Valleys of Andorra

Capital of a tax-free microstate in the Pyrenees, with Grandvalira, one of southern Europe's largest ski areas, the Caldea spa, Romanesque churches and hiking in the UNESCO-listed Madriu Valley.

Andorra la Vella is the capital of the tiny Pyrenean country of Andorra. At about 1,023 m, it is Europe's highest capital, and it merges with neighbouring Escaldes-Engordany into a single urban area. The whole country covers only about 468 km², and all seven parishes are within an hour's drive, so you can see the entire country from a base in the capital. In town, the sights include the old quarter and the Casa de la Vall, the Church of Sant Esteve, tax-free shopping on Avinguda Meritxell and the Caldea spa; nearby are Lake Engolasters and the Church of Sant Miquel d'Engolasters, as well as hiking in the UNESCO-listed Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley. Heading northeast along the CG-2 road brings you to the Sanctuary of Meritxell, the Roc del Quer suspended viewpoint and the Grandvalira ski area; to the northwest, La Massana and Ordino have the Pal-Arinsal and Arcalís ski areas, the Tristaina lakes and the country's highest peak, Coma Pedrosa. December–April is ski season, and June–September is ideal for alpine hiking and lake trips. Andorra has no airport or railway; most visitors arrive by bus or car from Barcelona (about 3 hours) or Toulouse (about 3 hours). The official language is Catalan and the currency is the euro; Andorra is not an EU member, so duty-free allowances for tobacco, alcohol and other goods apply when crossing back into Spain or France. Plan on 2–4 days.

Top sights

• Old Town & Casa de la Vall – A stone manor built in 1580. It served as the seat of the Andorran General Council from 1702 to 2011, and the surrounding stone lanes form…
• Caldea – One of the largest thermal spa centers in southern Europe. Its 80-metre glass spire is a capital landmark, and it houses many indoor and ou…
• Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley – Andorra's only World Heritage Site: a glacial valley with no roads, preserving stone huts, pastures, and ancient trails that reflect a mill…
• Grandvalira – The largest ski area in the Pyrenees, with about 210 km of piste running from Pas de la Casa all the way to Encamp. It has hosted World Cup…
• Church of Sant Esteve – A Romanesque parish church in the old town of the capital, with an 11th- and 12th-century Lombard-style semicircular apse. It was later ext…
• Avinguda Meritxell – Andorra la Vella's busiest duty-free shopping street, linking to Carrer de Carlemany. It has department stores, electronics shops, perfume…
• Church of Santa Coloma – One of Andorra's oldest churches, with a pre-Romanesque nave and a 12th-century cylindrical Lombard bell tower, which is unique in the coun…
• Pont de la Margineda – A medieval single-arch stone bridge over the Valira River, with a span of about 33 metres. It is Andorra's largest old bridge and was once…
• Sanctuary of Meritxell – A sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Meritxell, patron saint of Andorra, designed by architect Ricardo Bofill in a blend of Romanesque and…
• Mirador Roc del Quer – A cantilevered viewing platform jutting out from the cliff, with hundreds of metres of valley below and a sculpture of a contemplative figu…
• Sant Joan de Caselles – A small 11th–12th century Romanesque chapel beside the road, with its Lombard bell tower and porch well preserved, and a rare Romanesque st…
• Sant Romà de les Bons – A small Romanesque chapel built on a rocky knoll in Encamp, framed by the ruins of a medieval tower and an old village for a picture-perfec…
• Sant Miquel d'Engolasters – A 12th-century Romanesque chapel on high alpine meadows, its tall Lombard bell tower set against the capital valley, an Andorran postcard v…
• Engolasters Lake – A pine-ringed mountain lake about 1,600 metres above the capital, with an easy path around its shore. It is the high-mountain lake closest…
• Pal Arinsal – One of the ski areas closest to the capital, reached directly by gondola from Ransol, with slopes suited to families and intermediate skier…
• Ordino Arcalís – Andorra's northernmost high-altitude ski area, known for reliable snow and off-piste skiing, and the starting point in summer for the Trist…
• Tristaina Lakes & Mirador Solar – Three glacial lakes above 2,200 metres, with a ring-shaped 'Mirador Solar' perched on the ridge overlooking the lake group and the mountain…
• Comapedrosa Natural Park – A nature park encircling Comapedrosa (2,942 metres), Andorra's highest peak, and the starting point for climbing the country's highest poin…
• Sorteny Valley Natural Park – A nature park famed for its alpine plants, where about 800 species bloom in summer, with gentle trails suitable for families.
• Ordino & Casa d'Areny-Plandolit – A mountain village of stone houses and lanes, where a 17th-century noble mansion museum recreates the life and furnishings of Andorra's lea…
• Sant Martí de la Cortinada – A Romanesque church in the Ordino valley, with rare in-situ 12th-century murals and Baroque woodwork, a rare treasure in Andorra.
• Naturlandia & Tobotronc – An outdoor park on the hillside above Sant Julià de Lòria, home to the roughly 5.3 km Tobotronc alpine coaster and a zoo area.
• National Automobile Museum – A car museum in the town of Encamp displaying about a hundred vintage cars, motorcycles and bicycles, beginning with an 1898 steam car.
• La Seu d'Urgell Old Town & Cathedral – A bishop's city just south of Andorra, home to Catalonia's only fully Romanesque cathedral and the 1992 Olympic whitewater park
• Ax-les-Thermes – A spa town in the Ariège part of the French Pyrenees, best known for the medieval Les Ladres bathing pool, where you can soak your feet for…
• Château de Foix – A medieval castle of the Counts of Foix, with three towers on a rocky outcrop above the town and home to the Ariège Museum

Where to eat

• Celler d'en Toni – A longtime favorite in the capital, recommended by the Michelin Guide. Its signature Canelons del Celler has been serve…
• Borda Estevet – The capital's most representative traditional stone barn restaurant, known for wood-fired charcoal-grilled meats, trinx…
• Beç – The personal restaurant of chef Rodrigo Martínez, recommended by the Michelin Guide since 2025, blending seafood and lo…
• La Borda Pairal 1630 – A 17th-century Andorran ancestral house in the Old Town converted into a restaurant, famous for fireplace-grilled suckl…
• La Cava – A good-value spot in the Old Town serving traditional Andorran home cooking and slate-grilled meat, with a particularly…

Itineraries

• Andorra Valleys Summer Hiking & Thermal Spa – The old town, the World Heritage Madriu Valley, Tristaina Lakes, and Ordino mountain village—the best of Andorra in fou…
• Soldeu Ski Week: Connecting Three Major Resorts – Based in Soldeu, ski the entirety of Grandvalira, and spend a day each exploring Arcalís and Pal-Arinsal.
• Barcelona via Andorra to Toulouse, 7-Day Cross-Border Trip – Cross the Pyrenees from the Mediterranean, drive through Andorra to the Carcassonne fortress, then reach the Rose City…
• Trans-Pyrenees Road Trip: Barcelona to San Sebastián – Drive from the Mediterranean to the Bay of Biscay, connecting Andorra, the Boí Valley, Ordesa, Irati, and the Basque Co…