Exploring one of the smallest countries in Europe

Andorra – August 2020

A while ago, I wrote about the time my favourite travel companion Selina and I went on a road trip to the south of France. I only briefly mentioned the little detour we did to visit the tiny state of Andorra, located in the middle of the Pyrenees. So let’s have a closer look at the Catalan-speaking country. It’s so small, that after crossing the border from either of its neighbours – namely France and Spain – the road signs already show you how to get to the next one. As we’re crossing from France we, therefore, follow the signs towards Spain in order to reach the capital of Andorra La Vella. Due to the lack of camp grounds in Andorra, we are thinking about going off-grid for a night. But our last trip to Carrefour was already a few days back, so we’re in need of a grocery shop. As we drive down the main road, we pass lots of cyclists tackling the mountainous terrain. We admire their stamina while we’re almost out of breath from singing along to Harry Styles and the Backstreet Boys.

We pass lots of big hotels with names which make it clear, that their primary season is winter for ski enthusiasts. And suddenly we’re in the city. If you can call it that. The centre stretches over a maximum of 1 kilometre and is nestled in a narrow valley. We approach a random supermarket that comes up on our GPS and park our Seat Altea. Quite groggy from the long drive from France, we enter Andorra 2000. The greatest supermarket to ever exist *in Europe. We grab a basket and go through our shopping list. Starting at the left end of the shop, we first hit the alcohol shelves and are surprised by the cheap prices. We thought France was great, but those numbers surpass our wildest dreams. I later learn that the low taxes are the main reason Andorra is such a shopping paradise. Anyway, we put a few bottles of wine and a pretty gin in our basket and continue to the aisle of canned food. There (to my surprise and delight) I discover “Dulce de Leche”, which I haven’t had since travelling in Argentina a year prior. The hours spent on backcountry roads in the Pyrenees are immediately forgotten, and 2 cans added to the basket.

Surrendering to our growling stomachs, we finish shopping and tackle the next item on the to-do list. Finding a place to sleep. During the supermarket adventure, we decided to put off-grid camping on hold and find a camp ground for the night. Back in the car, we look for a suitable place and find a little camp ground along the street to the mountains where we plan to hike the next day. A 20-minute drive and a quick stop at a gas station later, we check in and choose a nice camping spot. As always, our tent is set up within minutes and the new neighbours nod approvingly. We unpack the cooking utensils and prepare dinner: salad and roasted salmon. On the way to do the dishes, we make a small tour of the camp ground on the lookout for cool gear. We’re lucky, as some campers have high-end tents from a brand Selina likes, and other people even brought along their fridges! We end the evening with a quick dip in the small stream flowing downhill next to the nice tents. The water is a lot colder than the Mediterranean Sea we swam in just a few days ago. But it’s a lot cleaner too.

After a chilly night, an early morning awaits us, as it’s hiking day. We already decided on a nice route leading to several lakes close to the border with France. As we won’t be able to make it to Spain due to Covid regulations, we inform the receptionist, that we’d like to stay another night before leaving for the day. While the lady talks to me in Catalan, I effortlessly reply in Spanish and immediately feel so much more at home than when I’ve been speaking French for the past week. With the accommodation for the night sorted, we head off to the cable car station. Thanks to Covid restrictions, we have a spacious gondola all to ourselves for the brief ride to the beginning of the hiking area at Lagos de Tristaina. Not very well-informed, we immediately set off on the wrong trail. A steep ascend brings us all the way to a pond which is in the opposite direction of the three mountain lakes we wanted to visit.

There is only one other hiker at the small lake, so we take this opportunity to rest and cool our feet in the clear water. Recharged, we continue our hike on the narrow, empty trail. It leads us up a hill and down on its other side. Through dry, but green low bushes and across cow fields. After an hour or so, we slowly start to cross more and more hikers. And a few curves later, we arrive at Estanys del Mig (the second of the three mountain lakes connected by a small stream). Lots of day trippers follow the circular trek on the lookout for the best picnic spot. We, too, want to relax somewhere with a bit of shade. The August sun is burning, and the temperature is surprisingly high considering the elevation. Finally, we find a nice spot next to the third and biggest lake. There are a couple of big rocks providing protection from the sun and glances from fellow hikers while we change into our bikinis. After all, our goal for today is to take a bath in the crystal clear and refreshing mountain lake.

And so we jump into the freezing water before we can reconsider our decision. And luckily, like always, it’s not as bad as it seems, and our bodies quickly adjust to the temperature. Of course, we have to take a couple of commemorative pictures and videos to prove we did it. And then it’s time for lunch. We dig into our homemade sandwiches and afterwards take a little digestive nap. With our bikinis almost dry, we change back into our hiking clothes and continue the trek. Looking at the sheer number of people on the trail now, we’re glad we started early. Interestingly, with the increase in the number of people, the number of kids and inadequate hiking gear rises too. We pass people with flip-flops, miniskirts and designer bags. Some hobby photographers get a bit too close to some of the cows peacefully crazing at the lakeside and frantically run into each other when one of the animals shakes its head. While I am used to seeing cows on mountain pastures in Switzerland, it’s the wild horses freely roaming around the lakes that I’m more worried about.

After a short descent on the correct trail, we are back at the mountain hut opposite the cable car station. We treat ourselves to a delicious beer (forgetting that we have to drive back to the campground) and hop on the gondola back to the parking. Once inside the car, we remember the beer. But as there isn’t much we can do now, we simply drive very carefully back to our tent. After a much-needed shower, we prepare dinner and get an early night. The next day, a long drive back to France awaits us. And before leaving Andorra, we feel like we should pay Andorra 2000 another visit ;).