Andorra – Family Summer Trips
Looking for a new destination for a summer hub trip?
A place where travel times in each direction do not exceed 40 minutes? (and usually much less along the way)
A place where the weather is wonderful, there is no air pollution, and you just breathe crisp mountain air?
A place that is clean, modern, and pleasant, where residents are welcoming to tourists, patient, and happy to help?
A place with good, varied, and inexpensive food?
A place with excellent roads, where everyone drives lawfully and there are no traffic jams?
A place where you can walk safely in the dark, where locals don't always bother to lock their car and front door?
A place where you can do duty-free shopping (huge duty-free...) in tons of stores at prices cheaper than in any European country?
And most importantly:
A destination brimming with family attractions in the heart of breathtaking nature where children (and teenagers) won't ask: When are we arriving? What is there to do here???
The Principality of Andorra - This is the place!
A small principality named Andorra (in Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) located in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain, is the destination where you can find everything you desire!
Andorra
Andorra
is known to winter sports and shopping enthusiasts who arrive every year to ski on its excellent slopes and shop tax-free in the many stores of the tiny principality's capital.
But Andorra has a lot to offer families in the summer!
Thanks to its tiny size, its area is only 468 sq km, making Andorra ideal for hub trips.
All attractions and tourist sites are within a half-hour drive of each other.
Winter ski resorts turn into amusement parks suitable for the whole family in the summer.
Did you know? Andorra takes part in the Olympics composed only of small European countries: Monaco, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, etc.
Guided Tours in Andorra:
♦ Recommended Accommodations in Andorra:
4-star hotel in the heart of the capital Andorra la Vella.
Spa, jacuzzi, sauna, gym. Café-bar with a billiard table, computer corner with internet. Buffet restaurant.
Apartamentos Superior El Tarter
3-star apartment hotel located a 15-minute drive from the capital Andorra la Vella in El Tarter, in Grandvalira near the El Tarter cable car leading to the largest ski resort in the Pyrenees. Equipped kitchen, internet, and free parking.
Pierre & Vacances
Andorra El Tarter
Apartment hotel located a 15-minute drive from the capital Andorra la Vella in El Tarter, in Grandvalira near the El Tarter cable car area leading to the largest ski resort in the Pyrenees. Equipped kitchen.
Sport Hotel Village
4-star hotel, located in Soldeu near Grandvalira.
Located next to a spa with heated pools and a jacuzzi. Two bars with live music.
Aparthotel AnyosPark
4-star apartment hotel in the town of Anyos about 6 km from the capital. Sports center with indoor and outdoor pools, gym, and spa. Kitchenette in the apartment.
Family Amusement Sites in Andorra
The famous ski resort "Grandvalira" reached by cable car from the town of Canillo Gondola will provide you with a full day of action: atop the mountain you'll find plenty of attractions and entertainment for all ages, including a lake with pedal boats and kayaks, dog-pulled scooter rides (the summer alternative to dog sledding in the snow), tubing down a hill, mountain karting, amusement facilities for young children, trampolines, chairlifts, mini-golf, archery, etc.
On the adjacent mountain peak, you can play golf (beginners can take private and group lessons) while viewing mountain landscapes, lakes, and valleys.
At the foot of the cable car is a serious go-karting site.
In the town of Canillo at Palau de Gel d'Andorra there is a huge ice-skating site located in an interesting building, offering not only ice skating and ice hockey games but also a unique and cool attraction: ice karting.
Another ski resort named Vallnord, reached by cable car from the center of the town of La Massana, is also brimming with entertainment for the whole family: horseback riding, zip-lining, electric cars, mountain karting, and plenty of inflatable facilities for children. You can take a 1- or 2-hour quad bike tour up the mountain and into the forest.
Another wonderful trip starting from the summit is a guided tour in self-driven "buggies" (small jeeps) on dirt tracks through breathtaking mountain landscapes while crossing the border into Spain along the "Smugglers' Route". Along the way, you also meet horses, cows, and donkeys roaming free in nature and reach a secluded village where you eat an authentic Catalan meal.
Both sites, "Grandvalira" and "Vallnord", are also known for walking trails at the summit, but mainly for mountain biking trails down the slope. This is the place to mention that ski skis are replaced in summer by mountain bikes. Cycling enthusiasts will discover endless possibilities in Andorra. All facilities (hotels, cable cars) are adapted for cyclists.
A third site not to be missed is the "Naturland" park Naturlandia located near the southernmost town in Andorra, close to the Spanish border: Sant Julia de Loria, where the main attraction is the "Tobotronc" alpine slide, the longest nature alpine slide in the world with a total length of 5.3 km (about a third uphill and two-thirds downhill). The park also offers a variety of other attractions and entertainment for children of all ages, including inflatable facilities, hill tubing, electric cars, pony rides, quad bike tours, target shooting, and forest hiking trails.
♦ Car Rental from Booking, reliable and convenient: Booking.com
Nature Trips in Mountain Scenery and Lakes in Andorra
Andorra also has several mountain lakes. The most accessible and closest of all is "Engolasters Lake" Llac D'Engolasters. The drive to it is along a winding scenic road offering wonderful views of Andorra la Vella and the surrounding mountains. You can take about a 1-hour walk on a nice and easy trail near the lake leading to a café at the end of the lake. The most popular attraction for teenagers is the rope park near the lake at a site named: Bosc Aventura The park includes long zip lines through the forest, and climbing on rope ladders and nets. Younger children can meanwhile satisfy themselves by petting farm animals and horses located nearby.
Andorra has a large variety of organized nature trails. It is recommended to purchase at any tourist office in the country, for just five euros, a kit containing maps and explanations (also in English) of hiking trails of all difficulty levels across the country. It is a green and white binder named: Trails of Andorra.
An easy trail, for example, ideal for families is the "Iron Trail" Ruta del Ferro which runs along the river and features various iron sculptures. The trail ends at an old mine where a short guided tour is conducted for a modest fee. Walking duration each way - less than an hour (detailed trail route in the recommended trail kit available from the visitor center).
It is also nice to hike in the "Val de Sorteny" National Park Vall de Sorteny which features hiking trails at all levels. An easy trail, mostly running along a rushing river, which also includes a walk through the park's botanical gardens is a trail named The Grau De la Llosa Trail.
Attractions and Shopping in Andorra's Towns
"Ordino" Ordino
Picturesque ancient towns are also not lacking in Andorra, which already became a principality in 1278. The most beautiful of all is "Ordino" Ordino . It is nice to take a walk in the ancient center of the town featuring characteristic houses, plenty of cafes, and impressive views of the surrounding mountains.
The town also has several museums, the most special of which is the MICROMINIATURE MUSEUM where you view through special microscopes amazing miniature works of art sculpted on a pinhead, a hair, a grain of rice, etc. All works are the creation of a single artist Nikolai Siadristy.
Capital City Andorra la Vella
Shopping enthusiasts will celebrate in the country's capital and largest city, Andorra la Vella, where there are thousands of stores, ranging from huge department stores, designer brand shops, and plenty of stores for electronics, spirits, cosmetics, and cigarettes.
But shopping is not all there is in the beautiful city, home to about half of Andorra's population. All along it, a river flows rapidly with beautiful bridges, restaurants, and cafes. It is a fairly compact city that is fun and convenient to wander on foot.
Do not miss visiting the successful hot springs site
Caldea Thermal center , considered the largest spa resort in southern Europe, suitable for all ages. The park is mostly indoor and suitable for any weather. The spa is located inside a special pyramid-shaped building made entirely of glass that stands out above the city buildings.
It is recommended to take a guided tour (free) of Andorra's old parliament building (served as the country's parliament until 2010 and various events are still held there today), located in the heart of the old quarter of Andorra la Vella. The short tour of the impressive building will teach you a lot about this tiny and special country.
Day Trips from Andorra to Neighboring Spain
A successful full-day trip starting from the "Vallnord" area combines a jeep tour and rafting in a rushing river in the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees.
Another successful rafting can be done in the channels of the Olympic Park Parc Olimpic del Segre where various boating competitions took place during the Barcelona Olympics. In addition to white-water rafting with whirlpools, you can enjoy turbulent kayaking in the channels or calm boating on the nearby lake.
The park is located in the town of La Seu D'urgell, which is the closest Spanish town to the border with Andorra. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, a large and colorful market is held there consisting of two parts: a large food market brimming with wonderful and inexpensive fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheeses, and other typical foods, alongside a large market of clothing, shoes, home accessories, and many other products. It is nice to wander the narrow streets between ancient buildings, shops (lots of chocolate and pastry shops), and colorful stalls.
Weather in Andorra
The weather in Andorra is perfect: the principality is located in the Pyrenees and thanks to the high altitude of the mountains, its weather in summer is pleasant, with average temperatures in July-August of 26 degrees Celsius during the day. On the high mountain peaks (the highest peak is 2,946 meters), where summer amusement sites are located, the temperature is a few degrees lower and humidity is low. It is known as a sunny country, so the number of rainy days is quite limited.
Andorra is not a full member of the European Union, but its official currency is the euro, which saves currency conversions and exchange rate calculations. The country has about 70,000 residents who make a living mainly from tourism (and finance, Andorra is also a tax haven). Residents pay almost no taxes, the country has no army and no unemployment, no wonder the locals are patient and kind to tourists, and it is also not surprising that life expectancy in Andorra is among the longest in the world.
Did you know? Andorra is an independent democracy led by a prime minister, but it has two foreign co-princes sharing the role of head of state: the President of France and the Bishop of Seu d'Urgell in Catalonia, Spain (the princes have limited powers).
Language:
The official language in the country is Catalan (it is the only independent country whose sole official language across its entire territory is Catalan), but residents also speak Spanish, French, and most tourism service providers also English.
Getting There:
Andorra itself has no international airport. The most convenient for Israelis is to land at Barcelona Airport, which is about 200 km away, less than a three-hour drive south-east of Andorra.
This is why it is very successful to combine a trip to Andorra with a visit to lovely Barcelona (which is also overflowing with endless family attractions) or to Spain's largest amusement and water park: "PortAventura" PortAventura located 110 km south-west of Barcelona and 200 km south of Andorra.