    • Hi Si – Yes, you should definitely visit Andorra sometime. It’s a really easy weekend trip, and such a beautiful country. Thanks for adding my post to your guide!

  2. I’m headed to Andorra in May as I am also checking off countries (although I’m a bit behind, only at 57 currently)…Great blog, thanks for sharing!

  3. Hi,

    I love your blog! It’s amazing that you have been to so many countries. Do you have a favourite? My goal is to reach 30 by the time I am 30. I am currently at 28! Andorra is my next stop. I will only be there for two days. What do you recommend as the ‘must sees’?

    Thanks!

    Joanna

  4. Hi,
    after several days of looking around and finding anything I finally stumbled on Your blog and saw the sentence I need: “rented a car”! 🙂
    I want to know how powerful car is needed to go to Andorra from Barcelona? I’ve been to northern Norway for business trips and always had a different rental car, some small ones have been really terrible with so weak engine it is a real challenge to cross some peaks at 60 km/h. As I’m going to Barcelona in April 2015 with my friend and our 2 teen daughters and we are thinking of visiting Andorra as well, I want to be sure the car I rent will be good enough to take us to Andorra and back without dead clutch or non-existing speed on the motorway. Any advice would be very highly appreciated 🙂

    • I’m glad you found my blog! We had a very small car and didn’t have any issues, but you might want to get one with a slightly larger engine if you’re concerned about the mountains. I hope you have a good trip!

  5. I am so very glad that I came about this post. I have been trying to determine if November is a good time to visit Andorra and your post convinced me that it was. Thank you for the very valuable information provided.

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