VALLEYS OF THE HIGH PYRENEES

This natural park’s nearly 70,000 hectares turn it into an immense playground for nature lovers. The mountains change as one gains altitude, transitioning from the spectacular Mediterranean forests of the valleys to the alpine vegetation inhabited, in fact, by bears. Your binoculars will be your ally on this tri

With over 50 kilometres of uninterrupted navigable river and a course which circulates between rapids and waterfalls, Noguera Pallaresa is one of the rafting meccas in the Catalan Pyrenees. Always in the hands of experienced guides, the experience can be tailored to your level; all you need is to be willing to get wet.

When night falls in the valleys, a festival of stars and constellations begins above the peaks, showering the sky with twinkling lights. The spectacle is magnified when viewed through a telescope during an astronomic session, free of light and air pollution, on the banks of the Les Cabanyeres river.

If you walk along the stone trails which once served as the only way to travel between towns and valleys, you’ll come across dozens of meadows of grazing sheep and fields overflowing with vineyards. The Biu hiking route  ends at the Tros de Sort dairy and is a good opportunity to taste two of the area's most representative products.

The Pyrenees are democratic. Over the length and width of the range, a wide array of options for all ages and activities unfolds, for families too. Horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, canyoning and rafting are a few of the options available to parents and the youngest members of the family

Snow is an inseparable part of the Catalan Pyrenees. For the duration of its snow season, the mountain range blanketed in white attracts thousands of skiers to Lleida every year. Skipallars concentrates some of its well-known resorts, such as Port Ainé, Espot, Tavascan and Virós Vallferrera, to help you have a fabulous day of sport.

At sunset on the summer solstice, every year on 23 June, the sky of Alós d’Isil lights up in sizzling reds. A giant bonfire in the town centre inaugurates les falles, a celebration listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and derived from a pagan tradition.

The Vall de Siarb Refuge, in the town of Llagunes, is the start and finish of a special hiking route. The daytime ascent passes fascinating places like the legendary El Turbón, where vultures and witches fly overhead. When night falls, the light of hikers’ headlamps guides their descent while the mountain begins its particular nocturnal concert.

After a summer calmly grazing at the highest altitudes, male deer begin their own particular descent, emitting the deep grunts of the rut to attract females in order to mate. Their bellows echo through the mountains in an auditory spectacle repeated every year around these valleys.

Sleeping at the feet of peaks over 3,000 metres in altitude and surrounded by trees as exceptional as the Avet del Pla de la Selva allows the traveller to connect deeply with nature. The heterogeneous options include everything from sleeping outside in the rough to in a cabin with all necessary amenities.

The Pyrenees are heard, smelled, touched, observed and also eaten. The essence of the mountain is found in enclaves like El Fogony. Situated in the town of Sort, this restaurant with a Michelin star and Repsol sun works with local ingredients to bring all the taste of the region to the palate.

This territory is characterised by the depth of its valleys, the height of its peaks and the ruggedness of its trails. Here, the wildest nature is calling out to be crossed using four-wheel drive, and that's where the Great Crossing comes in, one of the loveliest and vastest panoramic routes of the county of Pallars Sobirà.

In these valleys, herding has been practised for centuries, a fundamental part of the territory’s identity. The skill requires years of practice and great patience, but through this experience, accompanied by Jesús, a shepherd from Gavàs, you’ll find out all the secrets of this ancestral activity.

One glimpse of the horizon is enough to understand that the Romanesque triumphed in all these valleys. Between hillsides and mountains, an unending number of churches, hermitages and monasteries hide, like the magnificent monastic complex of Santa Maria de Gerri de la Sal or the church of Sant Iscle i Santa Victòria de Surp, with its imposing Lombard Romanesque bell tower.

Descending the Pyrenees by mountain bike is one of the most beautiful experiences anyone could have. Sport, landscape and health converge in a triad of dreams, but ascending may prove too demanding, so it’s a good idea to contract the service of local guides who know the territory to perfection.

The municipalities of Espot (Pallars Sobirà) and Boí (Alta Ribagorça) stand face to face. Between them lies Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, to which they both serve as a gateway. El Portarró d’Espot is the point where these two sectors of the park connect. Its altitude of 2,428 m guarantees magnificent panoramic views.