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A Self-Guided Trip – 7 Days & 6 Nights
This exclusive itinerary explores Catalonia’s Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. You’ll spend the week at 2 different overnight bases, each in an ancient Catalán mountain village, allowing you to closely experience traditional culture and get a sense for the area’s fascinating history. Best of all, you’ll have enjoy classic hikes in some of the most spectacular terrain in the entire Pyrenees.
7 Days, 6 Nights
Taüll (265 km NW of Barcelona)
Public bus from Barcelona to Pont de Suert (approx. 3 hr 30 min) + local taxi to Taüll (25 min) OR we can arrange a taxi to pick you up in Barcelona (3 hr 30 min). Consult us for prices and more details.
Espot (260 km NW of Barcelona)
You can take a bus (or taxi) to Lerida (2 hours by taxi 3 hours by bus), and from there a fast train (1 h 20 min) to Barcelona or other destinations. We can also arrange a taxi transfer direct to Barcelona (there is a daily service; 3 hr 30 min). Consult us for prices and more details.
Spring-Autumn: B+ to C- Summer: B+ to D-
8 – 17 km / 5 – 10.5 miles
Family-run 2* or 3* or equivalent hotels in Taüll and Espot. Our criteria always focus on quality of “character” (historical and/or traditional-style buildings where possible), location and service with a preference to local family-run enterprises. Good food is also a must!
Late May – Sept 30. Earlier in the season there is usually too much snow for some of the hikes.
6 nights accommodation
6 breakfasts, 3 generous picnic lunch bags, 2 dinners with local wine & bottled water; other nights explore on your own.
Detailed daily route notes, 1 high-quality topographic map and colour photocopied supplementary topographic maps with daily walking routes marked. Hotel contact information, some local city and town maps, public transport schedules and other information necessary to complete your personal itinerary. One set per room.
Telephone numbers for local English-speaking contact for help in event of emergencies, etc
Luggage transfers between both overnight bases (Days 2 – 6).
Local transfers to all hike start points as needed on Days 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Transfers on Days 5 and 6 in order to reach hike start point are NOT included as it is easy for you to arrange yourself with the taxi office being very close to the hotel. This gives you greater flexibility.
Pickups and transfers from hike end points to return to your hotel are NOT included and will be at your own expense. Hikes will always end at a locations where you can easily get or call transport. In most cases such transfers will cost between 6 to 10 euros per person using the national park 4×4 taxi service. In other cases, transfers could cost more. However, we have designed all walks to end at a reasonably close distance from your lodgings. Consult us for more details.
Airport transfers or travel to and from tour start and end points are NOT included. (see Dates & Details).
OPTIONAL OVERNIGHT AT A MOUNTAIN HUT
The high mountains of the National Park are best explored by using the one of the many manned mountain huts as an overnight base. A supplemental charge of approximately 30 euros per person will apply. Ask us for more information
OPTION TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAIN GUIDE FOR A DAY OR MORE
Hiring a local expert mountain guide will add great value to your experience. Our guides are locally born and raised and have in-depth knowledge of local culture, fauna, flora, geology, etc. Cost: 200 euros per day. Sign up for this additional service during the booking process or ask us for more details.
Parque Nacional de Aigüestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici – this is the crown jewel of Catalonia’s protected areas, the only national park within its territory, this is a wonderland of shapely granite peaks and hundreds of glacial lakes.
Medieval mountain villages – our itinerary includes overnights and visits to various of these stone-built cradles of authentic rural Catalonian culture. You’ll be able to observe traditional lifestyles, architecture and customs, where local inhabitants harvest their fruit and vegetable orchards, and tend their livestock as in years gone by.
Vall de Boí – your overnight base for the 1st 3 nights of the trip, the valley’s 9 Early Romanesque churches are the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in Europe, designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Glorious views, exuberant flora and abundant fauna – a nature photographer’s dream. A great location for alpine flowers, including the famed Eidelweiss. Marmots and chamoix observe us from rocky perches and birds of prey soar overhead, including the Lammergeier – one of Europe’s rarest birds of prey.
Daily hike options of varying lengths, elevation gain and technical difficulty allow you to choose depending on the days weather, and your level of fitness and desired challenge. This is no boot camp! We aim to provide an enjoyable trip to suit the needs of any hiker with a minimum of experience and fitness.
A world-class mountain environment – within the Spanish mountaineering and climbing community, the Catalán Pyrenees is considered one of the country’s prime locations, and is the setting for training courses run by top outdoor schools for ice climbing, alpine and ski mountaineering, traditional and sport rock climbing, via ferrata, parasailing, mountain biking, etc.
Local guide option – a great way to access more adventurous terrain and learn more in-depth about the area’s fauna, flora etc. is to hire a locally born and raised professional mountain guide for a day (or more). We’ll arrange it for you!
Begin & end in Barcelona – explore the architectural, culinary and cultural jewels of Spain´s most dynamic city.
